Haifa, Israel. April 12-13, 2022

 Day 1:  

We arrive again early in the morning, temperature 59 and edging up to 66,  the sun is shining in full force and the air is clear, a joy to breath.  Our 9 hour tour begins at 8:30 so we have breakfast delivered promptly at 6:45.  An added bonus to traveling during Covid protocols is that the buses are never fully booked and Margit and I each have a set of seats to ourselves.  We always have them behind each other or on either side of the bus.  Gives me plenty of leg room, though not an issue for Margit.  Busses are like planes,  short on leg room.     

The tour, entitled Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee, was amazing.  We had one of the best tour guides we have encountered so far on this World Cruise.  Not only did we get a very scenic tour of  Israel’s countryside we visited some of the most important places in the life of Jesus. It made many of the Bible’s stories come to life.  I am the first to admit, I am not very knowledgeable in this field as my childhood exposure to religion of any kind was somewhat limited.  But, of course I had heard of Nazareth, Jesus’s miracles: wine into water;  multiplication of loaves and fish; the Sermon on the Mount and so on.  So having the opportunity to actually see these places was very special.  

Let me try to recap:  We drive east towards Nazareth crossing the coastal mountain range, passing through lovely hilly countryside. We arrive at Nazareth, where Jesus spent his youth.  We visit the Church of Annunciation, where the angel Gabriel announced the coming of Christ, then the Church of St Joseph.  We pass through the village of Cana, where Jesus is said to have turned water into wine, and continue to ascend to Mount Beatitudes, where he delivers the Sermon on the Mount.   We drive along the Sea of Galilee via Tiberias to the small village of Capernaum and see the ruins of a synagogue where Jesus was believed to have preached.   We continue on to Tabgha and visit the Church of Mutliplication, named so for the miracle of multiplying  loaves and fish to feed all the hungry.  Our final stop at the banks of the River Jordan at Yardenit site of Jesus’s baptism.   Somewhere in between all these sites, we stopped for a very delicious meal at a local restaurant.  

I touched the water at River Jordan.  A rather sacred moment.  

There were few tourist at each of the sites, and those we did see where mostly other Viking cruise ship guests on other tours and or buses.  It was nice to be able to see these sites without the usual crowds.  Our tour-guide provided so much detailed information that regrettably I do not remember, but know I can look them up on Google.  It was just amazing to have the Bible stories come to life, to actually be where these events occurred.  It makes me want to read the Bible again, as now I can associate the stories with real life locations.  

The Port City of Haifa as seen from our cabin.

Typical countryside as we make our way east towards Nazareth

Church of Annuciation

Statue of Virgin Mary at Church of Annunciation.         

Inside one of the levels of the Church 
The church’s dome was amazing in the design of the Lotus blossom.

Inside the upper level of the church 

Another view of the Church of Annunciation 


Church of St Joseph
Statue at Church of St Joseph

Inside of Church of St Josph

Church of Multiplication

Mosaic of the fish multiplication


En route to River Jordan we see hundreds of Date Palm trees

The Jordon River at Yardenit, the location of Jesus’s baptism 

I touched the waters of the Jordan River.  

Capharnaum the city where Jesus lived 

The old remains of the city. 

Sea of Galilee


Statue of St Peters at the grounds of Church of St Peters


Forgot to take picture of the church as we could not get in, but it is in the shape of a flying saucer built over the home of St Peters.  You are seeing the underside of the church.  

Church of the Beatitudes


Inside the Church of the Beatitudes.   It’s round, very simple, beautiful marble walls 


View to the Sea of Galilee from the Church of Beatitudes


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