Jersualem - Free Day

Sunday 19 April

Free Day around Jerusalem.

It was great to have the flexibility to take some time to visit the things that everyone had a personal interest in, and just have a bit of time on your own to absorb the atmosphere of Jerusalem.

Stephen and Fiona – visited the Burnt House and the Wailing Wall in the morning. Simon and Pris, Darren and Suzie, Stephen and Fiona in the afternoon went to see Yad Vashem again, the Bible Lands Museum, Herzl’s grave, Gethsemane, and the Mount of Olives. Fiona Ginn shopping and read the Exodus (By Leon Uris). Anthony has been plagued with a stomach bug for over a week and sat at the Jaffa Gate when he just had the strength to watch the colorful comings and goings.

Some Young Israeli soldiers. Quite unusual to be having lunch sitting next to a group of giggling girls with deadly automatic riffles, that you know they are trained to use in necessary.

I spent the morning looking at the Burnt house, the Herodian Palace, and the War of Independence exhibit 1948.

Solid stone vessels used by the Jews at the time of Christ. Pottery vessels could be defiled or become unclean under the law. These stone utensils were very expensive.

Ruth joined me in the afternoon, after a restful morning of reading and writing at the Beit Shmuel Hostel. We went shopping in the markets, and then had a tour of HaKotel tunnels (The Western Wall Tunnels). The tunnels are fascinating. The Jews have burrowed along the entire length of the Western Wall. And even at one point burrowed in under the Dome of the Rock. This caused quite a stir at the time when they were found out, and have had to seal the entrance, and promise not to go in again… ever!

Our guide on the HaKotel Tunnel Tour. Very talented, and passionate about her country and Yerushaliem.

Quotable quote from yesterday. At Akko we were wandering around the restaurants on the foreshore, grand old medieval buildings behind us, music playing, a few fishermen sitting on the walls with their lines in the water and Fiona (guess which one) innocently makes a statement “This place has a real Mediterranean feel about it……” (It hadn’t quite registered yet where we were.) Another interesting day.