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Three flights and two days after leaving the USA, we arrived in Adelaide, Australia. We were greeted by our Aussie friend, Clo. She graciously hosted us for our first three days. In preparation for our visit she put together an action-packed itinerary and made tons of delicious food. So, when she picked us up at the airport, we went straight for downtown Adelaide for some sightseeing and lunch. Located on the south-central coast of Australia, in the state of South Australia, it is the fifth largest city in the country with a population over 1.3 million people. The city is beautiful and surrounded by parklands which include many sports fields, a fair ground, a botanical garden, a zoo and several museums. After visiting the city center, we went out to the suburb of Port Adelaide. There are shops and restaurants out by the port which support the fishing industry as well as the cruise ships that dock. Just before dark we made it to Mount Lofty for a view over the city with a beautiful sunset.  

We rounded out first night with some proper Australian eats, quince paste (fruit spread), pasty (pastry shell with meat and veggie filling) and meat pie (exactly what it sounds like). All were very much enjoyed and we were sufficiently stuffed. Not being able to keep our eyes open anymore since we had been awake for more than 24 hours, we went to bed for some much needed sleep.

Our second day with Clo was just as fun-packed as the first day. The small town Clo lives in is on the edge of one of Australia’s largest wine region, McLaren Vale in Adelaide Hills. Howard Vineyards was our first stop. The wines were wonderful and the tastings are FREE! Clo picked out a few different stops that would give us a taste of the variety of wines produced in the area. We had a ball driving through the beautiful countryside and visiting the local wineries.

The last day in Adelaide area, Clo took us to a variety of places. We started in Murray Bridge and a visit to the mouth of the Murray River.  Then ventured down to the wonderful little town of Strathlabyn. We stopped for lunch at a local fish and chips shop, Flying Fish Restaurant and Café. Continued along the coast ending in Victor Harbor. In the center of town is a bridge to Granite Island. A small island that is home to fairy penguins and seals. The penguins can only be seen at night when they come home from a full day of fishing. We were able to enjoy the spectacular views of the coast.

Our time with Clo had to come to an end as she dropped us off at the campervan rental depot. She sent us on our way with lots of food and goodies to get us started.

The weather has been rainy since we arrived. So we set out on our 3,000 mile camping road trip across east Australia in the rain. We sent our first night at a free camp site near town of Mount Gambier. A free campsite means of course there is no charge but there are also no facility except a “long drop toilet.” It was clean and waking up the next morning in the beautiful forest was worth it.  

 

 

Our Australian road trip adventure continues on the Great Ocean Road…

The last stop on our central European road trip was Munich, Germany. With an abundance of history and a very lively nightlife, it was a great place to end that part of our trip. There is so much to do and see in the city. We only had 2 days to see as much as possible. The first morning we joined a free tour that started in Marienplatz at 10:40am. Many cities have free walking tours that can be booked at www.freetour.com. Marienplatz is home to the Glockenspiel, an enormous clock with 30 life-sized figures that display a wedding scene set to music and bells at 11:00am and 12:00pm everyday. It was built in the early 20th century. While it’s purpose it to amuse people, it was voted to second most overrated tourist attraction in Europe.

Our free tour guide was wonderful, offering us tons of information about the city and the historical events that took place there. We walked throughout the downtown area to see the Viktualienmarket – an open-air market,  Hofbrauhaus – a famous beer hall, the high shopping street of Maximillianstrasse, the opera house and the Old Royal Palace. The walking tour lasted four hours but the time flew by as we were captivated by history that surrounded us.

In the Viktualienmarket there are very expensive fresh fruit and veggie stalls. Skip those and head for the beer garden in the middle. The beer stand rotates beer from  different national breweries each month (or until they run out). A large mug of brew can be enjoyed while listening to live music and enjoying the atmosphere with other people both locals and tourists.

The Maypole stands just next to the beer garden celebrating parts of the Bavarian culture. At the bottom a message proudly displays a law that was passed in 1516 which states there can only be three ingredients in beer; water, barley and hops. Yeast was later added to the list once it was discovered by scientists hundreds of years later.

