We were not expected to meet Mariana until 10:00, so we eased into the day. Yawn…stretch…roll over. Dan and I slept for 10 hours straight so headed into the day refreshed. Good thing because we needed to be fortified for some more day-drinking. Grin.

Our driver, Armando, delivered us and Mariana to Mercado do Livramento, a colorful, vibrant, impeccably clean indoor market in the town of Setúbal, about 45 minutes outside of Lisbon. A beautiful blue and white tile mural ran from one side of the back wall to the other. The floor was black and white stone cobbles. We were there to meet our private chef for the day, Arturo, and his wife. After asking us a few questions about our food preferences we headed in to shop. We were all taken with how clean and spacious the market was. On offer were all sorts of fish to include long, skinny scabbard fish, live conch in the shell, live eels, and a ginormous swordfish head (with sword attached) and body which was being filleted as the orders came in. There were also stalls for bread, flowers, meat, cheese, fruit, and jams. We saw tomato jam and pumpkin jam which we were told were the best choices for cheese toppers.

It was a short walk from the market to Arturo’s charming, large, ultra-modern kitchen: Turyca Personal Chef. The contemporary table was set with placemats, cloth napkins, chairs of different designs, and the chef’s grandmother’s dishes and glassware. A mix of old and new. Once we finished gushing about the charm of the kitchen, wine was poured and aprons with button-on towels were distributed. A not-so-subtle message that we were expected to help, which we were excited to do. By we I mean primarily Emily who was singled out from the start as the number one sous chef, but we all participated except Dan who focused on cheering us on. We started by blanching raw almonds that we later pan fried and roasted resulting in The Best almonds I have ever eaten. We sampled yellow lupini beans, a cocktail treat, and were instructed on how to pierce the skin and suck out the tender inside. Next was fabulous homemade goose liver pate served with toasted bread so thin it had to be cut with a meat slicer. My main contribution to the feast was cheerleading and taking the innards out of two dozen quail eggs. Matt, pleased with his proficiency, was on teams custard and steak. Murf and Josie shelled all the shrimp; Josie also cleaned mushrooms; Murf mastered quail eggs with me. Throughout Emily helped prepare the grouper and roasted tomatoes, and she was schooled on skinning persimmons. We ate, drank, laughed, and cooked and then ate, drank, laughed, and cooked some more until it was 4:00 o’clock, a full two hours passed time to leave.

After a quick stop at LX Factory to check out a few of the trendy shops, we headed back to the hotel to rest up for our evening out, which, of course, involved More Food and Wine!

Our guide for the evening, Diogo, picked us up at the hotel at 7:00 o’clock for the short stroll to Mouraria, an old neighborhood known for authentic Fado, the national music style of Portugal. We went to Maria da Mouraria Restaurant and Bar, the home of a popular Fado singer. The living room had been converted into an intimate dining room that accommodates 30 diners tops. No sooner were we seated than food started arriving. The menu had been prearranged, so we enjoyed a wonderful variety of delicious dishes. At 9:00 o’clock two guitarists strolled out with their instruments and took seats in the middle of the room. One played the complicated 12-string Portuguese guitar and the other a 6-string. Then the singer walked in and began to sing four mournful tunes. Diogo commented that the singer had a raspy liquor and cigarette kind of voice which is popular on the streets. The musicians retired and the next course was served. Soon the guitarists were back accompanied by a lady singer who did four melancholy numbers before taking her leave. More food! believe it or not and then the owner did a set. Even to the untrained ear, he was the best of the three. We really enjoyed it without understanding a word. We just assumed they were singing about the traditional themes of life at sea, waiting and worrying spouses, poverty, and fate—themes made popular from Fado’s beginnings in the 1820s. We somehow made room for dessert and coffee and then headed back to the hotel. The guitarists were scheduled to do a final set, which was tempting because they played beautifully, but it was after 11:00 o’clock by then, so we decided to start our walk back to the hotel knowing we had an early start tomorrow.

What a full, fun, food-and-libation packed day! In spite of full bellies, we all fell into bed looking forward to more adventures.

… Tell Me More …

The 10.5 mile long Vasco da Gama Bridge over the Tagus River in Lisbon
is the second longest bridge in Europe.

The world record for the largest dining table: 15,000 people were served lunch on the Vasco da Gama Bridge as part of the inauguration celebrations in 1998.

Lisbon’s trams were originally called “americanos.”

Explorers Ferdinand Magellan and Vasco da Gama were Portuguese.
Christopher Columbus was not.

