Paris is not a city, it's a world

Almost a year to the day that I left Paris, I was lucky enough to return for a week for Danielle and Julian's wedding!

Once I landed, we hit the ground running! Danielle's friends, sisters and I set off to explore the city. Saturday we took the city tour bus and saw the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Musée de l'Armée and Napoleon's tomb. Sunday we went to some of my favorite places, Notre Dame and Jardin du Luxembourg.

Danielle and I at Jardin du Luxembourg

Sunday afternoon we had lunch at Paul's on the Champs-Elysée and then toured the Arche de Triomphe, where we enjoyed Ladurée macarons and the amazing views of Paris. The top of the Arch de Triomphe showcases the amazing urban planning of the city as well as the beautiful views of the many monuments including Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower and La Défense!

View from the Arche de Triomphe with a Laderee Macaron

I was lucky enough to be able to work at Les Miroirs from Monday to Wednesday and see my old colleagues. Monday night I had dinner with my colleagues and it was great to catch up. Tuesday night, I met Danielle and her friend at Champ de Mars for a picnic with Eiffel Tower views.

Wednesday night was Danielle's Bachelorette, which was 1920's themed. We took photos at Palais Royal near the Louvre and then had dinner and drinks after. It was so fun to dress up and have a night out!

Bachelorette photo shoot

Thursday was Danielle's bridal shower at a cute little cafe and that night we had the rehearsal dinner with a delicious meal of wine, cheese and charcuterie!

Friday was the big day! Danielle looked absolutely stunning. The ceremony, both in French and English was beautiful and held in a church in Nogent-Sur-Marne. After, the reception was at the Maison de L'Amérique Latine in the 4eme arrondissement. The gardens were beautiful and the entire reception was so much fun. We ended the night out at a club, returning home when the sun came up.

Congratulations Danielle and Julian!

Saturday was meant for relaxing and we spent the day at Bois de Vincennes, the perfect end to an amazing, whirlwind of a week!

À bientôt Paris!

Iceland

On my way back from Paris to New York I stopped over in Iceland for 3 full days. I have always wanted to go to Iceland due to its unique geography and this was the perfect opportunity to check it out! I arrived in the early afternoon on Thursday and had the rest of the day to do a walking tour of Reykjavík. The city is quite small and I was able to see the entire city within a few hours. I started with the Hallgrimskirkja Church, the 6th tallest building in Iceland which was modeled after the basalt lava flows seen throughout Iceland's landscape. I went to the top of the church tower for great views of the city. The Sun Voyager statue is located on the coast of the Atlantic and resembles a viking boat but is actually a dream boat that is an ode to the sun. Lastly, I visited the old harbor, which I would visit often over the next few days due to the pretty ocean views. 

Friday morning I headed out on my first day tour, the Golden Circle, the most popular tour in Iceland. We hit many of the major spots including Gullfoss, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland (the name translates into Golden Waterfall) and Geysir and Strokkur. They are two famous geysers and "geysir" is where the name "geyser" comes from. However, although the original no longer goes off, its neighbor, Strokkur, goes off every 5-10 minutes. 

Lastly, we stopped at Thingvellir, my favorite stop. Thingvellir marks the Mid-Atlantic ridge and is where the American and the Eurasian tectonic plates diverge! It also where Icelandic parliament was held starting in 980 up through the 1700s and is a place of historical significance to the Icelanders. We were able to walk between the tectonic plates on the newly formed earth crust! It is the only place in the world where the plates are above land. I had been looking forward to this stop all day and it did not disappoint.

Saturday morning I took a Puffin cruise as I have always loved puffins since I was a kid. My grandmother had given me a wooden push toy when I was a toddler that was a puffin and they have held a special place in my heart ever since. Therefore, one of my main tasks in Iceland was to go see them! I took an hour boa tride and we went out to an Island where we could see them on the rocks and flying around. They are so tiny and quick! It was absolutely great to finally see them in person! 

