Following our visit to Nazareth we headed to Tiberius next to the Sea of Galilee. Our hotel, the Arbel, was a tip. Check the picture of the pool below…
The night was saved by a wander down the hill to a great little pub to celebrate Sam’s birthday.
In the morning we left our horrible hotel for a day around the lake at some of the significant places of Jesus’ lakeside ministry.
We visited the Church of the Beatitudes where I think I managed to redeem last year’s sermon ‘choke’ on the site of the most famous sermon ever preached!
Next came the church of the multiplication which commemorates the miracle of the loaves and fishes. I like this church and I love the pool in the courtyard with the carp in it!
Mensa Christi, or the primacy of St Peter gave us the chance to spend some time by the shore and even have a paddle. We tried hard to walk on the top but just couldn’t manage.
Our final visit of the day was to Capernaum, the home of Peter and the base of Jesus’ ministry. The village has been excavated and over the place they found a house church they have built a spaceship type church. I’ll post some pictures of it when I get home.
It’s a brilliant place to visit and gives a real sense of the layout of the village and how important the Synagogue was.
We stayed the night at the amazing Jericho Resort in Jericho. Our first night in Palestine was strange. The hotel is luxurious (we got a great deal!) but empty (why we got the great deal!). We had the whole place to ourselves. A well earned rest by the pool and a great meal revived our tired legs.
how come there are no pictures of you swimming in the pool?
What was the ‘choke’ you wrote about, Stewart ?
Again, you bring back good memories. There was a very sharp lightning storm when we werein Capernaum with serious rain, indicating the quick nature of storms in Galilee.
As for your hotel, which tour group have you gone with ?
I’m thinking of fronting a trip in 2012 from my church and would be cncerened about hotal standards.
Last year, with kids 4 hope, I was asked to ‘reflect’ at short notice (30 seconds) and couldn’t think of a thing to say!
This year I’m here with work again so our trip isn’t a tour as such as we are meeting people the URC has links with along the way.
Thanks Stewart,
The place can do that to you. There were several moments on our trip when words wouldn’t come and tears came instead.
David