The ukulele was developed by Portuguese immigrants in Hawaii.

 

Matt, Emily, Murphy, and Josie planned to be with us Thanksgiving week. On a whim Murphy proposed we take the holiday on the road! Why not Portugal since none of us had explored it? Decision made. Murphy worked tirelessly with Jim at CultureXplorers to map out our holiday week. Itineraries in hand, we were all anxious to get going.

Murphy and Josie arrived in Lisbon Friday morning and Matt and Emily Friday evening. They had met at the hotel and were busy organizing their first night in country before we even left home.

In spite of a two hour delay getting out of Reagan National, we made it to Newark in time for our connection. We even managed a quick dinner at Classified, United’s new by-invitation-only restaurant at the airport. To get there we entered a specified restaurant and asked to be shown to Classified. We were escorted through a special door in the back, down a hallway painted black with perpendicular tube lights, took a turn, and then entered the special restaurant with huge windows overlooking the flight line. I felt like I was being shown to a speakeasy back in the day. Our meal was delicious. 

With dinner taken care of I reclined in my seat as soon as the plane was off the ground and slept until an hour before landing. A beautiful red sunrise welcomed us to Portugal. That and a sea of red roofs and white and pastel buildings. At 3:00 AM Virginia time we landed in Lisbon and set our watches ahead five hours. We beat the crowd to immigration, breezed through customs, and met our driver for the ride to the hotel. Murphy and Jim chose the 42-room Memmo Alfama for our three nights in Lisbon. It’s the first boutique hotel in it’s historic area and a real charmer!

No sooner had we arrived at the hotel than we met our four charming travel companions and our guide, Mariana, for a walking tour of two of Lisbon’s most iconic neighborhoods. First up was Alfama. Historically Alfama was situated outside of the city walls and was associated with poverty and squalor. Even as Lisbon grew into a major seafaring city, the district retained its lowly status where sailors and dock workers lived. Today, Alfama has shrugged off this grim reputation and been transformed into a fashionable and artistic district. The labyrinth of narrow alleys and side streets, tile fronted buildings, small plazas, cobbled streets, old churches, street art, tile mosaics, charming streetcars, and panoramic views combine to make it a popular place to live, work, and play. Mariana explained the history and guided us up, down, and around.

The other district we explored was a true contrast: Baixa. An earthquake in 1755 completely destroyed it. City planners decided not to replicated what was there before but to layout its replacement in a modern grid plan. Quite revolutionary at the time. A complete contrast to Alfama, it has five main plazas, wide streets, large buildings, and busy pedestrian-only shopping streets. 

Food a plenty was offered throughout the tour. We enjoyed sparkling green white wine. Green references the grapes being harvested early, by the way, not the color of the wine. Served with that was Portuguese chorizo cooked by the heat of flaming grappa. This required a special ceramic dish that cradled the meat over the flaming liquor. Next stop offered generous charcuterie boards of meats, cheeses, marmalade, bread, olives, and jam all washed down with red wine. Takeaway pork sandwich were delicious like everything else. We ladies opted out because we were saving ourselves for the treat of the day: Portugal’s iconic pastel de nata (and coffee) which we savored to the last morsel. Last but not least was a quick stop for a generous shot of ginja—a delicious, potent, sweet cherry liqueur—at a tiny takeaway shop. It was fun to try all the food and drinks and really interesting to visit the shops and meet the shop owners. Some were real characters who seemed to enjoy us as much as we enjoyed them.

Our day ended with a private river cruise on a traditional Portuguese boat that used to be used for transporting people and produce back and forth across the river. The owner of the boat obviously takes great pride in keeping his boat meticulously maintained and painted with traditional floral designs. He is an artist as well as a sailor, so he does all the decorative painting himself. Rain threatened all day, but by evening the skies were clear and the sunset and views of the 25th of April Bridge, Christ the Redeemer statue, and city lights beautiful. We enjoyed more cheese and cured meats but this time accompanied by cashews, fresh currents, crackers, breadsticks, chocolate, and gooseberries. All washed down with wine.

Dan, Emily, and I decided to call it a day after the cruise and settled in for a quiet night. Murphy, Josie, and Matt went off on foot to find a light dinner. We all agreed we’d had a fabulous day one. Thank you Murphy (and Jim)!

… Inquiring Minds Want to Know …

The currency here is the Euro.
1 Euro = $1.11 / $1.00 = .90 Euro

Lisbon is home to the oldest bookstore still in operation in the world as well as the smallest bookshop in the world.
At four square meters, the mini-shop can accommodate one shopper at a time.

