A day in Jerusalem

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Geo: 31.8198, 34.6696

Our second day in Israel was to spend the whole time in Jerusalem in which there are lots of things to see. We entered the Old City through the West gate and saw the tombs of the two architects who built the city walls for King Soloman. The streets are mostly marble paving stones and pedestrianised but there are also lots of steps. The narrow streets lined with all the shops in the various quarters are also fascinating. Our first stop was at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre which was built on the hill of Golgotha over where Jesus was crucified and also over the site where his body was anointed after being brought down from the cross and then entombed nearby. I don't think it matters whether you are religious or not but you cannot help but be moved by this place. To lighten our mood when we came out, our wonderful guide told us a religious joke. Jesus was entombed in the tomb belonging to Joseph of Aramethea who went home and told his wife how he had donated his tomb to Jesus. She was very annoyed at this but Joseph said "it's Ok he will only be using it for 3 days!!"

Another walk through the old city took us to the Wailing Wall. There is a separate entrance for women and one for the men. The women's bit is the smallest. You can write a wish or prayer or a note and place it in a crack in the wall as I duly did and hope it comes true.

Our next stop was a church built on the site of the Last Supper and this was also very close to the tomb of King David (he of Goliath fame) followed by a final stop on the Mount of Olives from which there is a spectacular view over the city and from which you can see where Jesus walked from the Last Supper to the Garden of Gethsemane and from there to where he was incarcerated and put on trial before the long walk carrying the Cross called the Via Dolorosa.

What an exhausting and emotional day! It was good to get back to the ship to have dinner and let our hair down and relax.

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