In the afternoon I headed to the Blue Lagoon, a natural geothermal spa. On the way to the surface, the water picks up silica and minerals and by the time it hits the surface it is around 100°F. The water has three active ingredients, silica, algae and the minerals. The blue color is caused by the silica and the way it reflects the light but over the summer it may be a little greenish due to the algae.

On my last day I went inside the Thrihnukagigur (Three Peaks Crater) volcano, the only volcano in the world that you can access. We hiked around 3km over lava fields to get to the base camp and then hiked to the top of the crater. To descend into the volcano we were lowered down in a window cleaner device that bumped off the sides of the volcano walls. We were brought down 120 meters and given time to explore the inside. It was a once in a lifetime experience and simply amazing.

This trip was an absolutely amazing experience and something I will never forget. It has always been a dream to go to Iceland and I am so glad that I had the opportunity to experience it. 

Visiting friends in the South of France

July 4th weekend I headed to the South of France to visit family friends. I jumped on a train Saturday morning and headed straight south to outside of Perpignan. The 5 hour train ride was really pretty and I got to see the different geography of France as I traveled South.

When I was younger Sally and her family lived next door and Sally was my babysitter. Through the years our families have stayed in touch and have seen each other over the years. We met Sally in 2000 in London and Sally and her mom, Sheila, have been back to New York. The other week I reached out to Sally to see if I could come down and as Sheila spends her summers in the South of France and Sally was just arriving, the timing worked perfectly!

London with Mom and Sally circa 2000

I was picked up at the train station and when I arrived at their home I was greeted by Sheila. We spent the afternoon at her house enjoying the hot weather and sitting by the pool. Sheila took me up to the mill to get bread for dinner and it was the cutest little bakery I have been to! Sally arrived later that night and we enjoyed one of the many delicious home cooked meals of the trip!

Sunday morning we headed to Peyrepertuse (Pierced Rock), a fortress and Cathar Castle located in the French Pyrénées. The fortress was built during the Middle Ages and dates back to the 11th century. The fortress is known as one of the Five Sons of Carcassone (which includes the five fortresses: Peyrepeturtuse, Queribus, Termes, Puilaurens and Aguilar) which were built to protect the French Border from Spanish invasion. These fortresses are built on the mountain ridges (Peyrepertuse is 800 meters above sea level) and were designed to blend into the rock making them difficult to see. From each fortress you can see two others in the distance allowing them to signal to each other in times of attack.

Peyrepertuse

While at the top, there was a bird spectacle where we got to see vultures, falcons, owls and a bald eagle (my little piece of the USA this July 4th weekend!). They allowed the birds to get quite close to the spectators, so as the vulture wandered around us I got a nice wing to the face!

We spent the rest of the day back at the house relaxing and catching up. Monday morning I had to catch my train back to Paris. The trip was short but it was so good to see Sally and Sheila! I had a wonderful time with them and hopefully I will see them both again soon, most likely on the other side of the Atlantic!

Ich bin ein Berliner

I spent the past week in Berlin on business. We arrived Tuesday late afternoon and ran events through Friday night. One of my main tasks while in Paris was working on Friday's final event and I can happily say that it went very well!

Knowing that I was going to be in Berlin, I reached out to my family who lives there and was able to spend Saturday and Sunday with them! Saturday morning they picked me up from my hotel and we began a tour of Potsdam and Berlin. Having visited Berlin before, in 2010, I had seen many of the major sites within the city, so we headed out to Potsdam to visit Sanssouci Palace.

Once of the Gardens on the Palace Grounds

Sanssouci Palace, built by Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in the 1740s, is known as the Versailles of Berlin. The Palace is much smaller than Versailles and only has approximately only 10 rooms but the park and garden layout and size is similar. The Palace is built on a hill and when you walk out onto the terrace you overlook the gardens and are able to see how extensive they really are. King Frederick used all of the garden space wisely and the steps leading from the palace to the gardens are planted with wine grapes!