The central tank of the Lisbon Oceanarium is the largest indoor aquarium in Europe.

Lisbon is the oldest city in Western Europe.
It existed long before Paris, London and even Rome.

Lisbon is the second oldest European capital after Athens.

What are we….crazy? Our connecting flight to Frankfurt was at 2:30 In The Morning! We enjoyed our beautiful room at the Intercontinental for a couple hours after the farewell dinner concluded and then rallied with four others in the lobby for the drive to the airport. Middle-of-the-night flights out of Jordan must be in vogue because the airport was definitely busy although obviously not operating at peak.

Our all-seats-taken flight took off right on time. I settled into my window seat and dozed off before the plane even left the ground. Just shy of five hours later we landed in Frankfurt looking like weary travels for sure but feeling a bit refreshed. We found the lounge and settled in for a five-hour layover. I couldn’t resist complementing a man sitting near me on how fresh he smelled. He said I could smell like soap and water too simply by signing up to use one of the shower rooms. He didn’t have to tell me twice. Dan and I each got a buzzer and waited our turn. Soap, shampoo, towel, and bathmat included. Clean and refreshed we were in the mood for breakfast.

Our Dulles-bound flight left on time. Nine hours, two meals, one nap, and three movies later we landed, zipped through immigration (thanks to Global Entry), grabbed our bags and headed home. We walked in the door mid-afternoon almost exactly 24 hours after leaving the Intercontinental.

 

 

Wadi Rum lies in the far south of Jordan on a high plateau at the western edge of the Arabian desert. Gargantuan rock formations and wind-sculpted mountains + pastel-colored sand dunes = dramatic effect. Stone Age petroglyphs mix nicely with camel rides, seasonal glamping sites, and rides on old trains running on tracks dating back to the Arab revolt against the Turks. This red-rock wilderness was the location for lots of films including Lawrence of Arabia (winner of seven Academy Awards), the Martian, Prometheus, Aladdin, and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

We explored the beautiful moonscape in the bed of a six-man Toyota four-by-four truck. We made a brief stop for a demonstration of how a particular unassuming plant could be smashed on a rock and then rubbed between the hands to make a form of soap. No rinsing required. We saw petroglyphs, small camel caravans, and simple sculptures of King Hussein and Thomas Edward Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia).

To fortify ourselves until lunch, we stopped at a long, narrow Bedouin tent made from metal supports and goat hair blankets. There were thin rugs on the sand floor with an area set aside at the far end for prayers. Abdullah gave us a detailed explanation of how the traditional cardamon-laced coffee is prepared starting with roasting beans over an open fire. He showed us both a wood and a metal vessel used to grind them once roasted. Next comes boiling the brew in a cute pot with a long, graceful spout and finally the addition of cardamom. He went on to explain how ingrained coffee is in hospitality rituals. When offered, you graciously take a cup, which holds about four ounces but will be filled only halfway, and basically toss it back. The host will not offer others coffee until you have had your fill, which will not exceed three mini-cups. An indication to the host that it is OK to move to the next guest is a slight wiggle of the cup. With all this buildup you can imagine we were pretty excited to give this treat a try. As if on cue along came a man in a flowing robe with a tray chock full of mini-mugs of TEA! Say what?

Being denied coffee might have been a disappointment but, lunch was certainly not. We were treated to a meal cooked below ground in a round, metal-lined oven. Coals at the bottom of the pit provided the heat. The chef waited until we arrived at the dining camp to remove our meal from the ground. First a little mound of sand was scrapped off a large metal lid. Once the piping hot lid was tossed aside, a three-tiered rack, at least three feet tall, full of food was gingerly lifted out of the ground. The top two racks had lamb, chicken, and vegetables and the bottom rack had a pot of rice. Clever! 

After lunch we headed back to the bus for our four-hour trip into Amman. Abdullah shared information about Jordanian customs and answered our questions on topics still lingering after our four days together. We all enjoyed the story of his dad who took a second wife once it was certain that he could not have children with his first wife. Abdullah is the last of eight children by wife number two and, unmarried at 36, still lives at home with his two moms. He explained that a man may not take another wife until each can be treated the same. One gets a car, they all get a car. One gets to travel, they all get to travel. One gets a cell phone, they all get a cell phone.

Dating as we know it is not allowed in traditional Jordanian families Abdullah explained. A man and woman can meet over tea or coffee or take a stroll, but once there is a glimpse of chemistry the families must meet casually to suss out the character of the love interest and his or her family. If this step goes well, the couple can see one another. Sometime during the courtship, dowry to be given to the bride and divorce money for the bride must be discussed. Engagements are typically a year long. The groom foots the bill for the wedding.

