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| who hasn't taken pictures of their kid riding a random sheep? |
Monday, March 31, 2014
It's Spring
Well it is official spring is here. Do you know how I know? Because the field across from our house is full of sheep. After a day spent eating the beautiful flowers the sheep are now sleeping under stars by the fire ( Which Little Lady was quick to point out and make us go see). How happy was LL, the girl who constantly looks for sheep in the bushes as we drive, to see the sheep? Thrilled does not even begin to cover it. She screeched and then would not stop baaaing at them. Thanks to our Boab Montiser watching them from our balcony was not enough. He wanted me to bring LL down. I did and he immediately took her across the street to see the sheep up close. I quickly followed along with camera in tow.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Jerusalem The Old City
our day continued....
As we drove along the wall surrounding the city (looking for parking) it was impressive the massive size of the wall. Yes I know it is supposed to be big but from a distance looks can be deceiving. As the wall towered along side our cars as we found parking spaces in a lot but were told to be out in an hour because they needed the spaces for buses. We then walked up another hill and found ourselves officially on Mount Zion, where we headed to a Church. This one is Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem or "Dormitio Beatae Mariae Virginis" which means "Holy sleep of Virgin Mary". This is where Jesus came from Heaven and retrieved Mary's spirit when she died, or didn't die, entered into her eternal sleep depending on how you see it.
We left this church and went to see the possible site of the Last Supper. While there is no proof the building we were in was it. In fact it really most likely wasn't even left standing so all they had to go on was limited descriptions in the bible and verbal history. This room was a recreation of what the room most likely looked like
Once we were done seeing this room and the amazing view from it's roof we walked back to the church of St. Peter in Gallicantu which was just down the hill. Here is where Jesus was thought to have been denied by Peter 3 times. Also it is thought that it is where Jesus was taken and interrogated. After his interrogation and the decision that he would be executed, he was lowered into a cavern to spend the night. We saw that cavern. We toured the grounds. We saw the stairs that he took 3 times that night (from the last supper and back and forth from the Garden of Gethsemane). After trying to grasp what took place here we let the information sink in a little while we drove closer to the other side of the old city
We eventually found some parking and headed through the Damascus gate. We were surprised to find it was a souk. Our guide led us to a great falafel place and we grabbed some lunch in the garden of a hostel. The girls ran around and burned off some energy.
We then walked along Via Dolorosa and started the stations of the cross (more on each station can be found here http://www.biblewalks.com/Sites/ViaDolorosa.html). We followed the path that Jesus took carrying the cross. After we crossed through the Muslim and Cristian districts of the city seeing stations 1-9 we arrived at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Here are located the last 5 stations ending with Jesus' Tomb.
Station 1 is in a school that was in session at the time so we did not see it. We started at station 2. It contains 2 churches. The Flagellation Church and the Condemnation church. Where Jesus was flogged for his sins and where he was condemned to carry the cross.
We tried to get into Jesus' Tomb but the line was long (or so we thought) and we decided to call it a day. It was around 4 pm and we had been going for what felt like forever. We made plans to meet our guide the next day and we headed back to the apartment.
Our guide had told us that things would start to open at the end of Shabbat, around 6pm. After much discussion about whether to go out or stay in we ultimately decided we were exhausted and to get some carry out. Jess and I stayed with the girls while the guys braved the rain that had started to fall to get some food. They were gone over an hour. We had given up and were getting the kids ready for bed. They ate peanut butter and jelly and snacked. I tried to give LL a bath but there was not a plug for the tub. I then tried a shower. She was screaming about taking it. I pulled the shower head down to just wash her up quick and ended up with the hose coming loose and spraying water all over LL, me and the bathroom. SHOWER OVER! Though I did dissolve into a fit of laughter as I was exhausted and frustrated, LL was screaming and well it seemed like the thing to do. That of course would be the moment the guys walk in bearing the only thing they could find. Pizza. They were soaking wet from an hour+ in the rain. The pizza box was wet. Yeah, it was not the best evening but hey we survived and we had something to eat. I was lame and was in bed around 9:30. I just was exhausted but while S made fun of me I think he was jealous of all the sleep I had.
As we drove along the wall surrounding the city (looking for parking) it was impressive the massive size of the wall. Yes I know it is supposed to be big but from a distance looks can be deceiving. As the wall towered along side our cars as we found parking spaces in a lot but were told to be out in an hour because they needed the spaces for buses. We then walked up another hill and found ourselves officially on Mount Zion, where we headed to a Church. This one is Dormition Abbey in Jerusalem or "Dormitio Beatae Mariae Virginis" which means "Holy sleep of Virgin Mary". This is where Jesus came from Heaven and retrieved Mary's spirit when she died, or didn't die, entered into her eternal sleep depending on how you see it.
