September | 2019 | virgoswilltravel

As usual I was the one dragging my feet here – not sure about whether I wanted to go to Israel. How much more wrong could I have been?

We started off early in the morning as all our research told us the extra security at the airport when flying to Isreal would take time. We were almost first in the queue and after a short interview and examination of our passports we were through the formalities and into the waiting lounge for our El Al flight to Tel Aviv.

We caught the Bus from Tel Aviv airport to Jerusalem. Having no idea where to get off we decided that the last stop would be the one which was across the road from the infamous Jerusalem Bus station. Then into a cab to our hotel in the German Old quarter – a little ironic – a German quarter in a Jewish city! It was a quaint little hotel with extensive and delicious breakfasts.

Hotel in the German Quarter

Best Breakfast

Jerusalem Old City

Our first day was a Walking tour of Old Jerusalem which was completed with a bus trip. There was just so much to see and it really gave us a sense of biblical history as we walked the historical religious sites with an interesting guide.

Our highlights of the walking tour:

the point where the 4 quarters of the old city joined – Armenian, Jewish, Christian, Muslim.
The path through the old city known as the Vias Dolorosa (or Way of Suffering) is just short of a kilometre long and you could touch the stones that Jesus is believed to have touched as he walked to his crucifiction, and stop at the stations which each has it’s own story.

Station 5

Station 6

Hand on the stone
Western Wall or Wailing wall or Kotaq or Buraq Wall – definitely a highlight even though it is much smaller than portrayed on TV. Access is easy but the security is tight. It was still an incredible place to be with all the worshippers. People had written little notes and wedged them between the bricks hoping their message to the Holy One is answered. It’s the most religious site for the Jews as it is the Western Wall to the Temple Mount, but anyone can pray there and there is no charge. Men and women were separated to attend the wall.

First sighting of the Wall

An ineresting place to be.

Thats us in front of the Wall

Along with everyone else.

The Whole Compound
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre – believed to be the site of the Crucifiction and Jesus’ empty tomb where he is believed to have been buried and resurrected. It has been a major Christian Pilgrimage destination since the 4th century and is now shared by five different Christian communities; Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Coptic, Syrian Orthodox and Armenian. There was so much to see here but even the crowds didn’t dull the feeling of being somewhere very special, whether a believer or not.

In front of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Stone od Unction

Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Church of the Holy Sepulchre
Zion Gate – or the Gate of King David, since it leads to Mount Zion, where tradition says King David was buried. The Christian tradition views Mount Zion as the site where significant events such as Jesus’ Last Supper took place. When we arrived at the final door to the venue of the last supper it had just closed to visitors as an unidentified piece of luggage had been found so they were clearing the area. We were very disappointed even though there is some argument that it’s not actually the exact place
Dome of the Rock with it’s golden top is the Islamic Shrine on the Temple Mount and according to tradition it was built to commemorate Muhammad’s ascension into heaven after his night journey to Jerusalem.
Garden of Gethsemane is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives which has significant religious importance and where the
Church of all Nations is situated. It is said to be built over the rock on which Jesus is believed to have prayed in agony the night before his crucifiction.
The Mount of Olives. – a hill across the valley from the Old City and is named after the Olive groves that used to cover it. Its significance is that is is believed it was the place that Jesus wept for Jerusalem. For at least 3000 years it has been a Jewish cemetery.

Zion Gate

Room of The Last Supper

The Dome of Rock

Church of All nations

900 year old Olive Trees in the Garden of Gethsemene

Mount Of Olives – Jewish Cemetery

We were determined to spend a day at the Dead Sea to bathe in the waters and cover ourselves in the famous black mud. It was difficult to get a tour that did just that. For some reason they thought that we would want to do a 15 hour tour and spend hours on a bus. Anyway we finally managed to find one which on the day was cancelled. They said it was due to flooding but we were not convinced this was correct and somehow I think it was that we were the only ones that wanted to spend the whole day at the Dead Sea. Anyway to their credit they put us in a cab to go to their Resort on the Dead Sea. As only could happen to us, the cab driver took us to the wrong resort then drove off and left us. Once we had established we were at the wrong resort we endeavoured to walk/hitch hike which they said was a 20 minute walk and turned out to be much further. Basically we were in the countryside without traffic, walking on a deserted road that bordered Palestine and with Jordan across the Dead Sea. We decided this was not a good idea so walked back to the original stop. They were so accommodating and let us into their resort and arranged the ticket swap so there was no issue for us. They even arranged for a bus on another tour to pick us up at the end of the day.
We had an amazing day floating in the Dead sea, covering each other in Black Mud and soaking up the sunshine. The impact of the mud on the skin certainly encouraged belief in the benefits. The resorts were probably not quite what we would expect in a resort but still an amazing day with excellent service.

On the road to the Dead Sea

Just as imagined

Yep , thats the Resort

Covered in Mud

That Mud sure is Black

Floating

Across the sea to Jordan

That’s Jericho over there!.

Generally, Jerusalem was quite expensive but we would definitely return to Israel and include Jordan in another trip
Seeing all the young army people carrying weapons – hopefully with safety locks on – certainly took some getting used to. The guns under the table while they had dinner was most unsettling and we weren’t sure if that made us feel safe or unsafe.

Getting ready for the markets in the German Quarter

Still time to find coffee!

Near the Jerusalem Bus Station

We had to catch the bus back to Tel Aviv so assumed the Jerusalem Bus Station was the place to go. The armed presence and security here was extraordinary and when we finally established that wasn’t where our bus departed and we weren’t interested in catching an expensive cab to Tel Aviv they lost interest in us and we hightailed it out as soon as we could. This was the only place where we felt slightly unsafe and intimidated as it was a historical place of unrest.
This short trip definitely gave us a feeling of walking in the steps of history.

