Made an early start to get up to Mount Tabor, a very high and steep conical (possibly volcanic cone) mountain where it is believed that the Transfiguration occurred. It was windy and cold here, and the church was located on the highest part of the mountain. The wind had blown in a lot of sand from the nearby desert, and it was like a fog hanging over the world below the peak of he mountain where we were. We had Mass in the lower church, which is decorated with a gorgeous blue and gold mosaic, and a brilliant purple and multi-colored peacock window behind the altar. Peacocks are a symbol of eternal life. It was hard to stop looking at the mosaic during Mass. Kathleen said it was the most beautiful mosaic she had seen since Lourdes.
Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee, at Nof Ginosaur, a Jewish kibbutz village. The boat was a reproduction of the kind used about 2000 years ago. During the boat ride, Father David and Father Parham read from the Gospels set on the Sea of Galilee. Because of the sand in the air (from the desert wind), we could not see very far on the lake, and we did not go out very far. But it was still a very nice experience!
Korsi, land of the Gerasenes, near where Jesus drove demons out of a man and into a herd of swine. There were ancient ruins of a church here with the mosaic floor tiles still intact and still beautiful ! And we hiked up to the remains of the cave where the demoniac was said to live beforehand.
Mount of Beatitudes - There is a small quiet church and a large campus here run by Franciscan sisters, and it is very pastoral here. Easy to imagine Jesus teaching the Sermon on the Mount to thousands of people here. Many visitors to this spot. It is very special here.
Magdala on the Sea of Galilee, home of Mary Magdalene. They are excavating parts of the ancient city and we visited the archeological sites.
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