Looking up to the Palace

Throughout the gardens and park are smaller houses and buildings. We were able to see the Chinese House, the Gardener's House and the Orangerie. We climbed to the top of the Orangerie and we were able to look over the entire park. I couldn't get over how detailed the parks and gardens were. Each area was perfectly manicured and the gardens and park were designed and planted to look so natural. The Gardener's house looked like it came right out of Tuscany and the plantings around it matched the area as well!

View from the Orangerie

After a wonderful day at the gardens we went back to their house for an apperitivo and dinner. They live in West Berlin towards the outskirts. Their quartier looks like the suburbs and is so quiet, you would never guess they lived in the city! Their house was beautiful and we were able to enjoy our aperitivo outside in their garden! They made a Northern Italian/Ticinese meal which brought me right back to Switzerland and was delicious!

The next morning we headed out to Berlin and did a Boat tour on the Spree. I find it really interesting to see the city from the water and it was nice to go by some of the major sites.

View from the boat

My flight back to Paris was in the mid afternoon so my next stop was the airport. My trip was amazing and I absolutely love Berlin! The city is completely livable and is filled with parks and green spaces. It would be an amazing city to live in (if only I could master the German language) I had such a great time seeing my family and exploring Berlin and its surroundings. Hopefully we will be able to meet up again soon!

Rome Sweet Home

Oh, Rome, what a city. I've been to Rome twice, once in 2001 with my family and again in 2010 with one of my best friends from college, Emily. I was lucky enough to go again, with work, at the beginning of this past week. I was so excited for this trip, as I love the city, but it started off a little shaky. After a nice long run on Sunday I returned home and started packing. Around 4 pm a fever hit that stayed with me all Sunday night and throughout Monday. Luckily, by Tuesday morning I was feeling so much better.

Emily & Me in Rome 2010

For lunch Tuesday, we went to a small Taverna near the center. Walking to lunch we passed the Fontana di Trevi, which is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome. The fountain is over 85 feet tall and 160 feet large and each day 2,824,800 cubic feet of water spills into the fountain! The location of Fontana di Trevi marks the end of one of the Roman Aqueducts. Beginning in the early Renaissance, Popes began to build extravagantly decorated fountains at the end of the aqueducts they restored. In the 1730s, Nicola Salvi, an architect, designed the fountain and construction soon began. Years later, on Sunday May 22, 1762 it was officially completed and inaugurated. Today, tradition states that if a visitor throws a coin into the fountain they will one day return.

Fontana di Trevi

From the fountain we passed the Pantheon. The Roman Temple, built between A.D. 118 and 125, is dedicated to all of the Gods of pagan Rome. The Pantheon's architecture is amazing. The Pantheon is composed of a series of interesecting arches which rest on 8 piers. The Pantheon's 43 meter high dome is supported by a second set of arches that run horizontally. The Romans had perfected the use of arches and often used them to support their buildings. They also decreased the width of the Pantheon and used lighter building materials towards the top in order to relieve the building of large amounts of weight and stress.

The Pantheon

Lastly, no stop in Italy would be complete without gelato! Gelato is made with milk, cream and sugar and is absolutely delicious. Gelato is different than ice cream: it is made with less butterfat and has a higher density than ice cream due to the small amount of air added during the production process. My favorite flavor is Stracciatella, but this time I decided to go with fragola...and it was delicious!

Enjoying my gelato

Christmas Markets

Christmas markets start popping up in European Cities in late November/early December. The Markets are always open for the four weeks of Advent and most continue through Three Kings Day (January 6). Dating back to the Late Middle Ages, Christmas Markets began in the German speaking region of Europe. The markets are usually held in the Town Square or along large pedestrian areas and can be quite large! While wandering past the many stands you will always find food, drinks, gifts and seasonal Christmas items. Today, Christmas Markets have grown in popularity and can be found throughout Europe. The Markets stick to traditional food and drink and homemade goods, allowing the visitors to experience an old world Christmas feel.

