קק Even though this is my fourth time in Israel I really haven't seen as much of the country as I would have liked. When I am here I usually only spend time with family, visit elderly relatives and get fattened up. But this time I was in travel mode, and I took some time to see more of the country. Israel is so small almost everything is reacheable as a day trip from Jerusalem – very convenient. And the gorgeous weather was a very welcome break from European winter.

Nazareth
Apparently these are the remain of the house the holy family lived in. I wonder how they go about identifying it after 2000 years?



River Jordan

John the Baptist baptised Jesus in this river. This is not the exact site, but you can still clease yourself of your sins by taking a dip. There is a conveniently located souvenir shop nearby where you can rent/buy a shroud.



Sea of Galillee

The site of Jesus' first ministry and where he recruited his first apostles. This church is meant to be built over the spot where he fed 5000 people by miraculously mutiplying fish and bread.





Masada

The fortress of Masada was the the last Jewish resistance holding out against the Romans. Despite its seemingly unassailable position on top of a isolated cliff, the Romans managed to take it; I am glad I had a guide here because the story of how they managed to do it is absolutely fascinating. Once they knew they faced certain defeat, the rebels chose mass suicide rather than surrender.



Dead Sea

The lowest, saltiest place on Earth, meant to have good mudbaths. Need I say more?



Jerusalem

I never get bored of coming to Jerusalem's Old City. It's amazing how much history can be encapsulated by such a small space, and how significant it is to the world's major religions. It also says so much about the relationship between Jews, Muslims and Christians even today - a city divided into 4 distinct quarters so that God forbid a Jew wouldn't have to live next to a Muslim.