Shalom, y'all!

Well, Mom went to Israel and brought us back this Bedouin pet carrier! At the very least she could have gotten us a camel that had a hump for each of us...

Anyhow, here is a sample of some of the 650+ photos she took during her 8 days in Israel.

Just off the plane after a 10 hour flight (and a 3-hour delay) and we're off to the old city of Jaffa, overlooking Tel Aviv and the beautiful blue Mediterranean...

We had wine from the Golan Heights and the best hummus ever at a little spot right on the beach, watching surfers, sailboats and these Arabs riding by on their horses.

Next day we were off to the ancient Roman town of Caesarea.

And up to Mt. Carmel with its amazing panoramas.

Luscious salads in technicolor and delicious falafel in pita bread for lunch.

And the pause that refreshes...in any language!

On to Megiddo - an archaelogical dig with layers revealing 26 different civilizations dating back more than 4,000 years.

We ended the day in Tiberias, on the Sea of Galilee.

A beautiful sunrise from our hotel room overlooking the Galilee. Daily wake-up calls at...yawn! ...5:45 am!

Cana, Nazareth, a boat ride across the sea (which is really a freshwater lake) then lunch of St. Peter's fish. Mom had never performed surgery on her lunch before!

Ancient mosaics mark the site of the miracle of multiplication of the loaves and fishes.

Mom renewed her baptismal vows in the River Jordan. (I dunno, looks like a bath to me.)

On our way down along the Jordan River into the desert. Bougainvillea in vivid colors never seen before.

And look what we spied out the side of the bus! Bedouins with a herd of camels!!!

Floating like a cork in the Dead Sea. It's 30 times saltier than the ocean!

"C'mon, how about a big hug?" Mom and Buddy's Mom slathered on the therapeutic mud and let it bake in the sun. (I think Eric Square Dog gave them this idea!) After they washed it off, their skin was soooo smooth!

A view of the salty banks of Dead Sea on the way to Masada.

The cave at Qumran where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered by a shepherd boy looking for his lost dog. Who knows what Mumsie might find the next time Lacie runs away? (Who knows what might be hidden under that deck where Lacie keeps getting stuck?)

The magnificent views from the top of Masada. Mom took a cable car up but you can walk up the very twisty and steep Snake Path.

Bethlehem is in the Palestinian Territories so we had to go through check points at the wall separating the West Bank from Jerusalem. It's kind of like the Berlin Wall and hopefully, one day it too will come down when people can live peacefully together. There was a lot of interesting graffiti on the Bethlehem side.

Mom got a kick out of this sign in the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. Another favorite was "Stars and Bucks" in Bethlehem.

The tomb of Mary Magdalene with the onion domes and the Church of the Agony at the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. We walked down this same path that Christ walked on Palm Sunday.
A Pere Blancs priest outside the Church of St. Anne near the Pool of Bethesda in the Old City of Jerusalem, near the first station of the Cross on the Via Dolorosa.

A convent on the Via Dolorosa.

The rooftop of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter of the Old City.

Spices and incense for sale in the Muslim marketplace - Frankincense and Myrrh.

Beautiful mosaic wall in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City, near the Western Wall.

These adorable kids were having a party at the Western Wall. We were there on Thursday when there are lots of Bar Mitzvahs being celebrated with singing and music.

A 50:1 scale model of Jerusalem during the Second Temple period 2000 years ago. It was fascinating.
Incredible pastries and other delicious food for sale in a Jewish market outside the Old City.

We got a big kick out these yarmulkes with sidelock-extensions already attached!

It was a wonderful trip - thanks for letting me share it with you! - Mom

Now...does anyone know how to housebreak a camel???