Day 1: Nazareth...

We stopped in an Arab bakery for a snack. The assortment was a bit overwhelming, so I just stuck with chocolate.

Don’t even want to think about why they sold ski masks in the market. Check out the boxes: Raisins of California. I was going to buy the kids some chocolate-coated nougats until I realized they were made in Holland.

Day 1: Church of the Annunciation...

In the late afternoon, we drove over an hour south to Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. Ironically, the largest church in the Middle East is in this city known as the “Arab Capital of Israel,” because it is the largest Arab city in this predominately Jewish nation. Approximately 60% of the inhabitants are Palestinian Arabs, who are Israeli citizens.

The Church of the Annunciation is a very unusual and interesting building. Built in 1969, the current two-story church is built over the remains of both a Byzantine (4th century) and a Crusader (12th century) church. At the bottom is this grotto, which is believed to be the childhood home of Mary and where the Angel Gabriel made the announcement that she would become the mother of the son of God.

Day 1: Holy Sites, Holy Business...

After lunch, we visited several holy sites including the hill where Saint Helena (the mother of Emperor Constantine) determined 300 years after the fact that Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, the longest piece of teaching from Jesus in the New Testament. The first church built on this site was in the 4th century; the church you see above is Roman Catholic Franciscan built in 1938. It was a rather basic church surrounded by lushly landscaped grounds.

We wandered around the ruins of Capernaum, a city from the 2nd century BC that Jesus once lived in. Batya seemed a bit skeptical of some of the claims about the old synagogue as this site is run by Franciscans rather than as a national archaeological site. We also visited the Church of the Multiplication with its lovely restored 5th century mosaic floor in honor of the miracle of Jesus feeding the multitudes with loaves and fish.

Day 1: St. Peter's Fish...

We lunched waterfront in Tiberias to have one of the local specialities: St. Peter’s Fish. While this type of tilapia had been fished for centuries from the sea, it is currently farmed because fishing has been temporarily banned due to overfishing. Benny, the driver of our mini-bus, proudly displays how well he was able to separate the bones from the fish.

Benny took our first full group photo: Batya, Marijke, Andrea, Linda, Al and me at the Sea of Galilee in Tiberias.

Day 1: Sea of Galilee

Batya did a great job interspersing holy sites with secular activities during our two days in the area surrounding the Sea of Galilee. We saw this 2,000-year-old boat that two fisherman found buried in the mud in 1986 when the tide was low due to a drought. It was fascinating to watch a video of the race against time to excavate it before it crumbled away once exposed to air. Apparently the Vatican would like to get their hands on it because it was from the time of Jesus (and is known as the Jesus Boat), but the Ginosar Kibbutz has no plans to give it up.

Next, Batya pulled some strings and managed to get us a private ride on a wooden boat; we got a lot of stares as we walked past all the lines of tourists. It was corny yet sweet when one of the crew raised an American flag while playing the US National Anthem during the 20-minute cruise.

Israel Day 1: Ginosar Kibbutz...

One of the Larger Houses at Ginosar Kibbutz

Our first day was a travel day. Flying with El Al, the national Israeli airline, wasn’t that different than other airlines except for the guards with Uzis at the security check at the gate. Going through passport control was also easy, but I felt bad when I told the immigration officer I didn’t want a stamp in my passport (just in case we travel to a country not on friendly terms with Israel) and he said that wasn’t very nice. After we arrived, we had a two-hour drive to our hotel; luckily the hotel kept the buffet open late for our arrival at 8:30 p.m. The next morning, our Israeli adventure started along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the lowest freshwater lake in the world at 700 feet below sea level. We stayed for three nights at the Ginosar Kibbutz Hotel and began our tour next door with a walk through the Ginosar Kibbutz.

View of Ginosar Kibbutz

Kibbutzim were founded on the concept of building a society where everyone gave their all and received what they needed. Today, there are 256 kibbutzim, many of which have been privatized, with approximately 106,000 occupants producing 40% of Israel’s agriculture. Many kibbutzim have expanded their operations into tourism and run hotels; Ginosar Kibbutz also grows bananas and mangos and runs a medical equipment manufacturing plant. Batya said the most difficult part of growing up on a kibbutz was sleeping away from her parents.

Batya Leaving the Ginosar Kibbutz Hotel

A Glimpse of Israel...

Orthodox Jews in Old Jerusalem on the Sabbath

Frankly, Israel wasn’t really on my radar as somewhere to visit. Then Batya came to do a presentation at the AWC about a tour she was leading for the American Women’s Club of Amsterdam in November 2011. She was born in Maryland, but her parents moved to Israel when she was young and they lived on a kibbutz until she was ten. After moving around the world, she eventually settled in Israel where she became a tour guide with her Dutch husband. They now live in Holland and lead occasional trips back to Israel. Having an American expat lead a small group of expats around her adopted home seemed too unique of an opportunity to pass up. Thankfully, Jimmy gave me a hall pass to go.

Stations of the Cross along the Via Dolorosa -- 
Station 6 where Veronica wiped Jesus’ Face

It wasn’t until our group met at the airport that it dawned on me that my fellow participants might be interested on going on a religious pilgrimage and that our desires for the trip might not mesh. I took a quick poll and it was a relief to discover that the five of us were like-minded (four Jews and one ex-Lutheran). Getting to know my fellow travelers was definitely a highpoint of the trip.

A Mix of Jewish and Arabic Goods in the Muslim Quarter