The Beautiful and Peaceful Garden Tomb

And tomorrow we travel home after a wonderful pilgrimage!

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

This phrase is repeated many times in the Bible. We must keep praying!

Panoramic View

It shows the gold Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount and the Western Wall.

Our Trusty Guide

We have been blessed by our guide in Israel, Harrison. Here he explains the reproduction of the Madaba mosaic map found in Jordan in 1896. It shows Jerusalem during the 6th century.

The Roman Pillars by the Mural

A Mural in the Underground Shops

depicts the scene during the Roman empire. Excavations continue.  Can you spot the anomaly?

Fabulous Mosaic at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher

This is just the center!

The Colorful Streets of Old Jerusalem

The Day Began With Singing and Cyclamen

... at The Church of St. Anne, where choirs from around the world (including our impromptu group) test out the amazing acoustics.

Qumran Caves

The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in the Qumran Caves by Bedouin Shepherds in 1947.

Frescoes on the Bathroom Wall

The Dead Sea

Masada

Masada was a palatial fortress built by King Herod, rising high above the Dead Sea.

We went up by cable car; my husband would likely have tried the 45 minute walk up. 

En Gedi Nature Reserve

Burning Books

It was a day of rain and cold wind here in Jerusalem. A perfect day to visit The Holocaust Museum and the Israel Museum where the Dead Sea Scroll exhibit is. Neither museums allow photographs, so I'll leave you with a quotation of Heinrich Heine:

"Where books are burned, human beings are also destined to be burned."

Up the Valley Walls

Amongst the Palestinian houses you can see holes in the cliff. These are ancient tombs. 

The City of David

Excavations of the City of David go on under a Palestinian neighborhood.

The Southern Wall of the Temple Mount

The Wailing Wall

Men and women are separated.

Graffiti at the Temple Mount Exit

Great street art!

Temporary Entrance to the Temple Mount

There is only a mosque left on the Temple Mount. That is why Jews and Christians pray at the Western (Wailing) Wall; the wall is the closest place they can get to the Temple site where they are allowed to pray. All Bibles are confiscated at the wall's gate.  

The Dome of the Rock

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An Olive Tree in the Garden of Gethsemane

The Church of All Nations

Welcome to Jerusalem!

The Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount,  seen from the Mount of Olives. 

The River Jordan

Israel has very recently cleared the land mines from an area large enough to allow access to the place at the River Jordan where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Many people like to be baptized here too!

Bet She'an

I love a good Roman ruin!

Now Overlooking the Sea of Galilee

The Catholics Sure Know How to Build 'em

The glass floor in this beautiful Capernaum church looks down on the remains of a 4th century church built around the room where Peter hosted Jesus.

Hello from the Sea of Galilee!

Now THAT'S A Prickly Pear

Fascinating History Part 2

Israeli/Lebanese Border

Still closed, I'm afraid.

Underground City (Akko)

The Crusaders' city discovered underground is remarkably well preserved.  Excavation continues. 

Acre Market

No time for shopping!

Fascinating History

The British had big plans for a railway joining vast areas. See the next post for an explanation. 

Megiddo

Megiddo contains excavations going back to 3500 B.C.E., including this water tunnel from 9 B.C.E.

Baha'i Gardens

The Bahá'í Faith (Arabic: بهائية‎ Baha'iyyah)/bəˈhaɪ/^[1]) is a monotheistic religion emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind.^[2] Three core principles establish a basis for Bahá'í teachings and doctrine: theunity of God, that there is only one God who is the source of all creation; the unity of religion, that all major religions have the same spiritual source and come from the same God; and the unity of humanity, that all humans have been created equal, and that diversity of race and culture are seen as worthy of appreciation and acceptance.

Unfortunately, access to the gardens is restricted, and this is as close as we got.

Roman Theatre at Caesarea

Aqueduct Near Caesarea

Caesarea was built by King Herod to honor Augustus Caesar.  Just north of the city you can see the aqueduct built to carry water to the city.

Oh how I love a good aqueduct!

Bike Rental in Tel Aviv

I went down to the boardwalk to watch the sunset, but this is probably a more interesting shot. You can rent a bike for a17 shekel access fee which includes 30 minutes. 5 more shekels gets you another 30 minutes. That's about $5.50. 

Tel Aviv

This is a shot of Tel Aviv taken from Jaffa.

Jaffa

The old port town of Tel Aviv is called Jaffa. It is a picturesque town of shops built into old buildings, against the backdrop of the Mediterranean. This is called "gallery row".

We did a walkabout here before heading to our hotel in Tel Aviv. We're tired but it was great to stretch our legs.

Flight Delay

Thankfully we were only delayed an hour and made our connection in Toronto to Tel Aviv. After another 10 hour flight we have arrived safely!

Acrylics in a Small Space

I do my art in my home office.  It is a very small space, and isn't really set up for "mess making".  Therefore, I tend to avoid acrylics.

My favorite art partner in crime is my sister, Dianne, who lives across the country from me.  She and I have been talking a lot about The Documented Life Project, which is a combined planner and art journal project.  

One of the talented people behind this project posted a video on her blog recently, and I learned a few things about using acrylics in a small space:

• She paints directly from the tube (no palette).   If she needs to put paint on something she uses an old credit card that she holds in her hand. 
• She applies paint with the same card and she also uses her fingers a lot.  
• She doesn't use water.  If she uses a brush, she wipes it right on the page and then on a paper towel.  

If you work in a small space, I encourage you to watch the video!

Brush Lettering Tutorial

I found this great quote here and had to give it a go.

A Pocket Journal

For me, portability is paramount for a travel journal. This Leuchtturm is 3 1/2 x 6.  It has lovely, thick, 150 gsm paper.  I got it at my local variety store. Not cheap, but I was disappointed by the selection at my local art supply store so I grabbed it. 

Brrr...It's Cold!

I cut a few geranium blooms before the frost got to them, though!

What I'm Doing on Remembrance Day

Just Begin

I've begun a new sketchbook. It's a new brand for me (Opus); I'm not sure if I like it yet. The pages aren't thick enough but I didn't want watercolor paper and I wanted hardbound in a 5 x 8 inch size. I wanted to shop locally. It's all about tradeoffs!

Recycling Again

This was an unclaimed ATC that I turned into a birthday card yesterday.  I like it better with the dark red and brown "framing" the image.