As most the city was destroyed during World War II, what we see today is replicas of the historical buildings that stood in downtown. The people of Munich have taken the rebuild very seriously and spent as much time and money as needed to complete it just as it was. That is why there is still rebuilding going on today.

In the evenings we jumped at the chance to check out the famous beer halls. The first night we went to the Hofbrauhaus, likely the most famous of them all. For tourists it is a famous beer hall with live music and a beer garden. However, it played a huge part in the history of World War II.  It was in the upstairs room where Hitler gave his first speeches to the organization now know as the Third Reich. We visited on our walking tour which offered us an insight into the events that took place there, as well as in the evening for some live music and huge beers. 

The locals told us that Hofbrauhaus is where the tourists go but Augustiner is the beer that locals drink. Across the street from Hofbrauhaus is the Augustiner restaurant. They have great food and yummy beer. We went to the restaurant for lunch and the Augustiner-Keller beer hall in the evening. It is a bit out of the central down town but worth the cab ride to get there.

Outside there is a huge beer garden with lots of seating. The service is better at Augustiner and the menu is slightly cheaper than Hofbrauhaus. Augustiner-Brau is Munich’s oldest independent brewery, first mentioned in 1328. They believe in only serving the freshest beer, so they do not add any preservatives to it and therefore do not ship it out of the country.  

Our time was almost at an end but before we drove back to Frankfurt to fly back to the States, we stopped outside the city of Munich to visit Nymphenburg Palace. The incredibly huge palace once served as the summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria. Building of the palace started in 1664 and has been expanded many times of the years.

Many of the rooms can be visited along with the expansive gardens.  As well as all the buildings within the gardens and the stables where the royal carriages are on display. There is so much to see, you could spend a huge day exploring.

After making the 4 hour drive back to Frankfurt, we took a flight back the USA to see family. Then it is off to the wonderful country of Australia. We will catch up with you from the land down under…

During our road trip through Central Europe we took the chance to visit the very small country of Liechtenstein. From the moment we crossed the border the landscape around us was mesmerizing. The mountains reached high into the sky and the fields were the brightest shade of green. We made our way into the capital city of Vaduz. While the population is just over 5,000 people, it is where the majority of the country’s citizens live. The city feels like a movie set complete with a castle on the hill. The streets are incredibly clean, the homes are perfectly manicured, the streets are lined with artwork and there are many small shops and cafes to enjoy.

As with most of our time in Central Europe, this time around it rained, a lot. We didn’t let it deter us from taking in the beautiful city. Umbrellas in hand we roamed the streets and alley ways to the outside of the city which rewarded us with a beautiful view from the top of the hill.

Before we jumped back into the Touran and continued on our way we made sure to capture some of the sites from the small but wonderful city of Vaduz.

We were so glad we took the time to spend the afternoon in the small country of Liechtenstein. If ever given the opportunity for a visit, make the most of it. You won’t regret it!

Our next and last stop in Europe is Munich, Germany.

Our road trip continued to the beautiful country of Austria.  Our travels, in the past, have taken us to Vienna but not to the mountains.  Boy were we missing out.  The Alps in spring look like Julie Andrews should appear any moment spinning around and singing about a female deer.  It was breathtakingly beautiful.  We stayed in a small village about 25 miles outside Innsbruck. Alpbach, is the quintessential alpine village – full of charm, character and even had people wearing lederhosen.  We enjoyed hiking and staying in the mountains.  We even hugged an Austrian tree (Why, I do not know). When we arrived our host asked if we wanted free tickets to take the gondola up to the top of the mountain –  UMMM Yes.  The views from the top were fantastic – the weather could not have been better.

In the city of Innsbruck we enjoyed going to a local street festival and seeing the sights.  The historic downtown is ripe with history and architecture. We were in Innsbruck on Whit Monday so everything was closed but the restaurants and gelato stands so we had to make due.  We were able to see the three most famous landmarks downtown ; 15th Century City Tower (Left), Helbinghaus Building (bottom left) and The Golden Roof (bottom right). On our last night we went to a Tryolean Evening which is a show full of yodeling and traditional dancing. It was wonderful!