Continue reading Jerusalem →

We had heard numerous negatives about Athens but approached it with an open mind and a keenness to rediscover this place that we had both visited when we were in our 20’s.

We arrived into Athens Port after a 6 hour trip on the Ferry from Naxos. Research told us to use the metro to get into the city as it takes the shortest time (20 mins) and is only €1.40. We managed to find the station amongst the throngs of travellers, bought our tickets and we were on our way. We even managed to change lines and end up at the station closest to our accommodation. Our apartment was easy to find in the Metourgeio district and was only a 2 km walk to Syntagma Square, the central square of Athens. While this wan’t too far, the area boasted ladies of the night putting their makeup on in shop doors, and drugusers sniffing and injecting in broad daylight on the sidewalk. Everybody was minding their own business and getting on with life as they knew it, without bothering anyone else. It didn’t look like there were many tourists walking through the area but we didn’t feel unsafe at any stage. We spent 3 nights here and then had to move to the opposite side of town to the Pithagora residential district.

6 days in Athens and we didn’t leave the city – there is so much to see!

We started with a ride on the Happy Train which costs €5 and departs Syntagma Square every half hour. While this is a great train ride for children it also gives a quick and easy perspective of the city and the whereabouts of many of the sights plus you can hop on and off in a 12 hour period. It takes 1 hour to complete its route but can imagine would be a lot longer at the height of the summer season. It was perfect for us who prefer to walk to the the sites and like to get a feel for a city before we start. The other option was a walking tour but they were all quite expensive. We rode the train then over the next few days walked the city. So what were our highlights?

Old Royal Palace – this is the first royal palace of modern Greece completed in 1843. It has housed parliament since 1934 and is situated at the heart of Athens facing onto Syntagma Square. The Changing of the guard taking place every hour is a site to behold. Perfect harmony carried out in pairs with incredibly slow movements. Apparently this is to ensure the safety of the guards coming off duty who have had to stand perfectly still without expression, without any movement for a full 60 minutes. They are known as the Presidential guard and sport an elaborate uniform.

Syntagma Square – the central and most famous square in Athens in front of the Old Royal Palace with the Syntagma Square Metro underground station, greenery, seating for people watching and an incredibly busy one way road on the opposite side to the Palace. There are cafes aplenty in and around the square where we probably spent too much time whliing away the hours and breathing in the atmosphere.

Panathenaic Stadium – one of the main historic attractions in Athens and is the only stadium in the world built entirely of Marble. It hosted the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the first modern Olympics in 1896, hosted the Olympics again in 2004 and is also the last venue in Greece from where the Olympic Flame is handed over to the host nation.

Hadrian Gate or the Arch of Hadrian – Constructed on the road leading from the Acropolis to the Temple of Olympian Zeus. Free to walk under and visit, its a very impressive arch built in 131AD from marble carried from nearby Mount Pentelikon. Walk though Hadrians gate and you see

The Temple of Olympian Zeus – A temple with it’s first foundations laid in 515BC and finally finished in 129 by Emperor Hadrian. Originally it was 104 Corinthian columns but now only 15 remain standing. The incerdible thing is that we were able to walk quite freely around these amazing structures and marvel at how they might have been constructed without all our modern technology. We were lucky and arrived at the gate to be given free tickets to get in. I wonder if all days were free to enter?

Acropolis – While approaching the Acropolis on November 6, 2018 we decided to stop at a cafe with WiFi and check in on the impending birth of our grandson. Just as we sat down with our coffee and fired off the first message, the first pictures arrived of Hugh Alexander Dennis. Will always remember where we were when he made his debut.

The Athenian Acropolis, on a rocky hill in the centre of Athens, is home to one of the most famous buildings in the world: the Parthenon, one of three temples sitting on its flat top and dedicated to goddess Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin). There is so much to know about this incredible place but we decided to research its history and then spend the afternoon wandering. Luckily we weren’t in the height of summer so didn’t need to buy tickets online. We just rolled up to the gate, no line and in we went. This was another case of tourists wearing completely inappropriate footwear. The climb to the top is not difficult but is over some rough marble and stones so if you want to protect your ankles walking shoes or runners are the best option. You cannot go to Greece without visiting the Acropolis.

National Garden – located just behind the Old Palace we had the opportunity to wander through here each day on our way out or home to our second AirB&B. 38 acres of garden also houses some ancient ruins, Corinthian columns, mosiacs, fountains, duckponds, cafes, playgrounds, buskers and busts of famous Greeks. The greenery offers opportunities to cool off and rest on a hot day. Like all places in Athens it has a rich history and is definitely well worth the wander.

Plaka Neighbourhood – an area sitting below the Acropolis towards Syntagma Square and one of the most picturesque areas of Athens. Most of the roads are closed to traffic so makes for lovely walking although definitely has a lot of steps and is quite steep in places. Said to have been inhabited for 3000 years, it is now full of small shops – souveneirs, jewelry, olive tree based products, leather products, cafes, Greek food and much more – and many archeological sites.

So those were the tourist highlights but being the kind of relaxed travellers we are, we revelled in the atmosphere of history, chatting to any Greek who took the time, living on Greek time, which is a bit like Island time, and generally being part of a city we had no expectations of, but loved. Unlike a lot of tourists we enjoyed this grimey city, it’s amazing markets, crowded streets, crazy people and could have stayed longer but we had arranged a short visit to Jerusalem, Israel so it was on to the well priced but crowded airport bus service at 5.00am to the airport.