Our First Day in Jerusalem ~ Wow!

We woke up rested around 8:30 ....ah felt so good to have a long good nights sleep!  We hung out here at the house...Aliza showed us where the coffee was and Nick & I just relaxed and took it easy here in the room! We had bought some fruit & a breakfast snack.   I uploaded the blog and then around 11 am we decided to head into town!  Yes - lets go!  We are excited to see the Old City!  Aliza gave us 2 tram cards and she said the nearby tram would bring us straight into the City! Time to go into Jerusalem!!! ..w We arrived at the Old City and walked along the old wall to the Jaffa Gate....Wow how special ...look Nick...look...                          we are entering into the City of David! Oh my so exciting!!!!  We walked through a port and yes there we were!  So much activity and so much to see and do!

Several shopkeepers tried to draw us into their shops...and then we did...looking for some postcards!

So neat...and so many people...speaking so' many different languages!  Wow..everyone wants to come to Jerusalem and enjoy the city and experience the history that took place here!

Fun to nose around!  The guys in the store shared their goods alright!  ha!  We wandered onward and then saw a cute place to eat...yes we need some nourishment...lets do it!  So we stopped for a really nice lunch and then headed out again...walking to the Via Dolorosa....street!  How special is that!!!
Oh there was such an awareness of it all!  I could hardly contain myself!  Lord...we thank You that we are here...in the Old City of Jerusalem!  

Pinch me Nick...Pinch me - is this for real????




So many streets and alley ways through the old city.  Passages - going to houses & churches.

This is  "Omar" who is a shopkeeper and both Nick & I were drawn to him and we stood and talked to him.  He had the sweetest eyes...and spoke of a deep love & the importance of loving yourself and how that would then help reach out &  relate to your fellowman.  Omar invited us inside his shop and we sat and talked with him for a little while.  He was very kind and so gentle spirited!!! God Bless you Omar!  He has been selling in this very spot since 1966!  He said he was 68 years old.

We turned the corner and we came to the area of the Western "Wailing" Wall!

Oh my such a special place!

 There was the men section at the wall and then the women section too.  I had a sleeveless top on so they gave me a covering for my shoulders to wear.

 Nick is at the wailing wall.....

 ....and I am on the other side with the women. 

 I was grateful to be here...and thankful to lift prayers of worship, Praise, Thanksgiving & requests to the Jehovah God Father of Abraham!

 There were people at the walls...praying and there was people writing their prayers at the tables and then rolling them up or folding them and squeezing them in the cracks of the rocks.

 It was very very touching...a place to come and pray!  And I did...I wrote my prayers down and wrote of things to lift up to the Lord and it was a blessing to stand there against the wall - standing together with people of many different countries!

 I felt so thankful to the Lord to be able to pray at the wall.  How very special that time was...we stood united in prayer to God!  Very very touching and so thankful to be able to come pray here!



We also tried to see the Mosque but because of Ramadan starting up - it was closed to the public. 

 We stopped for some juice ~ it was HOT ....and then with all that stone all around us...and the streets too...it causes a lot of heat.

Look how cute this is ....like a tavern...with the rock ceiling~

Very inviting to stop in!

 So many little courtyards and alley's leading into houses all connected~

 We asked someone if the Mosque was near by and he lead us to his roof top to see the golden dome.
This wall was so impressive looking up...!

 We turned a corner and there was the well known street where our Lord carried the Cross on his back - Via Dolorosa ~ The Way of the Cross....We followed the road and the turns. 

 This was where the Lord was put in prison .......

 This is the building where Christ was condemned by Pilate  ~ 

This metal round containers are used for a bomb scare~

 As we followed the Via Dolorosa it came into a courtyard and we came to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.  They say this is where Christ was crucified, buried and laid in the tomb of Joseph of Aramathea. 

 The doors to this old cathedral was enormous!

 This place was very very busy!  The Greek Orthodox church has taken this place and made a memorial off it.

 People were standing in line to view the tomb where Jesus laid...

 This is where they say Jesus was laid in the tomb. 

 The Tower of David ~  We plan to go back to see this when it is open this week~ There is a moat all around this ~

 Nick's is waiting while I took some more pictures ...uhuh!

 Because it was Friday afternoon - which is the beginning of Sabbath - the shops began to close and the streets became very quiet.  From Friday 6 pm till Saturday evening - the stores are closed and people attend the Synagogue and have time with their families. 

 We headed back to the Jaffa Gate but decided to have something light to eat before we headed back to the house.

 Because of our slow walk through the City we thought to take a good stride for a while before we grabbed a taxi - the buses and trams stop running early evening on Friday.

 We walked and walked and walked and then there was no more taxi's either...oh my Nick...I think we will be walking home...5 miles?  At least!

 Well we got our exercise alright....we arrived back at the house when it was dark!  Our feet were aching! 

When we got home the family had their weekly getting together meal...Aliza had been working in the kitchen pretty much all day preparing for their Friday evening supper.  Nick & I were invited to join and meet the family!  Aviad & Idan are 2 of the triplets - sis is not in the picture but Tumaz, Idan's girlfriend is! We enjoyed our time together and had a little snack too & Aliza is a very good cook!  Everything she made was made delicious & fresh! Yum!

Such fun to be in a personal home and meet very nice people!  What a GREAT thing to do!  

Our first day in Jerusalem was wonderful!  Can't wait to go back to the Old City again!