We covered other topics too: the inordinate amount of trash, especially plastic, everywhere; the Five Pillars of Islam that every Muslim must satisfy in order to live a good and responsible life; exports; mining; and the confusion between religious teachings and the obscure cultural practices that sometimes make the international news.

With one potty stop, a little shut eye, and the stimulating commentary the drive to Amman passed quickly. We settled into our beautiful room at the InterContinental and then freshened up for our farewell dinner in the hotel. Our delicious meal resembled many others with a bevy of starters and then delicious main courses and desserts. It ended with our group saying goodbye and wishing each other safe travels.

… Tell Me More …

Wadi Rum is second only to Petra as the main attraction in Jordan.

Wadi Rum gets less than an inch of rain a year.

Wadi in Arabic means valley, ravine, or channel that is dry except in the rainy season. Rum means mountain.

Turkey’s Ottoman Empire ruled Jordan from 1516 to 1916.
England helped the Arabs get their independence from the Ottomans.
The revolt started in Wadi Rum with help from, among others, Lawrence of Arabia, a British archeologist.

Approximately two percent of the Jordanian population is Bedouin.
They have a summer camp and a winter camp on land that they own.

Word for the day: Nabataean.

Petra, two square miles in size, was the capital of the Nabataean Empire. It was through their influence, hard work, ingenuity, and business savvy that Petra prospered. The Roman Empire annexed the city early in the second century AD and added their imprint. At its peak, Petra was home to upwards of 30,000 people with temples, theatres, gardens, tombs, villas, and baths. Until a Swiss explorer rediscovered it in 1812, it had been forgotten for centuries. The last residents were Bedouins making their homes in the numerous caves. They were involuntarily resettled as late as 1985 when UNESCO designated the site.

Before coming I’d read that parts of this remarkable city hand-sculpted into sandstone mountainsides remain remarkably preserved while others have been ravaged to various degrees by wind, weather, and floods. We were excited to see for ourselves. Per our guide’s advice we were out the door and headed across the street at 7:00 to beat some of the crowds. A very good plan. 

We approached the ancient city on foot by the mile-long Siq Gorge, a narrow, winding passageway at times no wider than six feet with red and pink rock faces on either side as high as a four-story building. It is paved with original, huge rocks in some places and a new smooth surface in others. Parts of the original dam system and water channels are clearly visible. At the end of the Siq, as promised, stood one Petra’s top three or four most extraordinary monuments, the towering Treasury building (a tomb) that rises over 130 feet. This iconic structure, the centerpiece of most promotional material, was carved into the face of a towering sandstone wall. The carvers worked from top to bottom.

We were taken with the size of the Treasury and how well preserved it is. After drinking it all in we walked at a slow pace another mile and a half with something new to see at every turn: a partially columned Roman thoroughfare; numerous caves, small and large;  an amphitheater; tombs stacked up the side of a hill; small and large monuments; and Roman roads.

There were also lots of opportunities to shop along the way. One of my three favorites was a man that looked like a character in Pirates of the Caribbean demonstrating the difference between a poor excuse for kohl and the real deal: Jordanian kohl. Marguerite van Geldermalsen was manning her own stall where she sold her book, Married to a Bedouin, which tells how she, a New Zealand-born nurse, came to be married to a Bedouin souvenir-seller from Petra. My third favorite stall sold three dozen kinds of frankincense from various places.

Slowly walking the Siq and the following mile and a half, a zillion pictures, shopping, and gasping filled the morning. We enjoyed a buffet lunch in the ancient city at a small hotel  with an outdoor restaurant and nice restrooms. After lunch we had the choice of lingering, returning to the hotel, hiking some of the trails, or going up 850 steps to see the largest monument, the Monastery. Sandy, Alan, Dan, and I chose the Monastery which, by the way, is actually a tomb. In spite of the steep climb, uneven path, sheer drop offs in places, heat of the day, and thoughts of coming back down the sometimes sand-slippery path, we were delighted with the reward of the stunning Monastery! Talk about delayed gratification. It makes a gal wonder if the Nabataeans meant for us to work so hard for every gorgeous view. A snack shop was across from the Monastery, so we took advantage of the perfect vantage point and enjoyed a cold drink before heading down.

Once down we slowly made our way the three miles back to the hotel thoroughly satisfied with our day. We had spent eight and a half hours exploring. According to my smart watch, we had walked 11 miles and climbed 47 flights of stairs!