Leaving Innsbruck we drove to Salzburg.  Along the way we stopped at the ruin Ehrenburg castle in Reutte,  Austria.  Susan and Ken opted not to join us on the 25 minute hike to the top of the hill from the parking lot.  I’m not sure, but I think it was not the hike but the Highline 179 Pedestrian Suspension Bridge at the end of the hike that made them not go.  The bridge was awesome and we were rewarded with an amazing view at the end of the trek – well worth it.

Salzburg’s historic center (Altstadt) is internationally renowned for its baroque architecture and is one of the best-preserved city centers north of the Alps. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The City oozes charms and we enjoyed our time there immensely.  We went to the Salzburg Cathedral and enjoyed the ornate art and architecture, we loved the Salzburg Castle, we went to visit Mozart’s home (now a fantastic museum), we soaked in the overall charm of the city, and according to Missy we ate the worlds best sausages (street food that even Missy ate twice).

In an effort to get this well overdue post posted we are not adding any photos of Salzburg, not because it is not a beautiful city – it very much is.  But because,  we just can not get internet strong enough to download anything.  We will add to the website when we have an opportunity.

Our time in Europe continued . . . . .

 

 

 

Our trip down the Rhine River continued with a short stop in Baden-Baden, Germany. It is a quaint town on the northern tip of the Black Forest. The pedestrian street is lined with shops and cafes. We arrived in the morning and most things were still closed. It is a nice town to visit for a few hours or stay a little longer and visit one of the many spas. The waters in the spa flow from a series of 12 twelve springs 2,000 meters below ground. We did not take time out for the spa but we were able to test the water from a natural fountain. The water was very hot!

Our next overnight spot was in Strasbourg, France. We rented a two bedroom flat for a few nights just outside of Strasbourg Old Town. It was very easy to get around as the city has an awesome park & ride system. Many of the tram stops offer a bundle price of 4 Euros for one day of parking and a tram pass for all passengers of the vehicle. We took advantage of this offer and rode the tram to Old Town.

The main attraction in the old city is the Strasbourg Cathedral also known as Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg. The steeple towers above the other buildings in the area. As you approach the Cathedral the immense details of the outside it astounding. From 1647 to 1874 the Cathedral was the tallest building in the world. Over the centuries many churches have been built on the very same site. Remains of the previous buildings have been found at the site which date back to the 4th century A.D.

The current structure was first started in 1225 and took hundreds of years to complete. The gothic architecture carries inside of the Cathedral. Light streams in through beautiful stain glass windows.

Probably the most famous thing about the Strasbourg Cathedral is the Astronomical Clock. The first clock was built in the cathedral in 1352 but stopped working in the early 1600s. The clock that is on display today dates back to 1842. It was under renovation during our visit so we were not able to see it in action. The daily automatons occur at 12:30pm.  The clock presents images of the stages of life; child, teenager, adult and old man. The passing of the old man is represented by the flapping of wing and call of a rooster at the top of the clock.

Following our lovely visit to Strasbourg we headed further south to Switzerland. We stayed near Lake Constance in a renovated barn. The area was beautiful and offers many options for water sports in the warmer months. Since it wasn’t quite swimming season, we opted for a visit to Rhine Falls.

Europe’s largest waterfall does not compare to the “big ones” like Iguazu and Victoria Falls but it is worth a visit. Two of the things I love the most are waterfalls and castles. This site has them both. Sitting high on the cliff above the fall is Schloss Laufen. References to this castle date back to 858 A.D. While visiting the falls, we visited the inside of the castle on the same ticket. Today the main building of the castle is a museum about the falls and the history of the castle. Other areas are used as a restaurant and wedding venue.

From the castle on the cliff, we took an elevator down to a walkway over the water. There are several levels of platforms offering different viewpoints of the falls. We made sure to visit them all, except the island in the middle that is only reachable by boat.

