Pooped Pilgrims!

Today was dedicated to visiting some of the Holy sites located in and around Jerusalem, which is a little over an hours drive from Tel Aviv. We did not book a Christian Heritage Tour, which is frequently referred to as a Pilgrimage (good marketing!)  We had to be ready to leave on our tour by 7:20 so it was an early start. 
Around 75% of Israel's population is Jewish, 20% Arabic and various others making up the other 5%.  Tel Aviv is the largest city in Israel and is considered the most secular with only around 25% practicing their faith.  Jerusalem is the second largest city and has the largest percentage of the population (75%) who practice their faith.
We had the unique opportunity to cross over into the Palestinian Territory to visit Bethlehem and see what is believed to be the birthplace of Jesus.  Access to the area is through a small doorway leading into the Church of the Nativity.  The church is the oldest in the Holy Land and a UNESCO site.  The crowds were huge.  We waited over two hours to descend down to a grotto underneath the Greek Orthodox part of the church.  There was a fourteen point star placed on the ground to represent where Jesus was born.  From there it was back to Jerusalem where we stopped at Mount Zion for a great view of the Dome of the Rock, the Wailing (sometimes referred to as the Western) Wall, the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre as well as the Jewish, Muslim and Christian areas of Old Jerusalem where over 40,000 people currently live.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Nativity
https://domeoftherock.net/dome-of-the-rock-facts/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Wall
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-via-dolorosa
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Sepulchre
It was a long day.  Was it worth it, absolutely, but I think we'll appreciate it more later once we've recovered.  I'd love to give you more details but we're pooped pilgrims and we're off to Jordan in the morning!
Oh yeah, and we're spending our first night ever in a hostel.  Luxury room with our own private bedroom and bathroom!

The fourteen point star is believed to be the site where Jesus was born

Entrance to the site of the birthplace

Old Jerusalem

One of the entrance gates to Old Jerusalem.  Yes, those are bullet holes from the revolution

Dome of the Rock.  An important site for the Jewish, Christian and Muslim Religions

Dome of the Rock and Muslim Prayer Tower

 

Wailing Wall (Sometimes called the Western Wall)

Touching the Wailing Wall.  Note the small piece of paper are all prayers that have been left in the wall.  All men are required to wear a yamaka 

Souvenir shops now line the Via Dolorosa

Station VI of the Via Dolorosa.  This is where a lady named Veronica wiped the face of Jesus creating the Veil of Veronica

Church of the Sepulchre

Inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.  People believe this was the rock where Jesus body was laid.  Many pilgrims bring items to lay on the rock and to pray.

Entrance to the Church of the Sepulchre

Tel Aviv

Taken in Jaffa-Tel Aviv is in the background

Quite honestly we weren't sure what we would find in Tel Aviv.  Obviously Israel is a friend of the US, but this is a pretty complicated part of the world where not everyone plays nice with one another.  I'm going to try steer clear of politics and religion in these blogs but they certainly play a major role in the landscape of this amazing part of the world.  The conflicts are real and I don't want to minimize them but what we found was an incredibly vibrant city of just under 4 million people (about the size of Los Angeles) enjoying life. 
The work week in Israel is Sunday-Thursday so the city was running full throttle.  We did what we typically do and that's hit the pavement and explore by foot.  Over the course of the day we probably ended up covering around twelve miles.
We're staying at the Dizengoff Avenue Hotel.  We learned as we walked the recently opened Independence Trail that Dizengoff was the Mayor of Tel Aviv for 25 years.  He was the first leader of the sovereign Jewish state since the expulsion of the Jews some 2,000 years ago.  He is widely credited with laying the foundations for what has become a modern city and nation.  The avenue named in his honor is filled with shops, businesses and cafes that were doing a brisk business when we left the hotel.
We headed down to the waterfront promenade that runs for about five miles along the Mediterranean Sea.  Our first destination was Old Jaffa, which is the ancient port city at the Southern end of the walkway.  Jaffa is mentioned several times in the bible, both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.  It was conquered by King Solomon and his son King David.  In Acts, there is a story of Peter bringing a woman back to life at Jaffa.  It is also the Port where Jonah went on what would later become the ultimate whale watching excursion!
We had a really filling early lunch at a restaurant in the Greek Market area.  Excellent food and way more of it than we could possibly eat.  We were joined by about 30 machine gun toting young men with "Underground Commando" shirts.  Military service is mandatory in Israel for most young people and they seem to train along the beach quite a bit so we weren't alarmed.
https://igoogledisrael.com/restaurant-dr-shakshuka/
After roaming around the Old Jaffa area for a while we made our way back towards the hotel on Rothschild Ave.  This tree lined avenue has a very nice pedestrian walkway/park in the middle and is home of the recently opened Independence Trail.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/tel-avivs-independence-trail-follows-footsteps-of-founders/
After a little rest time at the hotel we headed out again.  This time we turned right on the promenade towards the north end which is Metzitzim Beach.  It was getting late in the afternoon, the walkways were full of runners, walkers and families enjoying a sunny and warm afternoon in an amazing city.
As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, we weren't sure what we would find. We're amazed at the liveliness and vibe of the city.  There is one danger to warn you about.  We didn't fall victim to them, nor did we see anyone else fall victim but watch out for all the bikes, motorized bikes, scooters, and motorized scooters.  There are a bunch of them moving at a fast pace!

