We crossed the Jabbok river and the Arnon, saw Herod's fortress at Machereus and came to Petra. We then crossed the Jordan to Israel, spent five nights in Jerusalem and visited Bethlehem, Bethany, Jericho and Masada. Then up to the Galilee and to Nazareth, Capernaum, Chorazin, Sepphoris, Beth Shan and Caesarea Philippi. To the coast through the Jezreel Valley and Megiddo to Caesarea Maritima and then to Joppa. We wept at Gallipoli and then came to Istanbul.
Travel is a privilege and a blessing.
It has given us widened experience and depth of understanding of how other people live and given us a new context within which to evaluate and appreciate our own culture and way of life. As far as holiday destinations go, the Middle East is great option. We had excellent guides in Jordan, Israel and Turkey - You couldn't do a tour like this on your own. The church of St Peter's in Gallicantu in Jerusalem is said to be built over the site of the High Priest's house where Jesus' first trial was held and where Peter denied Christ three times. Under the church are remains of a first century house with a small room said to be the place where Jesus was imprisoned.