Several boat trip options are available. Separate tickets can be purchased at the very bottom of the walkway. My mom overcame her motion sickness to take the short boat ride up to the falls. At the closest point to the falls, the mist was completely surrounding us. It was a fun day trip adventure from Lake Constance.

The weather wasn’t cooperating with us very well in the past week and it rained almost every day. We did our best to see as much as could despite the rain. Next we travel to the Austrian Alps. There are very few places as beautiful as the Alps in the spring…

Frankfurt was the start of our road trip on the Rhine River. While we wish we had time to drive the entire Rhine River Road, we only had two weeks with my Mom and Ken and a lot we wanted to see. We rented a car in Frankfurt and drove 2 hours to the small village of St. Goar. It was truly picturesque, complete with the castle on the hill, the beautiful German homes that line the water and the local pubs where we went for beer and bratwurst. We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast with a view of the Rhine. It was the perfect way to kick off the trip.

We didn’t let the rain on our first day stop us from visiting the Rheinfels Castle in St. Goar. The oldest part of the castle was built in 1245. It was the largest castle on the Rhine River historically five times the size of what stands today.  Inside the castle is a small museum which displays the history of the area and the castle through artifacts, pictures and models.

During our stay in St. Goar we took a few side trips to other villages and sites in the area. Just down the river is Loreley Rock which boast a statue of Loreley, a maiden of folklore. The local legend is of a beautiful young woman who threw herself into the waters of the Rhine because she was distraught over an unfaithful lover. She transformed into the siren who lured boatman to their deaths long the sharp turn and shallow part of the Rhine.

A thirty minute drive from St. Goar is another small village of Braubach. High on the hill overlooking the village along the Rhine is Marksburg Castle. The history of the castle dates back 1283. It was used as a fortress rather than a residence. It is the only castle along the Rhine that was never conquered. The inside of the castle can only be visited with a guide. It is a wonderful castle to visit as many of the rooms are on display with historical furnishing which offers a taste of what the castle would have been like hundreds of years ago.

The next day we continued our travels south along the Rhine and made a stop in the city of Mainz. It is much larger than many of the other towns and villages we visited along the way. Mainz is the capital of Rhineland-Palatinate. The view of downtown is dominated by St. Martin’s Cathedral. It is free to visit and worth a peek inside. The city center is great for a stroll to enjoy shopping and locals eats. We were lucky to arrive during a market in the main square.

Further down the Rhine, we made our next stop in the very important city of Worms. This city holds great importance in the The Reformation. Martin Luther posted 95 thesis on the door of the church in Whittenberg, Germany in 1517 which lists 95 objections he had with the practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Several years later, in 1521, he was brought before the Diet of Worms on charges of heresy. When he refused to recant his 95 thesis he was excommunicated for the church. This started The Reformation which led to many changes throughout Europe and was the beginning of all Protestant Christian denominations we know today. During our visit to Worms we visited many of the important Martin Luther sites.

The city of Worms has done a nice job providing information in several languages at the important Martin Luther sites. The purple signage is easy to spot throughout the downtown.

Trinity Lutheran Church was built 200 years after the trial of Martin Luther very near the spot where the trail took place. It was lost in the bombings of World War II. The church was rebuilt in the 1990s in a more modern way while maintaining some of it’s original elements.

There is a memorial to Martin Luther that was dedicated in 1868. It is the largest Reformation Memorial in the world. The memorial features Martin Luther in the center mounted higher than the other figures. The other people included in the memorial where famous Reformers that supported Martin Luther’s preaching.

After our amazing stop in Worms, we made the short drive to famous tourist city of Heidelberg. It is more touristy than others because of its close distance

Frankfurt, but there is a reason so many people come to walk around Old Town. The instant you walk into Old Town you know you are in Germany by the architecture, the shops sell pretzels and the dominating view of the Heidelberg Castle. There is so much to see, but we only had one day take in the sights.