Old Jaffa and the Port of Jaffa from the promenade

Chicken Shawarma & Tripolitan Salads...........

Taken in Old Jaffa.  The modern coast of Tel Aviv is in the background

Statue of Mayor Dizengoff along the Independence Trail

One of the many market streets in Old Jaffa

Celebrating my two year retirement anniversary today!

Rothschild Ave Pedestrian Walkway

Near Nordau Beach on the north end of the promenade

Sun setting on a great day in Tel Aviv

WOW!

After a close to five hour flight to Iceland, a two hour layover and then a seven hour flight to Tel Aviv we made it!  At least our bodies have made it.  It's Sunday morning here in Israel and after a good nights sleep I think our brains are pretty close to being here as well.  Obviously we haven't explored much yet. There will be much more to come later.
We flew over on WOW Airlines which is a fairly new airline based out of Iceland.  They are a low cost, no frills airline whose mission statement is to make travel affordable to everyone.  They are introducing more flights to different cities in the US and many places in Europe, all of which connect through their hub in Iceland.
https://wowair.us/?_ga=2.52600168.1975587131.1524982610-823253073.1524644360
The planes were new planes that were very clean.  The seats were typical airline seats with maybe a little less legroom.  The flight attendants were friendly and very attentive with a standardized look right down to all the females having tight buns.  No, I'm talking hair buns here, although it did seem to apply elsewhere.

The "no frills" is that you pay for your seat and that's what you get.  Food and beverages are extra but at a reasonable cost and of course you can bring on your own.  You are allowed one item the size of a backpack. You can pay for another bag you bring on or check.  We just have a backpack so that wasn't a big deal for us.  Our "rookie mistake" was not bringing enough to keep us entertained.  Nothing is provided other than a magazine.  Beth had a book, I had some downloaded music and I pretty much have the magazine memorized!
WOW is living up to their mission and certainly worth checking out for affordable travel.
Time for us to head out and start exploring!

Our hotel is about a five minute walk to the beach.  After arriving we walked down to stretch our legs and get a bite to eat.  It reminded us of South Beach in Miami or Venice Beach, California

Getting a little exercise before eating!

   

Boston for a bit!

Tucker reunion in Boston on a Thursday night

Our flight back to Boston was on time and uneventful. This time we were on a brand new airplane, instead of one that looked like it had been bought on e-bay after a second rate airline had gone out of business.
The timing was perfect because it allowed us to have dinner with my brother and his wife (Gerald and Melanie) who are in town for a few days enjoying all that this area has to offer.  Our hotels were within easy walking distance of one another and the City Tap Room was conveniently located between our hotels. 
We've already done our laundry this morning in a real washing machine instead of the sink and bathtub.  After a while we'll probably roam around the city for a few hours before heading to the airport.  The destination today is not back to Florida.  Actually this time we'll be heading to Israel and Jordan.  Two very interesting countries with rich histories that we are looking forward to diving into for a few days.
I look forward to sharing stories and pictures along the way. 

"Freedom Day"

Yesterday was our last full day in the Azores.  We're already looking forward to returning, not only to Terceira, but also to visit some of the other eight islands.  I've pretty much run out of ways to describe how much we've enjoyed our three weeks here.
One thing that we didn't learn until yesterday when we walked into town was that it was a national holiday.  April 25th for the Portuguese people is somewhat similar to our July 4th.  It's called Freedom Day and since 1974 it has been recognized as the day that Portugal transitioned, by way of a bloodless military coup (three words that don't usually go together), from the longest running European dictatorship to a democracy.
Schools, along with many of the shops and restaurants were closed.  There was also a parade down the main street of Angra.  Unlike a typical parade in the US there were no elected officials, floats, or civic organizations traipsing down the street.  The parade was made up of around 10 different town bands from around the island.  Each band had between 30-50 members ranging in age from young teenagers to senior citizens.  Every band was decked out in their finest uniforms and played proudly along the whole route.  I've commented on how nice everyone is here on Terceira and they demonstrated it again during the parade.  There was about a five minute gap between every band.  I'm sure this was to allow each band to be "center stage" as they marched and played.
The entire event lasted about an hour.  There were no politicians pontificating at the end, no carnivals, no fireworks.  Everyone just packed it up and went home as quietly as they had assembled. 
Gosh, we're going to miss this laid back place!


