Started the day with a visit to Yad Vashem, the very moving Holocaust Museum. No photo’s inside, but some outside.

In the grounds a Children’s memorial remembering the 1.5 million children lost to the world.

Then the Shrine of the Book, a splendid building housing the Dead Sea Scrolls found at Qumran – a settlement near the Dead Sea where the basis of modern Jewish religion was defined. A fascinating set of scrolls including the biblical texts, texts omitted from the bible, and then records or everyday life.

And a model of Jerusalem at the Second Temple Period in the Museum of Israel

In the afternoon it was across the checkpoint into Palestinian Bethlehem for a look at the Shepherds Fields.

On to the Church of the Nativity for a 2 hour queue to see the Nativity Grotto, and spot marking the birth of Christ.

Then a more pleasant and calm visit to the Milk Grotto, a place marking the home of Mary and Joseph.

Final stop, a quick visit to the Western Wall, to see the square celebrating Shabbat.