A walk though the shops

Today's adventure could probably most accurately be called, 'from Transfiguration to Annunciation' or 'from one 'tion to another'.

The entire day today was spent sightseeing around the Lake of Galilee, beginning at the Church of the Transfiguration, a visit to the top of Mount Tabor (oh, you need to see the buses here that have to drop us off at the first base camp, where we then board minivans for the remainder of the trip up the zigzagging cow paths to the summit of the mount (which actually rises ABOVE sea level).  It's hard to believe that much of this part of the world is below sea level, but the top of Mt Tabor, which is magestic above the valleys below, is actually only 200 feet above sea level.

Next stop ... down from the mount and then on to Cana, a quest which included a must-see stop at one of the famous wine shops (the water in Cana has funny properties, especially since Jesus visited there).  Actually the city of Cana was on his travel route, since he would often travel from Nazareth to Sephora with his father to practice their carpentry and stone-cutting skills, and Cana was the watering hole on the way.

Wine in hand, we next set sail for the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, where we celebrated the Mass, and then traced the steps from Mary's well (where she drew water on a daily basis) to her house (a mere 15 minute walk, at a leisurely pace), and then on to Joseph's place (which has also been transformed into a basilica complete with it's basement level which was the original Byzantine version of the church that still stands today under the care of the Franciscan Friars who care for the treasures of the Holy Land.

Lunch today consisted of a visit to one of the local watering holes where pita shells could be filled with falafel or shwarma (unless of course the pitas should run out, and then be substituted with Israeli baguettes).

OK folks, that's it for now.  Besides the editing team who is present at writing time is presuring me to complete this text, and I'm not so sure it's because they want to read them.  Talk again tomorrow ... more adventures await.