Saturday, April 5, 2014

Saturday 5 April

Today is Shabbat (Sabbath) so our guide and driver have the day off and we have a free day.  But we didn't rest.
We did sleep in, and didn't get together until 9:00. We walked up to the city and entered through Damascus Gate and into the crazy cacophony. Not quite as noisy as Cairo market but I think more congested, if that is possible. We didn't have far to go to get to the Austrian Hospice. We climbed up to the roof (5 floors) where we had our own little Communion service, and then went back to their cafeteria for Viennese coffee, hot chocolate and strudel.
From there we walked around the wall to Joppa Gate, where you can get up onto the wall and walk the ramparts. We went a bit further than Damascus Gate but it seemed to go on a lot further so we came down and went outside to find some grass for our picnic.
We headed back into the fray, and found that the crowd density had gone down since the morning religious rush. So we wandered through the market caverns and came up for air somewhere.
We had no idea where we were but found a little Orthodox church that led into another that led out into a very crowded courtyard and a big church. We went in and took photos, and it wasn't until we came out that we learned it was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, one of the most holy places in town. We ambled round a bit longer and then staggered home.



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