Dinner was at Petra Kitchen where we divided into groups of seven and learned to make a traditional dish or two. My table made baba ganoush. Once everyone was done cooking, we shared the meal and then went back to the hotel and crashed!

Today was my favorite day of the trip. There were a lot of close seconds, but this was my number one. 

… For What it’s Worth …

The late afternoon sun turns Petra a deep pink.

Petra mean rock.

For those uninterested in or unable to walk, there are
horse-drawn carts and mules for hire.

Way back in the day, an estimated 11,000 camels were required
to handle just the yearly trade in frankincense.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusaders, countless music videos, and at least
a dozen video games have used Petra as a centerpiece.

After breakfast on the patio of our luxurious surroundings overlooking the mountains, we said goodbye to our oasis by the sea and boarded the bus for more culture overload.

We drove into what seemed like a no man’s land. Parched. Bare. Bedouin shanties cobbled together on patches of arid land dotted the landscape, some with a car, dog, donkey, horse, or camel. Trash and debris were everywhere along the well-maintained highway! Where the landscape permitted, we passed sheep with their herders, fields, produce stands, and wind turbines. We had Wifi on the bus, so it was fun to use a map app to see where we were at all time.

I loved our first stop, Bethany, situated on the eastern bank of the River Jordan, five and a half miles north of the Dead Sea. In the middle on nowhere, it is universally accepted as the site of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist. Stunning, modern pilgrimage churches are starting to sprout up in the area, but not so many that the mood and solitude are spoiled. The river has receded many yards in the last 2,000 years so the site believed to be where the actual baptism took place is totally dry. Ruins of a small pilgrimage chapel and mosaics commemorate the site as well as the Pope’s visit. We walked down to the river and were surprised to find an armed guard whose job it was to see that people on the Israeli side of the river, literally yards away, do not enter Jordan illegally. Steps on both sides of the river make getting into the water easy, but we came unprepared not to mention short on time, so we had to make due with dipping our hands in the River Jordan.

Next stop: Mt. Nebo, where Moses saw the promised landed for the first time and where he spent the last days of his life. The site had expansive views of the Jordan Valley and the Dead Sea. Three things were memorable about the stop. The first was an ultra-modern, sleek church housing mosaics uncovered from archaeological digs dating back to the 6th century AD. The main mosaic illustrates the process of winemaking and has images of hunters and animals. Outside there is a modern metal sculpture of the Serpentine Cross, a symbolic combination of the bronze serpent created by Moses winding its way up Jesus’ cross. Its effect is dramatic because its location on the mountain top allows a huge expanse of sky as a backdrop. Lastly there is a new stone monument with a profile of Moses near the entrance. At a glance it looks like a large piece of rock, but then his profile comes into focus.

In preparation for our last stop, we took a quick tour of a mosaic workshop / handicraft center where the ancient art is being taught and practiced. It was instantly clear that it’s no cakewalk to make one, especially a large one. Surprise: they are created upside down. We also saw the process for making faux-mosaic pieces out of clay, now quite popular, and we were introduced to the idea of decorating ostrich eggs with microdots of color. I was determined to choose a small mosaic and an egg but I ran out of time and left empty handed.

The Madaba Map, also known as the Madaba Mosaic Map, was the highlight of our last stop of the day. It’s part of a floor mosaic in Madaba’s Byzantine church, Saint George’s. Crafted in 560 AD, the map has 157 Greek captions depicting all the major biblical sites from Egypt to Palestine. It originally contained more than two million pieces and was somewhere between 49 and 82 feet long and 20 feet wide. Although much of the mosaic has been lost, enough remains to sense the complexity of the ancient floor. Part of it contains the oldest surviving original cartographic depiction of the Holy Land and especially Jerusalem.

The sun, low on the horizon, created a stunning red and yellow sunset as we headed to our hotel in Petra.

…  SO WHAT …

$1.00 = .71 Jordanian Dinar (JOD or JD) / 1 JOD = $1.41

Jordan’s national animal is the Arabian ibex. (We did not see any.)

The national bird is the Sinai rose finch. (We did not see any.)

Arabic is read right to left unlike English which is read left to right.

Unlike Israel, there is separation of church and state in Jordan.

 

 

 

Our day started with a float in the Dead Sea. We literally bobbed like corks and left super relaxed and wishing for more! We followed the posted instructions to the letter of the law. Float for 10 minutes. Coat entire body with mineral-rich mud (provided). Let mud dry for 15 minutes. Float for an additional 15 minutes allowing the mud to dissolve. Scrub with sea salt (provided), so your entire body feels like a baby’s bottom. Rinse. 

