We are still adjusting to the time difference and jet lag so we had gone to bed at 10pm and woke up at 5:30am. We were to meet for breakfast at 7 and be ready to go on the bus by 8am. We went to the dining room for breakfast at 6:30 and found some of our group already eating.
We got our things together after breakfast and got on the bus for our first stop at the Catholic Church of the Beatitudes located near Tabgha on a small mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Beatitudes
http://www.seetheholyland.net/mount-of-beatitudes/
Our guide and His Eminence Nikitas explained to us on the ride to the church it is where Jesus preached the Beatitudes to give the people hope.
As we walked up to the Church we saw beautiful gardens and placards with all the eight beatitudes. On the plaza and steps facing the Church were beautiful mosaics.
Due to fact we were early and off season our group was the only one there along with some few tourists/pilgrims.
The interior of the Church was very nice.
From here we saw a beautiful view of the sun peeking through the clouds onto the Sea of Galilee.
It's now around 9am and we have an appt. at 9:30 to take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We arrived at the Yigal Allon museum to take a view of the Jesus boat and then to the pier to board the boat. The boat on display was covered with poly foam to preserve it.
We had a private boat ride that started out by the crew raising the American Flag and then playing a tape of the American and Greek National Anthems as we started sailing. Our guide Yiannis had a surprise for us- he plugged his iphone into the ship's PA system and starting playing Greek Music!!
We got our things together after breakfast and got on the bus for our first stop at the Catholic Church of the Beatitudes located near Tabgha on a small mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Beatitudes
http://www.seetheholyland.net/mount-of-beatitudes/
Our guide and His Eminence Nikitas explained to us on the ride to the church it is where Jesus preached the Beatitudes to give the people hope.
As we walked up to the Church we saw beautiful gardens and placards with all the eight beatitudes. On the plaza and steps facing the Church were beautiful mosaics.
Due to fact we were early and off season our group was the only one there along with some few tourists/pilgrims.
The interior of the Church was very nice.
From here we saw a beautiful view of the sun peeking through the clouds onto the Sea of Galilee.
It's now around 9am and we have an appt. at 9:30 to take a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. We arrived at the Yigal Allon museum to take a view of the Jesus boat and then to the pier to board the boat. The boat on display was covered with poly foam to preserve it.
Model of Jesus boat
We had a private boat ride that started out by the crew raising the American Flag and then playing a tape of the American and Greek National Anthems as we started sailing. Our guide Yiannis had a surprise for us- he plugged his iphone into the ship's PA system and starting playing Greek Music!!
Raising the American Flag
Once the music starting playing as we started our cruise on the Sea of Galilee some of the group jumped up and started dancing and soon almost everyone was dancing on the boat.
I think that the dancing gave us all a relief from the stress of the trip and gave us a carefree air that we all needed.
Me watching the dancing
My wife Sophia watching the dancing
The boat ride was about one hour long. After it was over we disembarked and headed to the museum- some went to the gift shop and others to the cafe for refreshments. The next stop was going to be Capernaum.
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