DAY 5 - HOLY LAND

Our room overlooked the Jerusalem bus station and we were woken by the usual 7 o’clock beeps and shouts!!!
We packed…enjoyed the usual chaotic rushed breakfast and were on the coaches by 8 to travel onto our next hotel.
We stopped at Jaffa Gate and went up to church to have an audience with the Bishop of Jerusalem. It was quite a unique experience. He spoke to us for a while and we had a photo call
#this is our coach…red coach…by far the best behaved coach :))))
#we then went to the WILDERNESS….the changing landscape was so interesting. We were very high up and looked down on this impressive building into the cliff side with lots of caves. We read the story of the Samaritan.
#in this photo the bishop is breaking bread. The Rev bought 2 saffron and date bagels…and suddenly everyone was sharing them
thanks to the bishop :))))
#the bagels were everywhere!
#we then travelled to The Mount of temptation where I was very tempted by an ice cream. (We also found out the green coach had missed out the wilderness detour…oh boy were there moans!!).
We travelled for another hour passing fields of bananas, tomatoes and mangoes.
Our new hotel (although a bit dated and tired) is on the banks of the Sea of Galilee.
#as it was 2 hours earlier than expected (3 o’clock) we dumped our cases got into a blooming cold pool for a swim then for a swim in the freezing Sea of Galilee. Poor Rev every time he got out I sent him back in to support someone…especially when it was the bishop :))))