Nazareth

After Caesarea, we seemed to be well behind schedule, so a couple of things that had been on the agenda (Mt Carmel and the Bahai Gardens) turned into drive-by-and-look-out-the-bus -window events instead. The traffic was insane coming into Nazareth, which put us back even further, but we eventually got parked and unloaded (I am super impressed at the way so many of these huge tour buses negotiate steep and narrow streets) and then found some lunch before visiting the Basilica of the Annunciation where the angel Gabriel is believed to have appeared to Mary. I am a bit in danger of getting 'churched out' after the last few days but this basilica really was beautiful, large and spacious and not over ornate. Like the church at Gethsemane, there was a rule of silence inside it which was lovely.

Before leaving Nazareth, Ibrahim also took us to the church of the well of Mary, which is built over a natural spring, where Mary would almost certainly have regularly come to collect water, as it was the only such spring in Nazareth. The spring was incorporated into one end of the church, and there was even a tap where we could access the water. The church itself is a Greek Orthodox one and a bit less to my taste because of the tendency to more ornate embellishments.

From there it was another hour and a half to the kibbutz run hotel where we are staying the next three nights, on the shore of Lake Galilee. This is quite different from our other hotels, it is a huge complex with lots of separate units and a large common dining room in a separate building for breakfast and dinner. Dinner was an extensive buffet, served cafeteria style, and there seemed to be masses of people staying here. We gathered for a bit after dinner to talk about tomorrow's programme, sing a few songs and do the Wally award. Tomorrow looks quite full and some are choosing not to do all that's on offer. I sense that we are all getting a bit tired now, so I am glad we are at least staying in the same accommodation for three nights.Read more