Give Thanks and Remember

12 day TOUR to Israel and Jordan

for the GUILD OF GUIDES

from Washington DC

February 10 - 21, 2008

The journey was Great!

SUN. 10 FEB 08 Departed on our flights to Israel.

MON. 11 FEB 08 Arrived in Tel Aviv and made our way to The Grand Beach hotel for dinner and to rest a little.

TUE. 12 FEB 08 After enjoying a full Israeli breakfast buffet, we departed north along the Mediterranean Sea coast to Caesarea Maritime. Initially, this was a Phoenician site in the Persian period (6 to 3rd C BC), and became one of the most important cities in the Roman World. It played an important role in the history of Ancient Israel and later decayed after the Arab conquest, then returned to glory with the Crusaders. We continue to Haifa to view the Bahai Temple and Gardens and then to Akko, located in the northern portion of Haifa Bay. We’ll visit many of the historic sites and have a lunch stop in this area.

Drive east to the Sea of Galilee and check into our hotel overlooking the lake. Dinner and overnight in Tiberias.

Day 3 photos. Click on picture for full size!

WED. 13 FEB 08 After breakfast, we took a replica of a 1st century fishing boat across the Sea of Galilee and visited Tabgha to see a 4th century church built in the Byzantine manner, and close by, The Primacy and then Capernaum. We visited the Synagogue and insulars of the city to learn of life 2000 years ago and saw wonderful ancient capitals which depicted Israel's ancient presence here. A quick trip up the Mount of Beatitudes afforded us a lovely view of the lake and the Italian Sister's gardens overlooking the hills. Lunch was a typical mid-east meal with lots of different foods to taste and a tasty St. Peter's fish!

In the afternoon, we drove southwest to the city of Nazareth and visited the Greek Othodox Church of the Annunciation, built over Mary's Well. We continued to walk through the town down to the Franciscan property and entered St. Joseph's over The Carpenter Shop of so long ago, and then the small but important Museum with excavations of the first century village. From here we entered the upper church of the Annunciation where many countries have sent a portrayal of Mary to decorate the walls, and then the lower church built over the actual cave where she was living when the angel Gabriele spoke to her.

On the return to Tiberias, we stopped at the Wedding Church of Cana and were lucky to have our couples join another group who was having their wedding vows renewed and blessed. A quick trip to a "wine" shop followed where we learned about the wedding traditions of the village. A busy day, but wonderful!

Day 4 photos. Click on picture for full size!

THR. 14 FEB 08 After breakfast, we packed up and drove south, stopping at Yardenit Kibbutz, the place where the River Jordan leaves the lake and where many Christians come to be baptized or renew their baptismal promises. We continued to the King Hussein Bridge and enter the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

After changing buses and meeting Bashar, our guide; Mustafa, our driver; and, Muhammed, our Tourist Police Escort, we drove south to the Roman-Greco city of Jerash, one of the most complete examples of a provincial Roman city to be seen anywhere. As rain had started, we ate a great buffet mid-east lunch and then walked among the streets of long ago, stopping in the amazing theater to be entertained by three retired soldiers playing drums and bagpipes!

With weather deteriorating, we decided to continue south directly to Petra. Checked into our lovely hotel and enjoyed a wonderful buffet dinner!

Day 5 photos. Click on picture for full size!

FRI. 15 FEB 08 Sunshine! After breakfast, Bashar discussed the legendary city of the Bedouins, then we walked into the Siq to see the magnificent canyon shrine carvings and then the Treasury rise up between the rock walls. The rock-carved rose-red city of Petra is full of mysterious charm, and it was obviously "designed to strike wonder into all who entered it". After lunch, we were on our own to explore and return via personal choice transportation to the hotel for dinner and overnight.

Day 6 photos. Click on picture for full size!

SAT. 16 FEB 08 After a very early breakfast, we packed up and headed north to visit Madaba and see the oldest map of the mid-east in a floor mosaic of the local church, then a mosaic craft shop for the disabled. A quick stop at Mt. Nebo, overlooking the Promised Land in the area where Moses died. and then we drove down to cross the Allenby Bridge and enter the Holy Lands of Israel and Palestine.

We entered the Palestinian city of Jericho, legendary lowest city in the world and ancient oasis in the desert, and stopped to see the famous Sycamore Tree and Greek Orthodox Monastery perched on the side of the Mount of Temptations, as well as the archeological excavations of the original city. A great lunch stop which offered good food and a market of local products and fruit, then we were off south following the shoreline of the Dead Sea to Ein Bokek, spa center and area where you could experience ‘floating’ in the Dead Sea.

Day 7 photos. Click on picture for full size!

SUN. 17 FEB 08 A few hardy souls tried floating in the Dead Sea before breakfast, and joined a couple of soldiers from Hungary who are part of the multinational task force training in Israel. After lots of pictures and a great Israeli breakfast, we were up the cable car to visit Massada King Herod’s famous fortress. An extensive tour of this impressive place preceded lunch and then we continued our journey to Qumran to see where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found and learn about the Essene community who lived here so long ago.

Learning about the impending snow to come in a couple of days, we rearranged our itinerary as we drove up to the holy city of Jerusalem, and stopped on the Mount of Olives to visit the Ascension Mosque and then walk down to the Franciscan property of Domus Flevit (Jesus' wept) to sit and learn about the city. Continuing our walk down, we came to Gethamane and had a few moments in the beautiful Church of All Nations before taking our bus around the Old City to Notre Dame, our hotel.

Day 8 photos. Click on picture for full size!

MON 18 FEB 08 After breakfast, we took the bus around to enter the Old City at the Dung Gate and the Jewish Quarter. A visit to the Western Wall when young boys become young men through their Bar Mitzvah is wonderful and we had time to see and also to put our prayers between the stones of the wall before going up on the Temple Mount to see the El Aska Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.

We departed through the gardens and out to visit the beautiful Gothic St. Ann’s church with it’s perfect acoustics, and the Pools of Bethesda before driving east and entering Palestine to walk in Bethlehem and shop at one of the big stores. We also enjoyed a great lunch before our visit to Christianity's oldest church, the Church of the Nativity. A stop in Shepherd's Field allowed us to sing Christmas Carols in one of the caves and visit Barlucci's Chapel before returning to Jerusalem and our hotel.

Day 9 photos. Click on picture for full size!

TUE. 19 FEB 08 Snow in Jerusalem! With the itinerary changed, we now entered Herod's Gate of the Old City and walked the Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross) to the Holy Sepulchre. An introduction to this Crusader Church which is over Calvary and the Tomb of Jesus, gave us a starting point for a later visit to explore on our own. We then walked across the Old City, stopping for tea and facilities, and entered the Jewish Quarter at the Cardo. We continued up to Mount Zion and were able to visit David's Tomb Memorial which is under the Upper Room, but alas The Room was closed due to the snow. We returned to the hotel for lunch and dry socks!

In the afternoon, we drove into New Jerusalem to see visit the Israeli Museum to see the Model of Jerusalem at the time of the destruction in 70 AD. and the Shrine of the Book where the Dead Sea Scrolls are kept, and then a quick stop at the Great Menorah and the Knesset.

A little time to relax and prepare for our mid-east farewell feast (and birthday party) in Bethlehem. A great time was had by all!

Day 10 photos. Click on picture for full size!