We could not go for round two in the Dead Sea, because we had two sites to visit before sunset at 5:00 o’clock. First stop: the Amman Citadel which dates back to the Bronze Age. We drove up to sea level and then up a further 2,800 feet. Perched 400 feet above the city center of Amman on one of the city’s seven hills, the Citadel offers great views of the countless white buildings stacked on the hillsides in the distance. A sea of white. In the distance we could see towering over the city what used to be the tallest freestanding flag in the world. (It is now the second tallest.) Flocks of domesticated doves circled over the city. Besides the ruins of a number of once-impressive buildings we particularly enjoyed the great view of the 6,000 seat amphitheater which the Romans built into the hillside. An impressive 250,000 gallon circular cistern was intact as well as a square stone meeting hall. The impressive thing about the meeting hall is the domed roof, metal on the outside and wood on the inside. Domes on square buildings were not easy to construct back in the day. Our new word for the day: pendentive, a triangular piece built into a domed ceiling above each corner of a square building. They stabilize a round dome on a square frame. Chew on that for awhile. The ceiling was beautiful. In contrast to this sophisticated architectural were burial caves. 

Before leaving the area we took a a quick look inside the archeology museum which houses rare artifacts found in and around Amman over the years. There were lots of cool things, but three caught my eye: adult-size baked-clay coffins; two rare headless pottery figures dating back to the second century AD showing a pregnant woman and a woman giving birth; and an infant buried in a jar. Archeologists believe that burial jars were commonly placed under the floor of the home to keep the child close to the family.

After another wonderful noon meal we went to Jerash. There are Roman ruins and then there are These Roman Ruins! We were all taken off guard. Founded by the soldiers of Alexander the Great during the 4th century BC, Jerash blossomed into a prosperous community known for its caravan trade, agriculture, and mining. By 150 AD the citizens were spending lavishly on homes, churches, hot and cold baths, a forum and stadium, temples, and monuments. After being hidden in the sand for centuries, it is now considered by many to be one of the best-preserved Roman provincial cities outside of Italy. Hadrian’s Arch, built in 129 AD in honor of the emperor’s visit, is in wonderful shape. The hippodrome, with a capacity of 15,000, is amazing but not as eye catching as the huge circular forum with its 56 intact columns. Main thoroughfares are still paved with original stones, some rutted by chariots, and lined with columns. The theatre is in great shape too. It was fun to visit the butcher shop where the stone table legs and table top remain where they have been for centuries. We explored as long as we could and enjoyed the soft evening light on all the stone as we headed for the exit.

Our wonderful day ended on the patio at the hotel having dinner next to one of the pools with the moon and Dead Sea as a backdrop. A couple of cats were at our feet quietly asking for a nibble here and there.

… So What … 

In Roman times Amman was known as Philadelphia. I kid you not!

There is 8% more oxygen at the Dead Sea than at sea level. Again, no joke.

Jordan is 70% desert.

Men can have four wives.

The national flower is the black iris.

 

 

While we were sleeping the NATS WON THE WORLD SERIES! I don’t follow baseball but even I can appreciate what a wonderful surprise that is for the team and Washington DC.

Happy Halloween everyone! While you are trying to stay out of the candy you bought ahead of time or running out to replenish what you promised yourself you’d not eat, we were exploring the cliff-top fortress of Masada.

What a day! I saw two things that in my wildest dreams I never imagined seeing. We traveled through the Judean desert to the clifftop fortress of Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We took a 65-passenger cable car to the top of this large, barren plateau famous for being the Jews’ last stronghold against the Romans.

In a nutshell here’s the story. Recognizing the defensive advantages of Masada Herod the Great, King of Judea, (who ruled from 37 to 4 B.C.) originally built Masada as a winter escape and as a haven from enemies. He built an elaborate three level castle on the side of the mountain, massive storerooms, cisterns, baths, and a defensive wall. Years after Herod’s death, the Romans built a garrison at Masada which they eventually abandoned. When the Great Revolt of the Jews against the Romans broke out in 66 A.D., a group of Jewish people took over the Masada complex. When Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 A.D., the remaining Jewish rebels joined the group at Masada and lived in Herod’s former playground.

With Jerusalem in ruins, the Romans turned their attention to defeating this last community in Judea with its 960 rebels including many women and children. A legion of 8,000 Romans built a siege wall, a massive ramp on the western side of the mountain, and eight camps surrounding the base of the mountain.

