The Roman Empire

We were pleased to find that our "tour" includes a guide (Isaac, a Sabra with the edgy sense of humor I imagine all Israelis to have and with an incredible knowledge of Israel's history), and 2 American couples. One of the couples is from Queens; the other from Tampa with a non-stop talker who seems to be missing the social graces gene. We have two more days with this crew, but on Tuesday, our group changes when the two couples leave and we are joined by a family of 3 for our time in Jerusalem.

After an incredible Israeli breakfast (smoked fish, cheeses, olive, frittata, etc.),We started off the day with the Diaspora Museum in Tel Aviv. The history of Jewish dispersion isn't always pretty, but usually inspirational. We had a couple of hours there and, although I know about a lot of the history, there is always something else to learn. There were models of many historical synagogues and I was pleased to find the Touro Synagogue in Newport, RI was one of them. Also pleased to see that the lovely sand floor synagogue in Curacao also rated a model; I was there for Shabbat services many years ago and it is lovely. Jews settled there after the Inquisition, when they settled in the Netherlands and then some moved on to the Antilles in the 17th c.

After leaving Tel Aviv, we moved on to Caesarea, a city built by Herod on the Mediteranean coast between Tel Aviv and Haifa. Amazing city with an amphitheatre and an area for chariot races. The marble and mosaic floors somehow survived the centuries, along with part of a fortress sea wall that protected the harbor. We also saw a Roman aqueduct that runs from Caesarea for 8 miles and has also survived. The excavation of Caesarea has occured in the past ten years which is a tribute to the antiquities folks here who are commited to preserving the historical sites and making them available for tourists. There was so much information about Caesarea, that I can't imagine doing this without a guide. It was a brutal time; Herod's reign created chaos throughout the empire with a cruelty that included dispatching his only family when he believed that his power would be threatened. A visually spectacular site that definitely adds to the feeling that our time on this earth is but a minute in the history of our sometimes brutal planet.

On to a Druse village afterwards. One of our traveling companions had trouble with the concept of the Druse; neither Jewish, nor Christian, nor Muslim, but a religion of its own with a belief in reincarnation that is simpler than the Hindu belief: You die, you are reborn. She kept asking our guide "but what are they?" and he answered "they are their own religion, the Druse." After a few go arounds with this, with me trying not to pop her one, she finally realized that a shopping opportunity was presenting itself and gave it up. The Druse village on Mount Carmel was lovely; friendly people with a gentle demeanor. After that, on to Haifa, also on Mount Carmel. We were pleased to find that our hotel room was upgraded to a room with a view of the harbor, with the lights of the city below. We are perched on the side of Mount Carmel, where the prophet Elijah lived.

Lovely city; very urbane and safe, much like Tel Aviv. Dinner at an Asian restaurant, fine sushi and Israeli white wine. Now sleep. Tomorrow off to the Golan Heights, Safed (the home the Kabbalah, without Madonna present, I assume). We also will be going to a center for the Ba'hai faith and the Persian Gardens, before settling in at a kibbutz in the lower Gallilee. We have been told it will be a long day with a lot of history to learn. I'm sure it will be another magical day.

I think I'll got out on our balcony to gaze on the hills of Mount Carmel before calling it a night. It's only 9 pm here, but I'm exhausted, and my traveling companion has dozed off while watching CNN International. Believe it or not, Tiger Woods is also a story here, a country that didn't even have a golf course until 20 years ago or so. Who knew?