The Church of the Holy Spirit was first mentioned in 1239. Over the course of history the church has been used by both Catholics and Protestants. It has played an important role throughout its time. It was once part of the Heidelberg University as well as the birthplace of the Heidelberg Catechism.

We entered the church at the right moment and were able to catch the last few minutes of an English service being held midday.

After enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of Old Town we headed for the Heidelberg Castle. We decided to skip the 20 minute walk up hill and took the funicular instead. The funicular makes three stops along the way. The first is the castle stop and the other two are look out points. At the second stop you must change funiculars to the 100+ year old original to get to the very top. We did that first to take in the amazing views of the city and the Neckar River.

We took the funicular back down to the castle stop so we could visit the rooms and museums within the Heidelberg Castle.  The remains of the castle buildings are in quite good condition and are very impressive. There is a Apothecary museum which is very interesting about what medicines were practiced in the castle. The castle also contains the world’s largest barrel of wine. It hold 22,000 liters of wine and stands over 3 meters high.

After visiting the sites in Heidelberg we returned to the place we parked our car. As we approached we instantly noticed… our car was gone! Sure enough after some investigating we found out that our car had been towed. Bummer!!! We were lucky that within 90 minutes we were able to take a taxi to the tow lot and retrieve our car but only after paying the 160 Euro ticket. Tip for the anyone renting a car in Germany – Don’t park on the street unless you can pay a meter and leave a ticket in the window.

We didn’t let the towing of our car ruin our fun. So, we ventured forward and ended our awesome day with a stay in a very small village outside Heidelberg. It was a truly authentic German experience. We spent the evening playing cards and drinking beer in a local pub. We walked across the street to stay at Roter Lowe, an amazing Bed and Breakfast .

Our road trip through central Europe will continue as we travel south to Strasbourg, France.

Wow, we have been in a whirlwind of travel the last few two weeks since our last post.  We continued on our cruise stopping at the beautiful Greek Island of Crete, spent my birthday having wonderful tapas in Barcelona, visited with our friends the Zartmanns in Malaga, Spain, and finally we are currently in central Europe with Missy’s mother and stepfather.  With all of this going on we have fallen behind on blogging and we have received a few questions like “where the heck are you two now” and “Hello…”.  We are alive and traveling – sorry for the delay.  Here are some of the highlights from the past two weeks.

The Island of Crete was the perfect place to land for our return to Europe.  The warm people and breezes; the cool Mediterranean waters and cold beer all welcomed us back to the continent.  We walked the streets looking at the fantastic shops (maybe even bought a souvenir or two) then made our way to a quiet beach on the outskirts of town had a much anticipated Greek salad.  It was in a word – – Perfect.  The breeze, the views, the beer, the salad – it was good to be back in Europe.

Unfortunately our cruise had to end, but on the brightside it ended in one of our favorite countries . . . Spain.  We absolutely love Spain: The food, the people, the architecture, the culture, the food (did I already say that?)  We docked and went directly to our hostel right on Las Ramblas.  We, of course, could not check in at 9:00 AM so we set off on a walking tour of the Gothic Quarter.  After a short nap in the afternoon we met with our friend Clo to celebrate my birthday enjoying tapas in the city.

Our next stop in Spain was to the city of Malaga to see our friends the Zartmanns.  Last year they lived in a very small town and we were excited to see them in their new city.   After so much time in Asia we were especially excited for our welcome dinner -TACO NIGHT!!!

On one of the following nights Missy used some of her Italian cooking school knowledge to make some pasta with Zalie (7) and Hazel (4).  The pasta was delicious, even if we had to vacuum the floor a little.  We had a wonderful time spending time with the family seeing the sites of Malaga.  This city has so much to offer and is absolutely beautiful.  We managed to have our final evening on a date night with Dave and Naceem where we enjoyed a little relaxation and maybe a drink or two.

The time flew by in Spain and we took a flight to Frankfurt, Germany to meet up with Susan and Ken Brackenhoff (Missy’s mother and her husband).  Now, speaking of Ken and Susan, I realize that they are downstairs waiting for us to eat breakfast.  So we will continue with the Rhine river soon.

