Israel - beginning

Well, we made it to Israel. Long overseas flights get longer the older we get! Because it was Sabbath, minimal work was done before sundown so we didn't get our room until after 8:00. Got to the hotel about 5:00 - had dinner and a meeting - then got our room. We actually got a room by the pool first but there was a mixup so they had to give us another room and we ended up with a HUGE room. Any hotel room that has a hallway is HUGE! :-) Plus a balcony. Bad thing is we were only there for one night! :-)
Buffet first night - They are feeding us VERY WELL. This is just the salad bar. Then there is the hot food bar with 3-4 meats and the dessert table has 5 or more desserts to choose from. Yum! Today at lunch we had a Falafel. Kinda sandwich in a pita bread. Tasty. Of course, a salad table at breakfast is a little unusual for us.
Our room! :-) You can see the balcony - large enough to walk around and have a table and two chairs!
On the hotel promanade. We don't look like we've been up for over 24 hours do we? (Looks are deceiving!)

View from our balcony! Mediterrean Sea

Ampitheater at Cesearea.

Remains of govenor's palace at Cesearea.

Then we stopped by Mt. Carmel where there were some caves that had been excavated since we have an archeologist. and part of this tour has to do with archeology. In fact that we the big selling point for this tour. Climbed up 100 steps to the cave.
Took this one just for Jill because she loves cactus. You can't really tell but the leaves are HUGE.

After Cesearea we went to Meggido - excavation site of that city. Saw the Jezrell Valley also called Har Meggido (Mount Meggido) where Armageddon came from. Took a movie of the Valley.
They had figured out a way to bring water into the city from the spring outside. We walked down, down, down into the water system.

The way down.

I caught Ben in a rare shot!

Of course, he caught me, too!

Then we drove through Nazareth and Cana. They pronounce the words differently that we do. We apply American Phonics and sometimes it take a minute to figure out what she's saying. Our Isreali guide is Joanna.

There are 90 - count them NINETY - on this tour. Two busses. Wow! So far everything has gone very smoothly. There are people here from many, many states. At least 4 couples are from Texas. I think we have the most! :-) A little larger....OK, a LOT larger than we like and are used to but we are surviving. I leave Ben behind and stay with the guide so I can hear what she is saying for my notes. Ben stays behind and takes pictures. Oh.....and when I downloaded the pictures tonight, we had BOTH taken exactly 127 pictures!! LOL

I was sooo excited that this hotel offers free internet so I will make another post tomorrow and have pictures from the cruise on the Seal of Galilee among other things.

We got our exercise today! Ben's left knee is doing well. Right knee and feet are hurting. Tomorrow should be an easier day. Looking forward to another good night's sleep tonight!!