Ahhh, Jerusalem...there is a reason the world fights over it. It's a place unlike any other. When I'm there, I have a sense of fullness, richness, heavy and light all at once. Just like Petra, there are no words adequate to describe this ancient city. It's pure magic. Like meeting your newly born baby for the first time...every time. There is so much to see and discover, you have to live there to take it all in.
My Mom & stepfather, Ralph, did two tours (of duty) in Israel and lived there a total of eight years (Mom, correct me if I'm wrong). I also had the privilege of living there for several months and, therefor, had many trips to Jerusalem.
It is tempting to give a history lesson and explain how Jerusalem is divided up, but I'll resist because I don't want the blog to be too lengthy. Let's just say that it is a must see!!! No matter where I go, my heart is firmly held in Jerusalem!
We spent the Millennium New Year in Jerusalem...yes, we did party like it was 1999. This is the view of Jerusalem from our hotel room. We stayed in the Palestinian section (not within the Old City Walls). It was electrifying to usher in 2000 there!
Here we (Rob, Mom, and me) are at our New Years dinner at the American Colony Hotel. No words...or maybe one...surreal.
We can party anywhere... (Ralph & Rob)
Rob and I at the Wailing Wall...I'm using a little local "hand gesture." Actually, I don't know what I'm doing in this picture.
Walking through the Old City (Jerusalem is divided first into the "new" section and then the Old City which is totally walled. Within the walls its is divided into 4 sections or quarters; Jewish, Christian, Muslim and ...oddly enough Armenian (who are also Christian). Sorry, I had to give that bit of info.)
Mom and Ralph with their friends, Yasser and Waffa. We had dinner this night with them and their children. They had the most interesting stories to tell about the Palestinian view of the founding of Israel, as well as the exodus. Yasser owns a beautiful shop near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. If you make it to Jerusalem, make it a point to stop in.
Jesus's Tomb at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
We have literally hundreds (over 400, I think) of pictures of our visits to Israel (Rob and I went twice together some years after I lived there). So, I will not bore you with them all, but hopefully you can see why I love Jerusalem so much and why I encourage anybody who's interested to go.
Sidebar since this was not in Jerusalem: Rob proposed in Israel at Mom and Ralph's house on Christmas 1999. He got the ring in Old City. That's another great story.
5 comments:
This is great - fantastic!
i would be jealous if i weren't so excited to see this. it's fantastic and i am so glad you shared it.
i also love my cross from here...thank you for that. it's one of the best gifts i've ever received.
loved loved loved visiting israel. saw everything - swam in the dead sea, waded in the jordan river, saw masada, golgatha (which is now a muslim graveyard, if i'm not mistaken, so you can't go up there), jesus' birthplace, the place where they kept john the baptist before he was beheaded, the wailing wall...it's amazing how small the place is and how much is there. thoroughly enjoyed your trip down memory lane, and it took me back down my own.
wow. i really can't imagine! i really enjoyed the pictures and would not at all have minded the history lesson. maybe another time, over a cocktail...
Looking forward to hearing more about this in person!
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