Muito obrigado Terceira!

Without a doubt the biggest crowd we ever saw along "main street"

Young and old making music together. 

Happy Freedom Day from Terceira!

Nice little church we noticed near the hotel

Monte Brasil

Not exactly Everest but near the summit of Monte Brasil

One thing different about this adventure is the amount of hiking that we've done.  Although the island offers some really nice trails we weren't able to take full advantage of them.  I was out of commission for the first 6-7 days while waiting for the incision in my leg to heal and the stiches to be removed.  About the time I was back in action and ready to go Beth came down with a cold.  Nothing too serious (easy for me to say) but enough to slow her down a bit.  We did manage to get a few short hikes in and we also covered plenty of distance strolling into and around Angra.  Our hotel (Terceira Mar) is about a 20 minute leisurely walk into the city center which we did pretty much every day.  If you're interested in this hotel but not a walker don't worry, there is a city bus that picks up about every fifteen minutes and for .30 euros will drop you right on the town square.
Yesterday we did manage to hike the Monte Brasil Trail.  Starting from the hotel it was probably a mile or so to the trailhead.  The actual trail is around four miles in length going up, down and around the caldera of an old volcano which is known as Monte Brasil.  The trail is fairly well marked, although as usual we did manage to occasionally wonder off for brief periods.  It also had several fairly steep and challenging, but thankfully short, climbs.  There is a monument at the top and the remains of a military post used for both defense and communication during World War II.  Also at the top is a small zoo or as the nice front desk clerk put it "a place where they have animals in jails" (his English wasn't that good!).  We also learned that a couple of years ago they imported and released a few deer to help control the vegetation.  The deer are doing what they do best, controlling the vegetation and having sex.  Just wait till they see how many deer they have in a few years!  We were frequently rewarded for our  hiking efforts with amazing views of the island or the ocean. In spite of smooth water and unlimited visibility the song remains the same............no whales, no whales!

The beginning of the trail........flat and paved along here but that changed quickly

Angra from along the trail

I don't know the name of the small island but it actually has separated in the middle so I guess technically it's two small islands

Signal station at the top.  The coast is clear!

Beth along the trail

There were some nice shaded areas as well.  These were very welcome.  It was the hottest and sunniest day since we arrived.

The inside of the volcano that created Monte Brasil  This caldera was formed by three different eruptions.

Happy Hikers at the end of the trail!

Terceira by local bus

We debated renting a car a second time.  The rental rates are inexpensive, although gas is over $6 a gallon.  Thankfully the cars are only slightly bigger than a golf cart and don't require much gas.  In the end we decided not to rent a second time.
There were a couple of places along the coast we wanted to revisit and the local buses are efficient and economical (around $4 per person each way) ways of getting around.  Angra is the hub of the bus system and the town square is where they all arrive and depart.  Service is frequent (about hourly) Monday-Saturday and less frequent on Sunday.   It took about an hour to reach either of the two destinations.  The buses were clean and comfortable. Depending on the time of year and time of day they may be carrying a number of school children.   
On Friday of last week we took the #2 bus to Praia Da Victoria on the eastern side of the island.  It is the second largest city on the island with a population of around 20,000.  It is home to the largest sand beach and the main port.  Terceira doesn't get a lot of cruise ships during the year (around 10-15) but when they do visit the island they dock in Praia.  In addition to the waterfront promenade there is a really nice park and volcano rim with some great overlooks of the city and harbor.
Yesterday we took the #1 bus which runs westward from Angra.  Our destination was the village of Biscoitos.  From the bus drop off it was a short downhill hike through the vineyards to the city's waterfront park.  There are some very interesting tidal pools formed by lava rocks that are large enough for swimming, however the water is still too cold, especially for me!  At the risk of sounding redundant, the shoreline is a thing of beauty.  Lush green fields full of either small herds of happy cows or grapevines, separated by stone fences that have been put together like a jigsaw puzzle behind us.  In front, large waves of clear, cold blue water crashing against huge lava rocks.  Except for an occasional passing car or us occasionally saying "this is really nice" was the sound of wind, water and happily singing birds.
If there is something on this island we're not supposed to like we haven't found it!

The harbor at Praia Da Vitoria



Praia Harbor



The wall along the harbor was decorated with tile artwork........here is an example

A busy Friday afternoon in Praia along the main cobblestone street

Vineyards in Biscoitos.  Here the grapes are grown on the ground inside these handmade stone enclosures to protect them from the weather

A beautiful walking trail (2+ miles) along the coast with numerous picnic tables and benches along the way