My Legs are Killing Me

Well, another great day with wonderful weather. I started the day on top of the Mount of Olives, visiting churches and sites on the way down to the Kidron Valley. I walked down the valley to see a few 1cBC tombs, hiked out of it to the base of the southern temple wall, then down through what would have been the old city of David to the Siloam excavations.

After a wild bus ride on an Arab bus, I was back in the old city. I walked down to the beginning of the Via Delarosa to follow along the with the Good Friday walk they do each Friday at 3pm.

I find I walk A LOT more than I did on an escorted trip. No bus to drop me off and pick me up at every site.

Again, it’s been great to be able to take in the more than just the sites themselves. The people, the sounds, even the smells of incense and olive oil. A few more people pictures:

German pilgrims kissing the stone in the church in Gethsemane.


Russian orthodox priest in the Tomb of Mary.

Boys swimming in the water carried by a 2700 year old water tunnel in a 2000 year old pool.

Moslems filing out of the Damascus gate after Friday noon prayers on the Temple Mount.

An Ethiopian monk inside their chapel of the roof of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Eastern European pilgrims carrying a cross outside the church.

And if you were worried I wasn’t eating well…here is my lunch for the past three days:
The best falafels in the world are made in Israel.

Thanks for looking. God bless!