Exploring Jerusalem

Today, the participants of the current Israel/Palestine/Jordan trip had a free day to explore Jerusalem.

Beforehand, there were ideas to take public transportation to the Mount of Olives and then take a leisurely walk through the Garden of Gethsemane towards the Old City of Jerusalem. This idea appealed to most participants, so after a delicious typical breakfast, we headed towards the bus station.

The hotel is not far away, and it didn't take long to find the right bus. The ride to the Mount of Olives didn't take long, but it saved us some altitude.

Once there, we followed the crowds of tourists (yes, it's quite busy here) and first visited the last footprint of Christ in the Chapel of the Ascension. The Chapel of the Ascension is located on the highest point of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, east of the Old City. It is believed to be the place from where Jesus ascended to heaven.

Next, our path led us to the Pater Noster Church on the Mount of Olives. Here, the Lord's Prayer is written in 140 languages on the walls. Honestly, the line was too long for us, so we enjoyed the view from the terrace and took some photos. The church is said to have been built on the spot where Jesus taught his disciples the Lord's Prayer.

We then continued our journey down many flights of stairs towards the Garden of Gethsemane. We initially passed by the entrance and visited an observation deck. The path we had just taken led us back down almost to the level of the Mount of Olives, passing through a cemetery with newer graves. We took some beautiful photos, snapped selfies overlooking the Old City of Jerusalem, and then entered the Garden of Gethsemane through the impressive entrance facade of the Church of All Nations.

By now, our group had spread out a bit, as there were slower runners, faster runners, photographers, and the group composition almost naturally formed.

After visiting the Church of All Nations, we went to the Tomb of Mary. Again, countless people were there - tourists, photographers, believers - all mixing together, and you could see various forms of faith.

Next, we made the short ascent to Lions Gate, one of the gates of the Old City of Jerusalem.

We let ourselves wander through the Old City, grabbing snacks or having freshly squeezed lemon juice - and simply enjoying the experience.

One of our group's fixed points of the day followed, and we met at the Austrian Hospice. A fantastic event venue, a spot was reserved for us, and we were greeted with a warm "welcome." Here, we finally had the opportunity to enjoy the promised Sachertorte, which was denied to us on the last trip to Vienna. Today, in the Austrian café in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem, the coveted cake was available and just right for the afternoon. When local geocachers and the reviewer responsible for all of Israel also showed up, the day was perfect.

We are exploring as geocachers in a very historically significant country. And whatever one may believe - this day in Jerusalem was truly impressive.