Christmas Market Stands from Germany, Copenhagen and Paris

Over the past few years I have been to a couple of Christmas markets and they always seem to get me in the holiday spirit! These include:

• Prague- Held in the Old Town Square, we were there the opening weekend and it really put my friends and me in the Christmas spirit. They had a petting zoo with the cutest animals and  these really amazing pastries that they made over a fire in front of you.
• Berlin & Munich- Berlin was the first stop on my Dad's and my 2010 Winter European road trip. It is also where our impromptu Christmas Market tour began. In Germany, each Market has its own Glühwein mug, with the Market name, year and design. We now have quite the collection!
• Salzburg- Held in Cathedral Square, this market was rather cute. Performances by traditional choirs and school groups throughout December add to the allure of the Market and add to the spirit of Christmas.
• Tivoli (Copenhagen): The Tivoli Gardens are transformed into a winter wonderland for advent! The decorations (the light plan is designed by Tiffany's head designer), planning and thought that go into this market is insane and a must see!

Christmas Market Decorations

A staple in Christmas markets across Europe is Glühwein, or mulled wine. It is typically served hot and made with red wine and an assortment of spices such as cinnamon sticks. cloves. star anise, citrus zest, sugar and sometimes vanilla. Glühwein, which means "glowing wine" in German, got its name from the hot iron stems that were once used to warm the wine. It is uncertain how long Glühwein has been around, but the first Glühwein tankard, or mug, dates back to 1420!

Bratwurst & Glühwein: Christmas Market Staples

This past Sunday, I added a Parisian Christmas Market to my list and headed to the Champs Élysées! Meandering up and down the street I passed by stands selling handmade Christmas handicrafts, made in France products and tons of food and drink stands...everything looked so good! Needing to continue my Christmas shopping and wanting to make sure that all gifts were made in France, the market proved to be the opportune place to pick up a few things while practicing my French.

Handmade soap, French Chocolate & fresh lavender

Christmas Markets represent what the Christmas season means: spending good, quality time with friends and family and enjoying the moment. As much as I enjoyed the Paris Christmas Market, I prefer the markets in Germany and Copenhagen.There is something extra special and Christmas-y about enjoying warm food and drinks huddled around a fire pit watching the snow fall and the people pass.

Swiss Trip (Part 2)

The following morning we woke bright and early and began to head west from Zurich to Gstaad. We were still unsure of what we would do once we arrived, but decided we would figure it out once we got there. The drive to Gstaad was beautiful, once we got off the highway we drove through tiny Swiss villages and farms. Log cabins with bright red flowers and Swiss flags dotted the road and were interspersed by fields and mountains. We stopped a few times to take some pictures as it was too pretty to just pass up.

One of the cute houses we drove by

We finally arrived at Gstaad around 1pm and headed straight to lunch. After lunch we decided to take a  Cable Car up one of the surrounding mountains. The ride probably took around 20 minutes and once we arrived at the top we could see for miles. We hiked around the mountain top for a little taking in the snow capped mountains in the distance and breathing in the cool mountain air (which was a nice reprieve from the sweltering weather in the city).

Enjoying the view with snow capped mountains behind us

After the cable car we headed to our hotel, located outside of Gstaad in the mountains. The GPS first brought us the wrong way and we ended up on a tiny, dead end dirt road. After examining the map for a little we slowly made our way back down the first mountain and up the right one. After dinner we headed back to the hotel and sat on the patio speaking with one of the hotel managers. In the fields there was a sign that read "zäme" which means "together" in Swiss German. He explained that 20-30 years ago the famous stars and the locals lived in harmony and that the wealthy could come to Gstaad and live a normal life. They were able to frequent the bars and restaurants and would often be seen having drinks with the locals. However, with a new famous crowd and the introduction of social media this interaction no longer occurs and they dream back to the time of the past.

