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Israel...a must.....
"We landed at Uvda airport, in Israel, from Gatwick and went directly to our Hotel on the shores of the Dead Sea, and the chance of a 'float' It smelt of bad eggs but is supposed to have curing powers for all sorts of ailments. Allegedly is a word that's used a lot in the Holyland and as our journey began, it became obvious why.
In a cable car next, to the ancient fortress of Massada, built by Herod in 30 BC. and the last Jewish stronghold against the Romans in 66 AD. Amazing feelings of history as I gazed over the magnificent views of the Dead Sea and the mountains.
We drove next through the Negev desert, through the land of the Philistines to the ancient port of Jaffa, and a stay overnight in Tel-Aviv. Vibrant, bustling, totally unorthodox, full of the beautiful people.
Next day, driving again through the Sharon Plain to the Roman, Byzantine and Crusador cities of Caearea. Things are already becoming unreal to me. Driving through deserts and seeing trees planted and growing on the mountains, passing through a Kibbutz and seeing cherry tomatoes in polytunnels, in the desert. Cows 'grazing' in large sheds, in the desert. Yoghurt factories, in the desert. Avocados growing in Avocado orchards, in the desert. Unreal!
Next, the Carmel Mountains and a splendid lunch in a Druze village, Arab friends of the Israelis, then drive to Nazareth and follow the 'alleged' footsteps of Jesus down to Galilee and overnight in Tiberius on the banks of the Sea of Galilee.
We stop at a Baptismal site on the Jordan River. They are selling bottles, shaped like Jesus on the Cross, of Baptismal water. Very large Americans are stripping off, donning large white cotton robes and submerging themselves in the River to be Baptised. Even more unreal!
We drive to Jericho, then on to Jerusalem and visit Mt. Zion, the alleged Room of the Last Supper, the Gardens of Gethsemane, and then for me personally, the most moving visit to the Museum of the Holocaust, Yad V'Shem. Unforgettable!
Next day, a drive to Bethlehem and visit The Church of the Nativity, it's all so scruffy and commercial, as were most of the places I had learnt about at school. Images are shattered here in Israel.
Back to Jerusalem and walk through the Old City, to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Via Dolorosa, the alleged last walk of Jesus bearing the Cross and the alleged stopping places. We visit the Christian, Moslem and Jewish quarters of the City including Hezekia's Wall and the Wailing Wall.
Next day we go to the Israel Museum and see The Dead Sea Scrolls...we did! We saw the Dead Sea Scrolls...pure magic.
The food in Israel is magnificent. A mixture of all the cultures who live there. Breakfasts are unbelievable, and it's just as well to make the most of them as it's an expensive place, so stock your belly up well.
We then had a week of fun in the sun in Eilat on the Red Sea to get over all this travelling, but that's another story.
I am not religious, that's not why I went there, and there is so much I haven't said about Israel. Go and find out for yourselves.
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