Reminiscing: Haifa, Israel

The title of this footprint is actually not quite accurate as this reminiscence has nothing to do with that Israeli city.

True, we docked in Haifa for an overnight stay on RTW2017, but we spent no time in the city ... except when we were on the ship. We'll remedy that his year by exploring the city a bit during our overnight call.

Haifa is billed as one of the gateways to Jerusalem. When our original sightseeing plans unexpectedly fell through in 2017, we quickly arranged another tour, and joined by fellow-cruisers Bill & Star, off we went to visit not only Jerusalem, but Bethlehem as well ... the latter in Palestine, and requiring a change in vehicles and guides per the rules of visitation.

Our time in Jerusalem took us to all four quarters ... Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Armenian. We started out at Mount of Olives for expansive views of the area; visited the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is said to have been arrested; entered the city through the surrounding fortified walls built by Süleyman the Magnificent, one of the Ottoman sultans; wandered the narrow, cobblestone streets; followed the Via Doloroso with its stations of the cross; stopped for a moment of meditation at the Wailing Wall; joined the queue to enter Haram el-Sharif ... the site of the Dome of the Rock and El-Aqsa Mosque; visited churches built on sites of Biblical interest; had a typical Israeli lunch that included falafel at a café on a backstreet that I'd never be able to find again.

In Bethlehem, our Palestinian guide took us first to the Church of the Nativity, where we had a chance to see the manger where Jesus is said to have been born ... and then to the mandatory shopping stop — required by the Palestinian Authority for all visitors to Bethlehem.

Our second day in Haifa found us on our own ... taking a train from the station near the port to Acre on the coast. After the crowds in Jerusalem, we enjoyed the solitude of this old town and delighted in a wonderful meal overlooking the sea at Doniana ... recommended by our friends' daughter. As interesting as our time in Jerusalem and Bethlehem was, we felt that our day in Acre was the highlight of our stop in Haifa.

It's funny how some countries make it onto our must-visit list, while others don't. Israel is one of those countries. That's not to say we didn't enjoy our time there. We did and we're glad we went ... and will do so again this year. But it's not one of those places we would make specific plans to visit on a land journey. The occasional cruise stop in Israel is quite satisfactory for us.Meer informatie