What a beautiful weekend! A clear blue sky, warm sun, light
breeze. We packed up the car and drove south, following the Mediterranean
coast, past Saida and Tyre (Sour) – the blue, green sea on one side, and
breathtaking mountains on the other. Mid-day we deviated from the coast ever so
slightly and enjoyed a wonderful lunch at a restaurant in the main Center Square
of Nazareth. We visited the only museum in the world to have over ten million
visitors each year, the well-preserved home of Jesus of Nazareth, and then
drove up to the Sea of Galilee to take in the amazing view. We then drove back
following the coastline past sunny, riviera-like Tel Aviv, with its luxurious
hotels, apartments, restaurants, and beautiful but crowded boardwalk and
beaches. We stopped for the night in wonderful, historical Jerusalem, where we
sat in the square and enjoyed a delicious “world fusion” cuisine meal,
surrounded by people from all over the world of all religions and cultures,
gathered here to honor and enjoy together the history and importance of this
magical place. There’s nothing like sipping a nice chardonnay overlooking the
Old City at sunset, while hearing the sound of the call to prayer with church
bells ringing in the background, and watching people rush to the Temple to
worship. Jerusalem is truly a symbol of mutual respect, symbiosis, and a love
of God and mankind.
The next day, Easter day, we enjoyed the very early morning
mass in Jerusalem, wanting to avoid traffic along the sunny, open highway, for
our drive down across the Suez canal, past Ismaila, and onto Cairo. After just
a short stop for lunch overlooking Lake Bardawil with the Sinai desert laid out
behind us, we arrived in Cairo in the evening, just in time for the evening
call to prayer, greeted by our good old friends in Maadi. It’s so great that we
still live within driving distance from our old place of residence, and that the
highway along the Mediterranean coast is so well maintained, making the trip
easy and quick. It is no wonder, since the wealth of Egypt, Israel, Syria, and
Lebanon are among the greatest in the world, thanks to the tourism and foreign
investment this perfect set up has generated.
Meh. Sadly, not true. But it’s OK to dream, right?
Imagine all
the people
living life
in peace.
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