Tel Aviv, Nazareth, and Capernaum, Israel!

We were in Tel Aviv for less than 24 hours, which I now wish we had done differently. The tour guide who organized the second part of our trip dismissed Tel Aviv as just another big city. While many people might think that, I would have liked to spend at least one full day there. Upon arrival, we immediately proceeded to the beach to walk to the old city, Jaffa. We eagerly rented a bike and a scooter and had a great time cruising along the bike path! 

We left our rides along the waterfront in Jaffa, where we had a selection of restaurants to choose from for lunch. After our meal, we climbed up the winding streets and wished we had more time in Jaffa! If I returned, we’d have more than half a day in Tel Aviv for the museums and the beach and at least half a day in Jaffa.

Our tour started with a bus ride to Nazareth, which is now a large and crowded city. The temperatures were expected to be high that afternoon, so I brought a sari to wrap over my skirt and shirt when we visited a church. I respect that knees and shoulders must be covered, but the guard would not let me into the church even with yards of material covering me from my ankles to my neck! He told the tour guide he was worried that I would trip on the stairs. Um, what??? My feet are not covered at all. The tour guide had to vouch for me that I wouldn’t remove the sari and that I would be very careful on the stairs in order not to trip. So, if you go to Nazareth, don’t bring a sari to wrap around your knee length skirt and sleeveless blouse. Other ladies had simple scarves that they wrapped around their tank tops, and they were admitted without a problem.

We then drove to the Sea of Galilee through beautiful scenery. There are a number of sites to see around Capernaum, and several massive tour bus restaurants that we don’t particularly recommend. The location of the Sermon on the Mount was crowded but had beautiful gardens, and the Chapels and ruins in and near Capernaum were amazing! Tiberias is also a bustling city now, and it was neat to walk along the lakeshore. I wish our hotel room had screens on the windows instead of a sticker instructing us to not open the windows (there were small gnats and mosquitos flying around). The boat ride on the Sea of Galilee was meaningful to our group of Pilgrims.

Visiting the Jordan River was amazing. Several in our group were baptized, and we prayed and sang. Other groups did, too!

Berlin, Germany! Part 2: sights and flights

We’ve stopped pressuring ourselves to see as much as possible and wear ourselves out while visiting a city. We saw some new and interesting (to us) places, and some of the usual suspects. The first day with a train ticket, we went to Stadtmitte and started walking around. Well, we didn’t get too far right away because of the chocolate place I raved about last week.

We saw a church dome out the window of the chocolate place and decided to check it out, not knowing that it housed a museum of parliament. Now, we are all for an unusual display, and this was well worth the time. Information in English is posted in nearly every room and the architecture is nifty.

After that we walked to Checkpoint Charlie and the amazing museum there.  I am grateful for the opportunity to have seen it as a teenager, when it made a huge impression on me. I’d highly recommend it.

For you crafters out there, two art supply stores are in another mall close to Potsdammer Platz where I picked up several glitter pens, scrapbook papers, stickers, etc. Easy walking distance from Stadmitte. Remind me to NOT google art supplies next time... or ?

The second day with a train ticket, we went to the Botanical Gardens, which are about 20 minutes (train) plus a short walk away from Charlottenburg. Although there were “only” crocus and a few daffodils blooming along the paths, the greenhouses were spectacular and well worth the trip. Worldwide plants grew with fragrant blossoms that cheered us on a cloudy day. We entered one end of the gardens and exited at the other end, catching a bus to the nearest train station, where we found an assortment of restaurants and shops. The gardens have their own restaurant and a museum, neither of which we went to.

Please note that Segway tours really do require advance reservation if you are eager to take a tour on a certain day/at a certain time. One of the companies has a satellite location in a hotel near KaDeWe, but they are NOT staffed prior to all tour times. They are only staffed if a tour has been reserved/pre-paid.

We flew EasyJet for the first time, and had no problems on the way to Berlin. The return trip was delayed, and we didn’t get any notification until after arriving at the airport. It seems much more common these days for flight delays. There is so much to see and experience in Berlin, you'll enjoy your time there.

Jerusalem, Israel! Part I

We were in Jerusalem at the beginning and end of our trip. We took a pre-arranged taxi from the airport upon arrival, and the same driver later to Tel Aviv. Jerusalem can be overwhelming with so many amazing sights, lots of sounds (people, honking horns), and new experiences from food to crowds that we tried to pace ourselves.

The Citadel Museum was a great way to start our trip. Tremendous views and interesting displays. Yummy pecan pie and light grapefruit juice at the snack stand. We did not expect the Mamilla Mall to be so fancy and modern, but it is! We got a local SIM card, Naot sandals, and enjoyed a salad with grilled fish.

At the recommendation of a friend in the US, we had an excellent experience with a local tour guide. I would rather listen to historical explanations than read them in a book (although I did plenty of research before the trip). We walked through the Armenian quarter to the western wall, which felt holy immediately upon entering the square. The entire trip was a study in gender inequality, and at the end of our trip when we returned to the wall, I noticed that the much larger prayer area for men was less occupied than the smaller prayer area for women.

We were amazed to see the excavations in the City of David! The water tunnels were a feat of engineering! Beautiful view over the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives.

At the end of the tour, we viewed a second potential location of the Tomb of David, along with one potential location of the “Upper Room” (Last Supper).