I'm writing this at 11:25pm Israel time, or 4:25 EST, on what is, I believe, the fifth day of our trip. I'm getting more and more behind in getting updates to you. Sorry, but this is a special trip and our days are filled to the max with special events. This place is far more amazing than I could have imagined. It is...Holy.

Again, I don't have a rolling commentary for you, but here are a whole lot of pics and some brief notes:

We begin our day on the road to the see of Galilee.

And here's what we first saw of it from our van.

This is the second look we got, again, taken from inside the van

We went to Tiberius to board a boat for a ride of the sea of galilee. Here's a store in Tiberius:

This is the place to board the boat:

This is the place from the water side.

They have local amusement: reminded me of the Pavilion in Myrtle Beach.

There were two boats docked together. Ours is in the back.

First boat, leaving.

Here we are, seated and ready to sail!
and here we go...

We pass a boat that hasn't moved in a while
    and here's how the sides got to look like they did:

I would imagine this is what Jesus sawas he looked at the sea of Galilee

Back on the road again We head now to banas where there are ruins of a roman temple.

On the way, we pass by an area still loaded with tens of thousands of explosive land mines left by the Syrians from the seven-day-war.

          That's a truck that didn't make it. This is one of the bunkers from where the Syrians shelled the Isralies before the war.

Banas - site of a B.C. temple the Romans errected to Pan that Jesus saw with his disciples. This was the place where jesus named peter as the Rock and said that the gates of Hell could not and would not preavil against the Church. Banas is also where the waters start to form the one of the tributaries that form the Jordan river. So here we go:

     This is the very spot where Jesus taught His disciples.

Back on the road, headed now to Carpernium.

We get delayed...   

On the way back we saw the Jordan river.
                                              Yes, we do have creeks in the low country that are bigger!

Welcome to... well, that's how they spell it.

By the way, we saw dozens of cats...

It's St. Peter's home place.

This is his mother-in-law's house, now underneath a church:      The home as seen from from above.

The church's Altar

This is the synagogue where Jesus said, "Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

These are the ruins of the town.

Here's an actual olive oil press.

This was lunch - it's called the "Peter Fish" Tastes like fresh-water bass.

Here's where we ate:

Next, we went to Tabgha, and a lovely church build ny Musolini to attempt to absolve his guilt:  

Did I mention that it was on this very spot that Jeszus fed the 5000? It was!

The mosaics are replicas of the original byzantine church which was on this site

 I wanted you to see this Map of galilee.

Here's why.

Then we headed to where Jesus gave the Sermon on the mount. The church on the site is the Church of the Beatitudes

It's octagnal!

And this is the exact hill where the sermon on the mount took place.

Wow!

There's so much more I could show you, but I have to go to bed. Tomorow will arrive in about six hours. I'll try to post again soon.

I'm praying for you back home! Have a blessed night!

Alleluia!