One of my lifelong dreams has been to visit the sacred cities of Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The lucky day arrived that we were able to tour the sites of these two cities. Our ship docked in the port city of Ashdod and we took a bus inland toward Jerusalem. We stopped to take in the view of Old City Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives.

The drive continued until we reached the border gate between Israel and Palestine. As tourist we had no problem passing over the border. We had a guide from Palestine join our group to escort us during our time in the city of Bethlehem.

Church of the Nativity was built over the spot Jesus was born. The first church was built in 326 A.D. by the ruler Constantine’s mother. That church was destroyed in 530 A.D. Soon after another church was built in the spot in which it still stands today. During the rule of the Ottomans the church was neglected and much of the decoration was covered by plaster. Today, after years of constant restoration a hidden treasurer was revealed, another mosaic angel was discovered under the plaster.

The Church on the site has three different parts which are controlled by three different groups. The main alter and center section of the church is Greek Orthodox. The Greek section is the oldest part of the church that is currently being restored. The columns that line each side display paintings from the Crusaders of Saints and the Virgin Mary.

 

The two other sections of the Church of the Nativity are Roman Catholic and Armenian. The Armenian section the boasts entrance to the cave which contains the site of Jesus birth and the manger. During Jesus’ time homes and shops were built in front of the caves in the hills around Bethlehem. Livestock was kept in the caves behind the homes. Therefore, the spot Jesus was born was in a cave. The Armenian part of the church sits directly over the cave.

The Roman Catholic section of the church is much more modern with an inner courtyard and stain glass windows. It also sit on top of the same cave system where Jesus was born as well as the cave where St. Jerome lived while translating the Bible into Latin so God’s Word could be shared with the rest of the world.

While it was hard to leave this sacred place, our tour had to move on. We drove back to Jerusalem and then started our walk by entering the Old City through the Jaffa Gate. 

The narrow streets are filled with shops and restaurants. It is packed with people from three major religious groups who are in the city to see their sacred sites. Jerusalem is very holy for Christians because it is the place Jesus lived, preached and died on the cross. It is holy for Jews because it is the place where the oldest Temples in the world were built with the last remaining wall still standing within the Old City, The Western Wall. It is also the third most holy city on Earth for Muslims because it is the site where Mohammed ascended into heaven.

Our tour focused on the footsteps of Jesus by walking down Via Dolorosa and seeing the stations of the cross. Out of the 14 total stations of the cross, we saw 10. It was tremendously moving and emotional experience, especially in the Church of the Sepulcher on the spot of Jesus death.

The final 5 stations of the cross are inside of the Church of the Sepulcher. The church was built in 326 A.D. by Constantine the Great on the mount where Jesus was crucified. As with the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, this church is also controlled by same three Christian groups (Greek Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Armenians). Each has control of different stations of the cross within the church.

An interesting fact about the Church of the Sepulcher is that for many generations, two Muslim families have taken care of the operation of the church site. The families have the keys to the church and are responsible for opening it each morning and closing it at night.

Our last stop on our walk through Jerusalem was the Wailing Wall  as called by westerners or as the Jewish call it, the Western Wall. It is the most holy site to Jewish people because it is the last piece of the wall that supported the Second Temple built around 20 B.C. It was destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. Westerners call it the Wailing Wall because those that have come to visit see pilgrims line the wall with their hands pressed flush against it with tears flowing down their cheeks.

The Second Jewish Temple is the same temple that is mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible where Jesus often visited and turned over the tables.

Jewish and Christian people make pilgrimages to Jerusalem and visit the Wailing Wall. Men and women are required to approach it in different areas. Men must cover their heads and are offered a yamaka.  Many people leave notes and prayers to God within the space between stones of the wall.

Just behind the wall lies the Dome on the Rock, a very holy site for Muslims. The center of the Dome is the spot where the Prophet Mohammed started his Night Journey to heaven.

The very same rock inside the dome is extremely important to Jewish and Christian people as well. It is believed that the rock is the Foundation Stone from which the world began. It is from that rock that God used the dust to create Adam, the first human.

