Jerusalem Day 2

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Today was my first full day in Jerusalem and I made the most of it. I signed up for a walking tour of the Old City and we visited the major sites. We went to Mount Zion and saw the room where the Last Supper is traditionally felt to have been held. We also saw King David's tomb. Next we visited the Temple Mount and saw the very impressive building known as the Dome of the Rock. That is the gold-domed, blue-tiled octagonal building that is seen in many views of Jerusalem. It is a Muslim shrine and we were not allowed inside, but I was pleased to see the outside up close. We had a short lunch break, and I had a falafel from a small restaurant that was recommended by the guide. It was good! We passed by the Western or "Wailing" Wall that you see on the news, but there were not a lot of people there today. We walked a small portion of the Via Dolorosa, the route that Jesus followed on his way to be crucified. We did not walk its entire length, but did see several of the stations of the cross along the way. It leads to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, which was our last stop. Inside we saw the Rock of Golgotha (the rock on Calvary hill on which Jesus was crucified). Also inside is the "unction stone" where his body was prepared for burial. His actual burial place, the Holy Sepulcher, is viewable, but there was an enormous line to get in so I skipped that for the moment. I walked back to my hotel, which is about 15 minutes away, and was glad to take off my shoes and socks and give my feet rest! I have felt very safe here in Jerusalem. There are soldiers and policemen in the old city and some of them have automatic weapons, but nearly everyone else appears to be either a tourist or a merchant hoping to sell something to the them. (For some reason I am unable to load photos on my blog today. I will try again tomorrow.)

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