Tuesday was our last day of our Swiss Trip and so we began the drive back home, making sure to take in some important and toursity last few spots. We first headed east to Interlaken for breakfast at Blueberry's. The cafe was great, the city not so much. It was way too touristy for us and we believe that if you visit Switzerland, you should try a different city (like Gstaad, it was so beautiful)! However, on the drive to Interlaken we passed one of the bluest lakes we have ever seen, Lago di Quattro Cantoni (The Four Canton's Lake), so we made a quick pit stop to take it all in.

Lago di Quattro Cantoni, so pretty

From Interlaken we headed further East to Bilten. Not much there other than the Läderach Chocolate Factory. According to us Läderach may actually be the best chocolate in existence. So going to the factory: Big Deal. We were able to take a small tour of the factory, sample tons of chocolate and get a discount on our chocolate purchases. Totally worth the drive.

Taking in the chocolate factory

After our chocolate experience we started the last leg our trip back to Lugano, or so we thought. We then entered Heidi Land and decided to detour to find Heidi's house, and failed. But we made it to her town and her fairground so I think that counts just fine.

Heidi's Town: Maienfeld, Switzerland

We arrived in Lugano early Tuesday night, happy and exhausted. It was such an amazing road trip and really showed us Switzerland. Our Swiss Appreciation Road Trip was finished, for now.

Swiss Trip (Part 1)

3 days, 2 nights, 1 car and over 610 miles = 1 amazing Swiss appreciation road trip!

Jeannie and I were talking one day and realized that there was a lot of Switzerland we haven't seen. Living in Switzerland has provided us with the opportunity to travel all over Europe and see some amazing cities and countries. However, we seemed to bypass visiting the other beautiful cities and areas in our own country. This Swiss Trip gave us a glimpse of the beautiful countryside and towns that Switzerland has to offer.

Lugano→Stein am Rhein→Rhine Falls→Zurich→Gstaad→Interlaken→Bilten→Heidi Land→ Lugano

 We left early Sunday morning for the north and with a forecast that predicted rain all day we were quite nervous for our trip to the Rhine Falls. Luckily, our prayers were answered and we had a beautiful day (and trip!). The drive took a little longer than expected because we got stuck in Gotthard Tunnel traffic, but once we arrived in Stein am Rhein, all traffic frustrations disappeared. Stein am Rein reminded us of what we believed a typical Swiss city would look like. Don't get me wrong, Lugano is absolutely stunning, but the smaller, older cities and towns are something very special. The city was so quaint and had such cute cafes and stores. We had lunch at a crêperie and then walked along the river and through the city taking in all the sites.

View of the city from the bridge

With the sun beating down on us we decided to head to the Rhine Falls, the largest plain waterfall in Europe. The falls are 450 feet wide and 75 feet high with an average summer water flow of 700 m/s. They were formed during the last Ice Age (around 14-17000 years ago) which caused the river's course to be pushed farther south than before over a hard limestone bedrock. Previously the riverbed was made up of a softer bedrock which helped create a smooth river. However, when the river began to run over the tougher limestone, it could not erode which allowed for the falls to form.

With the falls behind us

Standing in the middle of the falls is a large rock outcrop. We were able to take a boat to the rock and climb up, standing in the middle of the falls. The water was flowing so fast that when we approached the rock the captain had to point the bow of the boat way to the left of the dock so that we would be pushed into it. It was a really cool experience to stand in the middle of the falls and to see and hear how powerful the water is.

Rhine Falls with the Rock outcrop we climbed

We then headed south to Zurich for the night. We had dinner at Hiltl, Europe's oldest vegetarian restaurant, which is still run by the same family. Opened in 1898 and ridiculed for its idea, it is now one of the best restaurants in Zurich (ranked #12 of 1092 in Zurich by Trip Advisor). After dinner, we then took some time to take in the Zurich skyline at night.

Zurich Skyline

To be continued...

