From Israel With Love

Going to Israel was amazing! It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I mean that. Once in my lifetime. I'd love to go back, but that was one hard journey that I don't know I can handle doing again. I'm still feeling the effects of the trip, all that hiking and climbing. Today I was bedridden after our homeschool class meet. It has just been building. But! Worth every bit though! 

I have been slowly and painfully sorting through the over 2,000 photos my husband took. I don't know what it is about guys and cameras, but it seems like they often take the oddest photos. Photos of things that leave you scratching your head and wondering, "What was he thinking when he took this?" 

That being said, I have been reliving the trip through these photos. And what a trip! Hard to believe, but the State of Israel could actually fit inside the state of Colorado. Even so, our 10 day trip couldn't cover everything that could be visited and seen. After all, we didn't even get to visit Bethlehem! We did drive along the northern, eastern and western borders though. And to a great many spots in between. Including what we westerners know as the Gaza Strip aka the Golan Heights. Not what the locals call it over there. We had a lovely lunch in a Palestinian restaurant. But I am getting ahead of myself here... So let me walk you through some of the best parts of our trip with photos to guide you. 

When we first arrived in Tel Aviv, we had to go through a PCR test at the airport. From there were driven the scenic route and given some history as we made our way to the hotel for the night. We had to go into quarantine until the results of our tests were emailed to us. Thankfully, ours arrived before dinner time and we were able to not only eat in the dining hall, but also take a brisk stroll around outside. We stayed right on the Mediterranean. You want to talk about a beautiful sight!

Only thing that might have been better would be to have had the room next door, which was the corner of the building. But still, seeing that beautiful sea glisten was amazing. 

While on the Mediterranean, I highly suggest seeing some of the ancient Roman ruins. There are so many strewn through Israel though, so don't worry if you don't see these. But the one here that we visited had an open theater with original steps in tact. There was also the arena for horse and chariot racing. There was ruins of a palace that the sea had collected. I picked up a few shells and a stone that porous and light. Loved walking next to the Sea. Reminded me of days growing up in Florida, but the water was prettier here.

The Aqueduct amazed me. This structure is 10 miles long. It carried water to a place that had none. And is still standing over a 1,000 years later. Why can't we make things to last like this??

Don't be alarmed to see open tombs on the side of the road. Ancient practices of burial means that tombs were dug into the sides of hills and rocks everywhere. Some of them are quite noticeable.

The Sea of Galilee is nothing like I imagined it would be. When we went, the weather was beautiful. Often as we drove near it, it was smooth like glass. And tour boats like this make it seem all the more serene. If you take a tour boat, I suggest Daniel Carmel. He has 3 boats now. We took the Faith Boat. His other is the Hope Boat, but he recently purchased the Love Boat. *wink wink*

I never thought the mountains in Israel would have snow on them. I mean, they are mountains after all, but I think of Israel as Middle East. Meaning... desert. I was wrong. When we went in March, there was still snow on the mountain peaks.

I don't want to overload you in one go. After all, my husband has over 2,000 pictures! So I will leave you to ponder these and be back after I sort through some more gigabytes of photos. Israel is amazing. And I want to show you some of it. Though I would tell everyone to take the trip if they get the chance. There are some great destinations in the world worth traveling to. But nothing like the Holy Land.