Tag: History
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The Jordan River
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Another of the special places we visited was the River Jordan where Jesus was baptized. There we renewed our own baptismal vows, and one of our members who had never been baptized was. It was so renewing and inspiring. The River Jordan runs along the entire eastern border of Israel. It’s distance from…
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Mt. Zion–St. Peter in Gallicantu
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To the south of the Mt. of Olives and the city of Jerusalem is another hill: Mt. Zion. Between them lies the Kidron Valley. On the eastern slope of Mt. Zion is the Church of St. Peter in Gallicaantu. It is only a short distance from Zion Gate of the Old City. This…
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The Sea of Galilee, Capernaum, Tabgha
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The Sea of Galilee is not a sea but a freshwater lake in northeast Israel. At 656 ft. below sea level, it is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth. It is fed mainly by the Jordan River which runs through it. Much of Jesus’ ministry occurred on its shores. And…
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Mount of Olives
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The Mount of Olives is a mountain ridge about a half mile east of Jerusalem. From the top looking west, one sees views of the Holy City, while facing eastward one sees miles of the Judean Desert leading to the Dead Sea. Several holy sites are located on and around the…
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Mt. Scopus and Herodium
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There is so many archeological sites in the area that date back thousands of years. Mt Scopus stands about 2,700 ft above sea level northeast of Jerusalem. Because of its height and location, it was called Lookout Mountain. It has been a strategic location as a base to attack Jerusalem…
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Judean Desert and Biet Sahur
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While the distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem across the desert is only about 70 mile, scholars suspect that the route Mary and Joseph took was closer to ninety miles. Part of that route went through the Judean Desert. We headed to the desert before sunrise. As I looked at the…
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The Church of the Holy Sepulcher or Church of the Redeemer
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For Christians, this church the singularly most important site in Jerusalem. It dates from the fourth century CE and has been a pilgrimage site since then. According to tradition, it contains the sites of Jesus’ crucifixion and his tomb and resurrection. It has 30+ chapels and worship spaces, so we did not…
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The Land of the Holy One
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Israel Today We left for the Land of the Holy One (Israel) two weeks before the war started; little did we know at the time what lay ahead. We returned 5 days before the Hamas attack. Travel was difficult. Several of us on the flight from Seattle missed the connection to Tel…
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Trogir
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Once we were on board the boat, we spent the night and prepared to leave for Trogir in the morning if weather permitted. The engines kicked in about 5:30 a.m., and we left for Trogir before sunrise. Trogir is a small island just off the mainland of Croatia. The island/town is a UNESCO…
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Kathmandu, Nepal
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Nepal is the land of The Buddha. Kathmandu valley is not only the political but also the cultural capital of Nepal. Seven of the ten UNESCO World Heritage sites of Nepal are in Kathmandu valley, and we saw six of them. The city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places…
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Thimphu
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Thimphu is the capital of Bhutan and its largest city. It is situated on the Raidak River at an altitude varying from 7,375 ft.to 8,688 ft. Thimphu became the capital of Bhutan in 1961 during the reign of the third Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King), Jigme Dorji Wangchuck. Before that, the capital…
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Punakha
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There’s only one main highway in Bhutan. It is two lanes, narrow, and very windy, running from west to east toconnect all of the country’s major cities, including Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha. Between the cities it goes through beautiful forested country at times and rice paddies at other times. Often…
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Charlottetown
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Charlottetown, named after Queen Charlotte, is the capital of Prince Edward Island. It was the site of the Charlottetown Conference in 1864 which led to the beginning of the Canadian Federation. Because of this, the motto of the city is “Birthplace of the Confederation.” We flew into a small airport, picked…
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Anne of Green Gables
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Of course, most people who hear of PEI think of Anne of Green Gables. The island has capitalized on the coming-of-age story of an 11-year-old orphaned girl sent by mistake to the Cuthberts on Prince Edward Island in a house with Green Gables. The story relates the struggles and joys Anne experiences as…
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The Old City Of Jerusalem
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The walled Old City of Jerusalem is on a plain about 2,500 feet above sea level. The walls still stand and enclose many of the ancient sites. There are eight main gates to the city. The Old City is not only an historic place, but the center for the world’s three…
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Hex Signs
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Driving around PEI, I saw lots of barns and houses with stars, octagons, and tulips inside a circle. These are hex signs. How odd! Hex signs are said to have been brought to Pennsylvania by the Germans in the 1700s who were called Pennsylvania Dutch. Initally they were used to ward off evil spirits,…
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Acadians/Cajans
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Who are the Acadians? How are they related to the Cajans? The Acadians are French who came to “New France” during the 17th century and settled in the region called Acadia, located in what are now the Maritime Provinces of Canada.. They primarily came from the central western region of France. Being…
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The Potato
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Ever heard of Potato Fudge? Come to Prince Edward Island. The potato is one of their claims to fame. And you can taste and buy potato fudge., PEI is located north of Maine; the potato was cultivated by the Incas in Peru over 1800 years ago. How did it migrate? Spanish conquistadors are said…
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Paro
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Paro is known as the Gateway to Bhutan. Not far from the airport sits the Rinpung Dzong or Paro Dzong, a fortress monastery that watches over the Paro Valley. It is the religious and administrative center of the region. While the word “Dzong” means fortress, each dzong includes a Buddhist monastery, which…
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Bottle Houses
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A unique tourist attraction on PEI is the Bottle Houses and Gardens in Cap-Egmont. Here there is a chapel, a six gabled house, and a tavern made of recycled bottles cemented together. Over 25,000 bottles have been used to create this place surrounded by beautiful gardens and a fishpond. The serenity of the…