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| The Chapel of the church |
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| After our viewing of the Chapel we went downstairs to the Crypt where we found the ivory and cherry wood statue of Mary and above her the Mosaic of Jesus |
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| The Mosaic of Jesus with his arms extended to receive Mary's spirit. |
We left this church and went to see the possible site of the Last Supper. While there is no proof the building we were in was it. In fact it really most likely wasn't even left standing so all they had to go on was limited descriptions in the bible and verbal history. This room was a recreation of what the room most likely looked like
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| Stained glass window in the room |
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| The Last Supper room |
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| view from the roof |
Once we were done seeing this room and the amazing view from it's roof we walked back to the church of St. Peter in Gallicantu which was just down the hill. Here is where Jesus was thought to have been denied by Peter 3 times. Also it is thought that it is where Jesus was taken and interrogated. After his interrogation and the decision that he would be executed, he was lowered into a cavern to spend the night. We saw that cavern. We toured the grounds. We saw the stairs that he took 3 times that night (from the last supper and back and forth from the Garden of Gethsemane). After trying to grasp what took place here we let the information sink in a little while we drove closer to the other side of the old city
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| The door to the Church of St Peter. |
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| The Ceiling inside of the Church and it's beautiful stained glass |
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| Looking down into the Sacred Pit. There are crosses etched into the walls |
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| This is believed to be the spot where Jesus' Hands were tied up and he was interrogated. |
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| Statue located here |
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| The Stairs that Jesus walked 3 times that night. |
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| Running around. She loves Ms Jessica |
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| Now what should I do next? |
Station 1 is in a school that was in session at the time so we did not see it. We started at station 2. It contains 2 churches. The Flagellation Church and the Condemnation church. Where Jesus was flogged for his sins and where he was condemned to carry the cross.
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| Inside the Flagellation Church, |
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| Inside the Condemnation Church. |
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| Walking on Via Dolorosa |
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| Station 3- Where Jesus fell the first time under the cross |
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| Station 3 |
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| Jesus Hand print. Part of station 5 |
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| As this is part of the Muslim quarter maybe it has a bit less respect for the site?? Either way we were left shaking our heads in disbelief at what is placed next to the hand print. |
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| Walking or riding along. |
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| "Here I only eat the colored goldfish. You get the orange." | "OK, I only eat the orange." How friendships are cemented |
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| Station 6- Dedicated to the women who wiped Jesus face |
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| Station 7- Where Jesus fell the 2nd time. |
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| Station 8- Where Jesus spoke to the women of Jerusalem and told them to not weep for him |
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| Station 9- Where Jesus fell the 3rd time. |
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| Looking on towards the Holy Sepulcher and Christian district from station 9. |
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| Station 11- Located on Golgatha, inside the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and adjacent to station 10 (no pictures of it is under reconstruction but the site of Jesus being stripped of his clothes). This is where Jesus was nailed to the cross. |
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| Station 12- This is the spot where Jesus died on the cross. The place where people are kneeling is a rock in which the cross was up righted. |
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| Looking down on Station 13 |
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| Station 13 is where Jesus was laid down after he was removed from the cross. The stone of annointing, where he was laid, now have a different stone covering it that people rub and kiss when visiting the site. |
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| The wall behind 13 |
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| Jesus Tomb- Station 14. |
We tried to get into Jesus' Tomb but the line was long (or so we thought) and we decided to call it a day. It was around 4 pm and we had been going for what felt like forever. We made plans to meet our guide the next day and we headed back to the apartment.
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| On the way back through the souk to Damascus gate. |
Our guide had told us that things would start to open at the end of Shabbat, around 6pm. After much discussion about whether to go out or stay in we ultimately decided we were exhausted and to get some carry out. Jess and I stayed with the girls while the guys braved the rain that had started to fall to get some food. They were gone over an hour. We had given up and were getting the kids ready for bed. They ate peanut butter and jelly and snacked. I tried to give LL a bath but there was not a plug for the tub. I then tried a shower. She was screaming about taking it. I pulled the shower head down to just wash her up quick and ended up with the hose coming loose and spraying water all over LL, me and the bathroom. SHOWER OVER! Though I did dissolve into a fit of laughter as I was exhausted and frustrated, LL was screaming and well it seemed like the thing to do. That of course would be the moment the guys walk in bearing the only thing they could find. Pizza. They were soaking wet from an hour+ in the rain. The pizza box was wet. Yeah, it was not the best evening but hey we survived and we had something to eat. I was lame and was in bed around 9:30. I just was exhausted but while S made fun of me I think he was jealous of all the sleep I had.