After an unsuccessful three-year siege, the Romans finally built a tower on their ramp in an attempt to take out the fortress’ wall. When it became clear to the Jews that the Romans were finally going to take Masada, they systematically took one another’s lives (it is against Jewish law to commit suicide). When the Romans finally broke through in April of 73 A.D. they realized they had been beaten after all, because to win without fighting was a humiliating defeat, especially after camping in the desert for three straight years!

I know what you are wondering: how do we know all of this? Well, two women and five children hid in the cisterns and when the coast was clear they came out and told the Jews‘ side of the story. Dan and I remembered seeing the movie by the same name years ago and now want to see it again.

Masada overlooks the Dead Sea, the other site I never dreamed of seeing. It is the lowest place on earth at 1,004 feet below sea level! We followed it for miles and miles. In some places we could see what looked like little white caps but they were actually salt. Sadly the Sea is losing ground at a rate of 39” a year which was very clear from the road. Massive sink holes are the aftermath of rain and receding flood waters melting the salt in the ground no longer covered by the sea.

Before we knew it it was time to grab lunch and head to the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge boarder crossing. Our Jordanian visas had been arranged by Gate1, but we each needed to pay 180 ILS departure tax. We said our goodbyes to Gabi, transferred our luggage to a Jordanian bus, and met our new driver.

After sunset we arrived at the five-star Kempinski Hotel Ishtar and were blown away with the magnificent property on the shore of the Dead Sea. Our enclosed balcony overlooked a couple of the nine pools as well as the sea. The moon was front and center when we looked out. Our large room had a make up station, dressing area, and Dead Sea toiletries.

The wonderful day ended with an orientation by our new guide, Abdullah,  and a delicious dinner on the property.

… Fun Facts …

Masada means ‘strong foundation’ or ‘support’ in Hebrew.

The salinity of the Dead Sea is 33.7%, almost 10 times saltier than ordinary seawater.

Jordan is the third driest country in the world.

The population of Jordan is approximately 11 million. 40% live in Amman, the capital.

90% of Jordan is Sunni Muslim and 10% is Christian.

 

Before our feet hit the floor this morning after a glorious nine hours of sleep Dan checked on game six of the World Series. Glory be…THE NATS WON! A great way to start the day.

The breakfast buffet held new surprises: baked potatoes and cheese filled phyllo. Our waiter was the second person we’ve met who immigrated from the U.S. to Israel. (A lady at the kibbutz was the first.) Our guide at the Holocaust Museum yesterday immigrated from the Netherlands and even converted to Judaism. I digress.

Today was for some the highlight of the entire tour because of our visit to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Christian Quarter of the Old City. The church, considered to be the holiest Christian site in the world, is believed to encompass the sites where Jesus was crucified, anointed with oils in preparation for burial, buried, and resurrected. We were so very lucky because when we got there the crowds were small and the lines very short. For those with enough time to wait their turn, it is possible to touch the rock where the crucifixion took place, to touch the stone Jesus’ body was moved to after he died,  and also to go inside a tiny chapel to see his grave. 

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher has been remodeled, added on to, damaged, and repaired countless times over the centuries with different Christian denominations having a say about one thing or the next. The overall effect of this is a surprise around every corner with contradictory design and decorations at every turn. Near one chapel there were thousands of small crosses of various designs that pilgrims had etched into the stone walls. One small alcove commemorated the place Jesus’ cross was believed to have been dropped haphazardly into a cistern. The Greek Orthodox Church has custody of the three most revered areas in the church, so the look is very ornate and colorful with life size silver figures of the two Marys and Jesus on the cross, lots of gold lanterns dangling from the ceiling, beautiful mosaics, ornate ceilings, enormous candles, and beautiful floors.

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher is within view of the Mount of Olives where Jesus slept the last week of his life and adjacent to Temple Mount which for thousands of years has been venerated as a holy site in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam alike.

Our special morning was followed by a special afternoon. We went off the grid by going into the West Bank to visit two cousins of a man Dan works with. Cousin Sam picked us up at the hotel and kept us fully occupied with his colorful dialogue for the hour it took us to get to the West Bank checkpoint and into Ramallah. We heard about his 10 years in Chicago where he owned a Philly cheese steak restaurant that he named Chicago Cheese Steak. He delivered us to Cousin Ibrahim in Beituna who gave us a quick tour of his town and then treated us to a monster lunch. Before the main course was served we enjoyed flying-saucer-size flat bread, 12 starters, and a giant fish platter! Dan ordered fish for his entree and got the entire fish, head, tail, and all. Alan decided to go light and order what he was told were little sardine-sized fish. He got, for real, 19 of them. Sandy and I had shrimp. All of this was followed by Iraqi tea and a small (thank goodness!) dessert. Sam and Ibrahim’s warm hospitality was so kind and made for a memorable afternoon.