Bolzano, Italy

Armed with my car and my trusty GPS, I headed to Bolzano, Italy this past weekend. My parents visited this past September and absolutely loved it and have since been telling me I should go. I left for Bolzano early Saturday morning in an attempt to beat the summer vacation traffic. Key word: attempt. The drive took well over five hours (and only four to get back!) but was well worth it as the scenery was beautiful, especially once I got on A22, a highway that connects Italy and Austria.

My Route

Bolzano, is located in the northeastern part of Italy and is the capital of the province Tyrol. The city used to be part of Austria before World War I and therefore, the German-Austrian influence is still strongly felt. Both German and Italian are widely spoken and German food and dress can be seen throughout. Bolzano's main square is named Waltherplatz after Walther von der Vogelweide, a famous German poet and composer. His statue is situated in the middle of the square paying homage to his famous works. Once I arrived in Bolzano I stopped on the square for some gelato and coffee and to enjoy the view. 

Waltherplatz

My first stop was the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology to see Ötzi the ice man. Ötzi is the oldest most well preserved mummy in Europe. The perpetual cold and wet climate in the Alps has helped preserve him over thousands of years. He was accidentally discovered in 1991 in the Italian-Austrian Alps and has since changed history. Ötzi, is believed to have been murdered and left to die on the side of the road. The museum did a good job of reconstructing his life. Here are a few facts that I found most interesting.

• He is said to have come from wealth and status as he carried an axe made with a copper blade. 
• The copper blade rewrote history, as it dates the European copper age to 1,000 years to what was previously thought 
• He wore a bearskin hat and vest that were very well made and neatly stitched together
• His shoes, which were made to help protect Ötzi from the cold and wet conditions are the only ones like it that have been found 
• He is said to have many of the same health conditions that are prevalent in humans today

After the museum I wandered the streets of Bolzano and stumbled upon a street market. I was shocked at how inexpensive everything was, they definitely were not Swiss prices! The buildings were all painted in a wide array of colors giving the city a distinct yet beautiful look.

One of the colorful Bolzano Streets

While wandering the streets I saw a cable car going up one of the mountains. Without knowing where it went, I headed in its direction and hopped on. Around 30 minutes later it dropped us off in a small quaint town high above Bolzano. The views on the ride up were also spectacular as we were able to see the vineyards, farms and mountains that surrounded us.

My cable car ride

The town was small and non-touristy. It had amazing views of the Dolomites with many roads and trails to explore. I headed off down one path and began to explore. 

With the Dolomites behind me

After my ride back down to Bolzano it was time for dinner. I headed to Hopfen & Co. a restaurant-brewery recommended by my parents. The Bozner beer is brewed according to the German purity law, Reinheitsgebot, of 1516 which requires that only water, barley and hops be used in the beer production. The law has since been repealed but many German breweries still abide. Their light beer and good German dinner were the perfect ending to my trip!

Israel!

After graduation, my parents and I headed to Israel for a jam packed week of sightseeing and touring. We arrived in Tel Aviv Monday afternoon, which gave us just enough time to prepare for our week ahead. Tuesday morning we were met by our guide for the week, Jacob, and headed to Jerusalem.

Dad, Me and Mom

We started with the Wailing Wall and were able to place our prayers. After a quick lunch of delicious felafel, we walked the Via Dolorosa, the Stations of the Cross. These fourteen stations follow the path that Jesus walked carrying his cross to his crucifixion. Because of the constant change in Israel most of the stations are artistically represented. My favorite stations were the fourth, fifth and fourteenth. The fourth station is where Jesus meets his Mother, Mary. The fifth station is where Simon is enlisted to help Jesus carry the cross, as he cannot go on. There is a place where Jesus rested and his hand print is embedded in the stone. The last station is Jesus' tomb where he was buried and resurrected.