Non-Muslim people are allowed to enter the site under the supervision  of the Muslim people. They are not allowed to take anything with them, including books, phones or electronics of any kind.

The experience of walking in Jesus footsteps and seeing the important places of our world’s history was a truly amazing experience that has been unmatched in our travels. While the streets are absolutely packed and it can be overwhelming at times, I can’t wait for a chance to return to Israel again.

Our travels have given us an opportunity to take a cruise through the Suez Canal in Egypt. The canal construction started in 1858 with the goal of connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea offering faster and safer shipping routes to and from the east. It first opened in November 1869. It has become the largest source of income for Egypt. There have been many conflicts over the years regarding access to the Suez Canal. One of the most publicized was the Six Day War of 1967 between Egypt and Israel. In 2014 an expansion was started to extend the length and width of the canal. Today the Suez Canal is 193 kilometers long and has two lanes allowing ships to travel in opposite directions at the same time.

After waiting our turn to enter, we sailed into the canal at approximately 5:00am.  The total time to sail from one end to the other is 14 hours. While there is not an abundance of sights along the canal, we were able to see a few interesting things. We enjoyed seeing sights come into view as we sailed toward them. The weather was very hot and humid causing a bit of a haze. Overall cruising the Suez Canal was a great experience.

Our cruise was also a chance for us to relax after spending three incredible months in Asia. Just by chance our friend, Clo, from Australia booked the same cruise so we got to spend a lot of time catching up and playing cards. We also met some new friends by sharing a dinner table. It was a blast every night.

Our cruise took us to Israel and Island of Crete, Greece. We can’t wait to share about our trip into Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

 

In the desert lands of Jordan lies a magnificent city that was “lost” for hundreds of years. The ancient nomadic civilization of Nabataeans settled in the area now known as Petra and chose to build their capital city between the mountains by Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses). While the exact time of construction is not known, the city is believed to be more than 2,300 years old. In it’s peak the city was home to up 30,000 residents. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Upon arriving at the entrance gate, you must join a long queue to pass through security and then buy a ticket. After entering there is a 0.6 kilometer walk along a gravel path to the half way point. The second half of the walk is through the siq (canyon) that leads directly to the Treasury. Along the canyon there are remnants of the city entrance arch, carvings to their gods and the man-made channels that supplied the city with water.

Petra’s water supply system is a archaeological jewel that has fascinated historians. How could a city of 30,000 people survive in a desert that receives very little rainfall? They created channels that followed the twisted canyon for over a mile while dropping only 12 feet in elevation. This channel brought water from the surrounding mountains into the cisterns they had created to store water.  Hundreds of cisterns all over the area have been discovered that were used to collect rainwater and underground water.

The long walk is rewarded as soon as you can steal a glimpse of the Treasury through the canyon. The magnitude and grandeur of what the Nabateans built so long ago takes hold of you.

The treasury is not actually a palace but rather a tomb erected in memory of a fallen king who was killed in battle outside of the city of Petra. His remains were never brought to this place. It was used as a memorial for the Nabataean people.

The walk continues farther into the city. Many tombs and places of worship are still intact as they were built into sandstone mountains. Some other buildings are partially standing and the homes are all but destroyed as they were free standing houses.

In 106 A.D. the Nabataeans were conquered by the Romans. They inhabited the city of Petra until an earthquake caused significant damage in 551 A.D. Throughout the city there is evidence of the Romans life in Petra.

There is evidence that parts of Petra were used as a trader outpost during the Crusades of the 12th Century. After the 12th Century the city was “lost” to the Western world until it was rediscovered by a Swiss explorer named Johann Burckhardt in 1812. Excavations have been going on through the 19th and 20th centuries.

Tens of thousands of tourists come from all over the world every year to take in the beautiful history of Petra. It is exciting that excavations continue and more will be uncovered. Currently less than 20% of the city has been recovered. It puts the imagination in overdrive to think about what will be found in the years to come.