We left lunch at 4:00, finished our tour, drove back to Jerusalem, and went straight to our farewell-to-Israel dinner at the rooftop restaurant at Notre Dame de France. We were without food in our mouths for three entire hours tops! 

… Fun Facts …

The average Israeli citizen pays 35% income tax. The highest tax bracket is 50%. 

The sales tax (vat) is 17%. 

Jews worldwide can get immediately citizenship here if they can prove Hebrew ancestry for three generations. The actual practice of Judaism is not necessary.
Dual citizenship is allowed. 

The population has grown so quickly that there is now a hospital shortage in Israel.

The current retirement age is 64 for women and 67 for men.
The expectation is these will rise in the near future.

For the third day in a row Dan had a tuna fish sandwich for breakfast. I enjoyed a banana and oatmeal smothered in candied pecans. The surprises on the buffet line this morning were fried noodles, a bowl of roasted garlic, and dauphinoise potatoes. 

Our morning started with a ride further into the slick modern part of town. Tall buildings with clean lines were built of the same cream colored stone as the Old City. I’m not sure if it is sandstone, limestone, or something else, but it is referred to as Jerusalem stone. Hills are the predominate landscape here, so there were always pretty vistas. The wide streets allow plenty of room for the tram. We were headed to Mount Herzl on the west side of the city. We passed the national military cemetery where, Gabi commented, way too many young people are buried. Victims of Israel’s many conflicts. Our destination was Yad Vashem where we visited the Holocaust History Museum. 

We had an hour and half to appreciate this wonderful tribute to those murdered in the Holocaust. The museum, made of cold concrete, was designed to be austere with just enough light coming in from the top to give hope. Our guide did a terrific job of explaining the hows and whys of the rise of the Nazi party and touched on the apathy of the majority of Germans who did not participate in the election that gave Hitler enough votes to become chancellor. We were challenged to consider the possibility that the residents in locations where Jews were persecuted might be partially culpable for this mass destruction by their silent cooperation and in some cases participation. Countries who refused Jews desperate to flee Europe might also consider sharing some of the shame. In no way was our guide a fan of Hitler, nor did he speak in his favor, he just suggested we might take a wider view of how an unlikely situation got unimaginably out of hand.

Our guide explained that a main focus of the museum is putting faces and stories to names. A round number of those slaughtered comes off as an atrocious statistic, but faces, stories, hometowns, ages, and family histories honor those lost and make the tragedy a little more real, a whole lot more tragic. The last exhibit in the museum is a giant lampshade-shaped ceiling filled with pictures of individual men, women, and children. This corridor leads to a room with a computer bank where descendants and friends can read about those lost as well as register a story from their family’s history.

There is an Avenue of the Righteous on the grounds of Yad Vashem that honors Christians who helped Jews during the dark time of the Holocaust. We did not have time to check it out, but what a wonderful idea!

After the sobering overview of those lost to the Holocaust, we went to the Israel Museum for two spectacular happy things. The more spectacular was the Shrine of the Book, a small museum built as a repository for the first seven Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at Qumran in 1947. The unique white dome of the museum looks a bit like the top of a tagine but actually embodies the lids of the jars in which the first scrolls were found. 

The second fun thing was the remarkable scale model of ancient Jerusalem as it was in 66 AD. It clearly demonstrates how the temple completely overshadowed the entire city. It was said that it took 10 men to hug one of the gigantic columns inside the walls of the temple. It was fun to locate the gates we have already come in and out of. We also traced the stations of the cross on what is now Via Dolorosa.

A late lunch in the form of a tasting tour ended the official part of the day. Chef Iris met our group at the bustling Machane Yehuda Market where she took us to some of her favorite food stalls where we sampled everything from bread to juice to imported cheese and butter to the best ever chocolate rugelach. I saw an etrog for the first time. Think lemon with bad skin.

Sandy and Alan invited us to join them for tea at the 100 year old American Colony Hotel. We decided if it was good enough for Lawrence of Arabia, Winston Churchill, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Gere then it was good enough for us. We explored the beautiful grounds and then settled in for tea sandwiches, scones, and fresh figs with whipped cream.

… Trivia …

Constantine legalized Christianity in 313 AD.