Station 4

Station 5

After Jerusalem, we headed to Bethlehem which is located under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian authority. Bethlehem is surrounded by a 30 foot concrete wall and in order to enter we had to cross through passport control and no-man's land. We were met by our Palestinian guide, Rio, who also spoke Italian (go figure!!), who would bring us around for an hour and a half. He brought us to the Church of Nativity which was built over the stable that Jesus was born in, allowing us to see his birth place and the location of the manger. Our guide brought us back to the border and our crossing expedition began. While trying to cross the border there was a large back up and Israel wasn't letting anyone back into the country. Therefore, we ended up getting stuck in Bethlehem for a very long fifteen minutes. As we were waiting, more and more people were coming and the tension was rising. There was no where to go as we were all stuck in this cement room. It was definitely an experience and I can say that I was glad we made it to the other side.

In Bethlehem tasting the Christmas Mass Wine

Wednesday was a change of pace, with a trip to Masada, one of Herod the Great's palaces and the last Zealot outpost during the Jewish Revolt. Located on a cliff overlooking the Dead Sea, the palace was an engineering feat to say the least. He had marble imported from all over the world and had intricate mosaics done throughout. As it is the desert, they created a complex water drainage system that brought water in and stored it in two large cisterns.

Palace of Masada

We then headed to the Dead Sea for the afternoon! It was an amazing experience and the water, so saturated with salt actually felt oily. The Dead Sea is disappearing and on our trip from the Spa down to the sea we passed the old water levels. The sea used to be right at the edge of the building but is now a 10 minute walk from the spa. As the sea continues to evaporate, not only is it shrinking but the solution is becoming more and more saturated causing more salt to collect on the floor, causing an increasingly vicious cycle.

Dead Sea Fun

uh oh

Thursday we spent the morning at the Jerusalem Holocaust History Museum, an extremely moving experience. It is hard to describe the emotions and feelings while there. The exposition was very well done. We saw children's games catered to the German children where to win they would have to rid the town of Jewish men and women and a Jewish game that was a take off on Monopoly that taught kids how to survive in the ghetto. There were original train tracks and cars that were used for transport and parts of the floor were made up of the squares that they were brought to before boarding the trains. The Museum was something I will never forget.

Heading up to Tiberias we stopped at the Jordan River, the site where Jesus was baptized by John. The river was much more narrow then I expected and quite dirty but we still put our feet in. The other side of the river was Jordan, however, we were not allowed to cross the border!

In the Jordan River, with Jordan behind me

Friday was a day full of churches and the Sea of Galilee, which has large religious significance. On our way to the Sea of Galilee we stopped at Magdala, a current archeological dig uncovering the temple in the town that Mary Magdalene was born. We visited the sites of the Sermon on the Mount and where Jesus fed 5000 people by multiplying the five loaves of bread and fish.

Mom & me in the Galilee with St. Peter's Church Behind us

In the afternoon we headed to the Golan Heights where we went to the Valley of Tears, the site of the 1967 Yom Kippur Battle. We could see across the border into Syria and could see a city that has been taken over by Syrian Rebels. We could also hear Syrian bombs in the distance. After that experience we went to the valley and had lunch in a Kibbutz, a collective community, with all the food coming from their farms. A Kibbutz was traditionally based on agriculture but now also has industries and they are becoming increasingly privatized.

Found all over Israel

Saturday was our last day and we headed to Acre and Caesarea. Acre is one of the oldest continually inhabited sites in the world. It is known as a well protected and fortified city with amazing ruins and excavations. We were able to go into the excavations and walk through the underground tunnels and see the dining hall. The fort was continuously used and built upon throughout history as it is located on the water near a port. Caesarea, a Roman city dedicated to Caeser was built by Herod the Great. The city shows remains of an ampitheatre and the theater is still standing and used today.

Caeserea

Israel was an amazing experience and trip. Not only were the sites amazing but the food was delicious. I never had a bad meal and the hummus, Israeli salads and frozen coffee were all so good! The trip was a great ending to a fantastic year abroad. Now back in the states, I am looking forward to the next chapter.

Frozen Coffee, Israeli Salad and Falafel, hummus and spreads