Bonjour! Following our eight-day tour of the Holy Land, Llew and I spent a week in France together using Rail Europe train passes. After his departure to the US, I continued to stay on in Paris. Here is an account of the week we passed together and the time I spent alone in France. …
All posts in Israel
Au Revoir Israel, Bonjour France: Israeli Museum and Arrival in Paris
Nov 27, Sun Jerusalem-Paris: As agreed, we arose early and went down for breakfast at 7.00 am so as to wish our friends farewell. Then Llew and I lingered over our breakfast as we had finished packing and had our bags ready. At 9.30 am, as decided, our cab arrived at the hotel and transported…
Mount of Olives and Around the Dead Sea: Qumran and Masada
Nov 26, Sat: Mount of Olives-Qumran-Masada-Dead Sea. View from the Mount of Olives: What was to be the official last day of our tour saw us rise and have a buffet breakfast in Hotel Arthur. As a result of the Sabbath, everything was very quiet. Moti ushered us into our van and led us to…
Yad Vashem Museum, Ein Karem, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Nov 25, Fri: Yad Vashem Museum-Ein Karem-Old City of Jerusalem-Via Dolorosa-Church of the Holy Sepulchre Our day began with breakfast in Hotel Arthur’s lobby. As the Sabbath had come around again, things would be closing by 3.00 pm that day. We steeled ourselves for our visit to the Yad Vashem (or Holocaust) Museum as…
Jerusalem: Temple Mount, Western Wall, Garden Tomb, Home of Caiaphas and Garden of Gethsemane
Nov 24, Thu: Jerusalem-Temple Mount-Western Wall-Garden Tomb-Home of Caiaphas-Garden of Gethsemane We awoke with the realization that it was Thanksgiving Day in America and so, at breakfast, we wished each other. After a lovely breakfast in Hotel Arthur that included smoked salmon on toast—my particular favorite—and good coffee, we set out for our exploration…
Cana, Bet Alfa SAynagogue, Bet Shean Roman Town, Bethlehem and Jerusalem
Nov 23, Wed: Cana-Bet Alfa Synagogue, Beit Shean Roman Town, Bethlehem, Jerusalem. We had our last buffet breakfast in Hotel Galei Kinneret in Tiberius as we piled our baggage back into Moti’s van. We would be leaving the area to make our way towards Jerusalem where we would spend the next three nights in…
Dippinng into River Jordan, Mount Tabor, Megiddo and Nazareth
Nov 22, Tue: River Jordan-Mount Tabor-Megiddo-Nazareth Our day began with a buffet breakfast in the hotel where I opted, once again, for Shakshuka Eggs and a variety of roasted vegetables with local cheese and olives. Baptism in the River Jordan at Yardenit: Not long after, we were in the van driving along the shores…
Around the Sea of Galilee: Capernaum, Tabgha, Mount of Beatitudes, Golan Heights and Upper Hula Nature Reserve
Nov 21, Mon: The Sea of Galilee: Capernaum (St. Francis Church) Tabgha, Mount of Beatitudes, Golan Heights and Upper Hula Nature Reserve. When we awoke, we were quite delighted to discover that our hotel was right on the shores of the lake and that our rooms offered grand sweeping views of the city of…
Tiberius and Beyond: Getting to Know Jaffa, Caesarea and Haifa.
Nov 20, Sun: Tel Aviv-Jaffa-Caesarea-Haifa Our first full day in Israel began with an absolutely world-class buffet breakfast in Hotel Shalom where the service was impeccable and the choice mindboggling. I was delighted to find yogurt and muesli and I started on it as a first course with a smattering of dried fruit and…
Shalom Israel! Getting to know Tel Aviv
Sunday, November 20, 2016 London-Tel Aviv, Israel We were deeply excited about exploring the Holy Land as it had remained on our Bucket List for far too long. Besides, Llew and I would be reunited there after about three and a half months of separation. It would be a really significant place in which to have…