Jerusalem: Seeing Jerusalem was one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had in my life. We walked through the Muslim, Jewish and Christian Quarters, walked the Via Dolorosa, visited the Wailing Wall where I was lucky enough to go in and leave a note in the wall (see above). I also got to see a panoramic view of the city of Jerusalem (both the old and new city). It was a breathtaking experience that I will hold in my heart forever.
Masada& The Dead Sea: What a cool day!! The story of Masada goes as the Romans versus the Jews and all the men had to kill their families (wives and children) until there were ten men left. They knew the Romans were coming so they drew who would kill the nine men then themselves. By the time the Romans got there, everyone on Masada was dead. Their choice was either death or slavery: as you can tell by the story, they chose death. When going to The Dead Sea all I have to say is this: It was very cool to float on the water and be able to have a natural mud bath and exfoliate but it is a once in a lifetime thing which I will probably never do again.
Ceasarea, Haifa, Acre, Rosh Hanikra: These are 4 different cities in Israel, each of their own beauty but Rosh Hanikra was by far the most incredible place for one reason: it was the border between Lebanon and Israel. All you see are watch towers looking over to the Lebanese side and gates with security points where no Israeli citizen is to pass and no person with an Israel stamp on their passport was to be allowed access to. It was crazy to see the actual tensions between countries become visible to the point where you yourself were hesitant in as to why you were standing there because you could be placing your life at risk.
Tel Aviv/Jaffa: This is where we stayed in Israel. Just down the beach was the city of Jaffa: one of the oldest cities in Israel with one of the oldest ports in the world!! We got to enjoy the Mediterranean Sea, the sun, the sand, the shopping and the beautiful sunsets while we were there!
Bethlehem: The city of Bethlehem was one of the scariest yet coolest experiences I was able to have. When going into this city it is on Palestinian land so signs are everywhere stating: “No Israeli Citizens.” I know I am not a citizen but the fact that I am Jewish scared me. Thankfully we were fine! We got to see the Church of Nativity (where Jesus himself was born). It was a really cool experience and we learned about the Jerusalem Cross which is a cross with 5 points on it.
The Yad Vashem: The Holocaust Memorial was something I have always wanted to do. It is one of the two things relating to the Holocaust, the other being to visit a concentration camp. It was very touching and emotional to hear stories first hand of one’s experiences. Just walking through there made me realize how lucky I truly am!
The City of David: The Jews true homeland. It consisted of many underground tunnels where they fought in the Jewish War. It was an awesome experience and we got the chance to walk through these tunnels and learn the stories as if we were living it ourselves!
Being in Israel for 3 weeks gave us the chance to really explore and take in Israel for what it is and what this country has gone through to get where they are now.
As you can tell, I have been blessed to be able to see a lot of Israel! It was such an incredible experience! In addition to being able to see everything, we performed at the famous Tel Aviv Opera House to SOLD OUT audiences EVERY NIGHT!!
After Israel we continued on to Amsterdam and below is my Amsterdam update!!
What an incredibly beautiful city to be able to visit for a period of 3 weeks. When we left I did not want to leave! This was the place my mom and dad came to visit me for about a week.
In Amsterdam we went to the Van Gogh Museum, took a canal cruise, shopped, went to an ice bar and went to the Anne Frank House. Everything we did was incredible but the Anne Frank House was the most amazing thing I did while I was in Amsterdam!
To be able to walk through the Secret Annex, hear the stories, read pieces from her diary was breathtaking. It gave you the chance to piece together each part of her story. I had never read her diary and upon leaving her father’s office (where they hid), I went to purchase her diary and I am currently reading it. Everything I had seen when I went to the Anne Frank House I was able to put together as I read her diary page by page. It gave me the ability to fully understand what a person her age was experiencing in a great time of danger. I am very thankful her father survived the war allowing for her story to be shared with the world!! The one thing about Amsterdam that is insane is the amount of bikers they have........ Basically, THEY RULE THE ROAD!!
I can't post any because it takes hours to post the few pictures I do put up. To see pictures you can check out my facebook page!
We are now in Leige, Belgium for the week and we will be going to one more city in Belgium and another in Holland before heading off to Basel, Switzerland.
After Basel, we get to go home for thanksgiving week! I wish we had more time than a week because I will not be able to get down to Florida. Hopefully we will get our 2010 schedule soon so I can plan a trip then!!
Till next time!!
- Nicole
