It’s amazing what you come across on top of Mountains.  We met some Israeli soldiers at the top of Mount Tabor.  Our guide Arthur struck up a conversation with them and they offered us some coffee they were brewing on a single burner camp stove.  Though not a coffee drinker, I didn’t want to appear ...read more

Switchbacks.  Those who are familiar with driving through the mountains have probably heard the term before.  A switchback is basically a zig zag road pattern that climbs a steep incline.  We encountered well over a dozen of them as our tour van snaked up Mount Tabor.  I was glad it had been a while since ...read more

If you’ve ever called Salt + Light, chances are you’ve spoken to our receptionist Ana. If you’ve ever talked to Ana for a bit, in matters not directly related to S+L, you’ll probably find out about her Chilean background. I couldn’t help thinking of her on our boat ride around the Sea of Galilee, where ...read more

  I was transported back to World Youth Day 2005 at Sunday Mass.  We were at the Benedictine Monastery in Tabgha, whichhas particular care for German Pilgrims.  The site marks what is traditionally believed to be the location of the miracle of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes – the Church there taking its name ...read more

  Rain has come up a lot thus far on our trip to the Holy Land.  It hasn’t actually rained, in fact the weather has been fantastic – sunny, in the low-to-mid twenties (Celsius), beautiful breeze.  It’s the lack of rain, during this the rainy season, that is a topic of conversation. We’re spending our ...read more

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.  And he came to her and said, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with ...read more

In Tel Aviv we came across places of worship all within the vicinity of each other – the Mosque on a corner, a Synagogue dating back to the mid-1700s tucked in the Artist’s Quarter, and St. Peter’s Catholic Church along the water front.  It was a contrast of what I had expected – somehow I ...read more

In Canada we have the Esso Tiger. Here they have Delek Dragon.  Same idea, different species.  Or is that genus? I was never good with my classification systems.  Regardless, if one imagines Israel as some kind of country stuck in ancient times – think again.  There is plenty of growth in the cities – old ...read more

After arriving from the airport we spent the next few hours touring around Tel Aviv.  It’s the economic hub of Israel, and nearly two of Israel’s seven million inhabitants call it home.  From what I understand ‘Tel’ means ‘city of ruins’ or ruins and ‘Aviv’ means spring.  It’s a city built on ruins – sprung ...read more

Balloons seem to be big in Israel – or at least for people greeting their friends and relatives at the airport. After an uneventful 11hour flight – which I found to go fairly fast – we landed safely at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion International Airport.  As we exited into the arrivals area I was surprised ...read more