Day 2

Bright and early start with an early morning walk on the beach at Tel Aviv

to get on the coach up to Caesarea – a city built in 29-22BC by Herod the Great during the Roman times. A magnificent restored amphitheatre, a large Forum and extensive building ruins were the highlights.

The site was prosperous through Roman and Byzantine times until c600AD, when the Muslim Armies of Omar became the new rulers of Palastine. A quick look at the aqueduct..

Heading north, up the Mediterranean coast, to a drive through look at Haifa, a quick photo of the Baha’i Temple on Mount Carmel. Interesting – the Baha’i believe no religion has a monopoly of the Truth and aim to integrate the teachings of all holy men.

On to lunch at the Crusader City of Akko (Acre). Always an important Meditteranean port, it was taken by Crusaders around 1100 and extensively fortified and rebuilt as a stronghold that was defended for the next 200 years.

The Crusader ruins are preserved underground after recent excavations, with magnificent Gothic Knights halls, each representing the nations involved in the Crusading Order of the Knights Hospitallers

It was destroyed by Arab Mamlukes invading from the south (Egypt) in 1291, who then built an Arab town on the ruins. The town was taken again the invading Ottoman armies in 1516 who have shaped the city through until the mid/late 19th Century, and that’s essentially as it appears today.

Travelling on we headed for Nazareth to begin the Biblical section. A very interesting Church of the Annunciation built in 60’s concrete, over the reins of a Crusader church and the supposed Home and workshop of Mary and Joseph

The adjacent St Josephs Church was rather more beautiful in its simplicity

Finally, it was on through Kafr Kana past the location of the water into wine Wedding, and on to Tiberias, at the edge of the Sea of Gallilee.