HAIFA, ISRAEL

   Haifa is a port located along the Mediterranean Sea, nestled below Mount Carmel, and is Israel’s third largest city. The settlement of this area dates back more than 3,000 years and still maintains much of its deep-rooted history.  All oil comes through here.

   The Sea of Galilee is a fresh water lake because it comes from where there was a volcano. The Dead Sea is 1300 feet below sea level. It is 35% salt. You can easily float in it.

     We visited the Mount of Beatitudes. There is a church built over the spot it is believed that Jesus gave the Beatitudes to the Disciples. At the river Jordon we filled up bottles of water. At the Sea of Galilee we took a few stones. Tom was afraid if we took too many they would run out. At the looks of the amount of tourists it wouldn’t take too many years.

 

Tom and Sandy at the Sea of Galilee

Capharnaum - The Town of Jesus

Tom getting water from the River Jordon

Tom and Sandy at the River Jordon

Pope Paul VI visited Mt of Beatitudes

 

 

 

 

ASHDOD, ISRAEL

ASHDOD, ISRAEL

 

We docked in the port of Ashdod and took a bus to Jerusalem that was 90 minutes inland. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. There are 9 million people living in Israel now and in 1971 there were only 2 million.  Two thirds of the country is desert. The people are using the desert to expand the living space. In 1882 was the first influx into Israel by Jewish people from other countries that were experiencing racial hatred.  They moved together into a Kibbutz (means coming together). They farmed together, ate together, and did everything for the community.  Many had never been farmers before and they had a hard life but they succeeded in their homeland even if they came from many different countries.  In the last seven years the greatest influx has been from France. The Kibbutz of late has been turning to tourism to augment their income. They have erected a hotel and dining room to hold 1,000 and they feed the tour buses at lunch. Our tour bus stopped at one for lunch which was out of the world.  They had wonderful fresh vegetables straight out of their gardens, chicken, meat, or fish, and wonderful desserts. Also, they served red and white wine they had made at the Kibbutz.

 

On our tour we walked through the Garden of Gethsemane. At Mt. Zion we visited the Room of the Last Supper. We walked through the Jewish Quarter and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. We also saw the West Wall that used to be called the Wailing Wall.   

Now on to the port of Haifa to go see Nazareth.

Church of Agony-Near bottom of Mt of Olives

Sandy in the Gaden of Gethsemane

Roman Ruins of a Market Place

City Wall

 

 

 

 

IRAKLION, CRETE, GREECE

IRAKLION, CRETE, GREECE

   Once the center of the Minoan civilization, as well as the largest of the Greek Islands, Crete has a lush history that forms a large part of the overall tapestry of Greece. According to Greek mythology, goddess Rhea hid the newborn Zeus in a cave of Crete, where he was subsequently brought up by nymphs who protected him from his enemies.  It was also on Crete that Zeus took the form of a bull to seduce the maiden Europa.

   The Knossos Palace's, the largest in Crete, complexes were arranged around a central court. The city was organized around the palaces.  In them was concentrated the religious and political authority, and they were also entrusted with the organization of the events connected with religion, as well as the production, storage and ultimate disposal of the agriculture products and the management of commerce.  The necessity to record and control the complex activities of the palaces may have led to the development of the two systems of writing which were adopted at this time: Cretan Hieroglyphic and Linear A which have not yet been deciphered. This was during the Protopalatial Period (2000-1750 BC), the Bronze Age. Their most valuable item to barter since they did not have money yet was copper.  

   The Palace was destroyed several times by earthquakes but it was built back with improvements each times.  It was built with a water system to get water from a spring, and to send sewage to a brook. The complex covered about 25 acres. The Administration Offices and meeting rooms were on one side of the open court yard. On other side were the five stories of apartments for the family and staff to live. The King and Queen had their bedrooms on the bottom floor.

   The Palace fell into disuse and it is not certain why; it could have been another earthquake.  Through the centuries it, as well as the town around it, became covered with soil and olive trees were planted over it. A farmer found some ruins in the late 19^th Century and there have been excavations every since. The town has not been excavated yet.

 

Model of the Palace of Knossos

Columns of Palace of Knossos still standing

Clay cups of multiple colors with egg shell thin sides

Stone with hieroglyphics on both sides

 

 

 

 

VALLETTA, MALTA

VALLETTA, MALTA

     To the south of Italy is the island of Valletta, Malta.  The city boasts a rich past but has also suffered great destruction.  During World War II many buildings were lost during German air raids, including the Royal Opera House.

     The Minajdra Central Temple was built 3,600 years before Christ. During this stone age there was no war. The only tools they had were things to make their life easier and they had no weapons. About 2,500 years BC the Bronze Age people took over and built on the hills. They made weapons. The Romans took over about 218 BC.  The Normans in 1091 AD brought the Catholic religion to Malta. In 1530 King Charles V gave Malta to the Knights.  They were then under British rule for about 150 years and then they got their independence on September 9, 1964.

Independence Statue 1964

Museum Of Archaeology

Plaque on Museum Door

Stone Age tools-ruler, hand for measuring,needle

 

 

 

MGARR, GOZO, MALTA

MGARR, GOZO, MALTA

There are three islands that make up Malta. There are now 416,000 people living here and 320,000 cars. They have 2 million visitors a year. In 60 AD St Paul was ship wrecked just south of Gozo. 7,200 years ago people from Sicily came to inhabit Gozo. They built Temples out of limestone on both Gozo and Valletta, Malta. The Megalithic Temples of Malta are the oldest free-standing stone monuments in the world. These stone age people had some tools that were very advanced for that time.

 Rock behind us called "Blue Window"

 Wall from Temple built 7,200 years ago from limestone

 Map of Gozo. Second largest Malta island.

 

BARCELONA, SPAIN

We flew out of Atlanta on Saturday evening April 6, 2015 to Amsterdam.  We had an uneventful eight hour flight except for the fact I just could not sleep because I could not get comfortable. The seats have gotten so small and closed in there is not enough room for long legs. While we were landing in Amsterdam I took a picture of the fields. There is so much water and the plots are so straight it fascinated me. I’d like to talk to those that farm that area to see how that goes for them.

We had a two hour layover in Amsterdam and then a 1 ½ hour flight to Barcelona, Spain. We were met by representatives from Holland America and we were taken straight to the ship, Prinsendam. The first thing we did was eat, of course, even before we unpacked. Then we took a nap. Tom and I decided if someone wanted to torture us, sleep deprivation would be the best way to do it. We were like zombies the next day which was a sea day, thank goodness. 

 

BARCELONA, SPAIN

In our zombie like state we did have a few hours to get off the ship to walk to the shopping area so we could feel like we had been in Spain. A few streets over we found a flea market which had interesting items. I bought a water color painting from a famous Spanish artist who is now “kaput” according to the vendor. We saw a tall, ornate statue of Christopher Columbus put up in

1842. After getting over jet lag during a day at sea we will dock in Malta.
 

 

 

 

 

The Next Trip

Well, we are off again!! This year we are taking a Mediterranean cruise. The next thing on our bucket list is to visit Ephesus, Turkey and this cruise will take us there. Sandy lived in Ankara, Turkey in her early teens with her Father, who was an Army officer, but she never made it to Ephesus. This cruise takes us to five ports in Turkey, eight in Greece, one in Romania, one in Bulgaria, two in Malta, and two in Israel (Jerusalem), and three in Italy. We will fly home from Rome. I, Sandy, will be sending a blog, from each stop so if you want to follow us on this adventure add your email at the top of the page and you will get an email each time I add to my blog. The next blog will be about 6 or 7 April after we join the ship in Spain.