Excellent Adventure #2 (Israel, Crete)

[John Raabe]

Several (well, two really) people have asked for a photo update on this current trip to visit family in Israel, and in a few days, Crete.

We brought the whole family (Miriam, John, Seth [Maui Wowee, age 26] and Adam [age 29]) to visit our large family over here in Israel. Miriam's 95 year old mother lives in Jerusalem, she has a brother up in Haifa and a sister living on a kibbutz near Gaza in the south. Lots of great kids and grandkids abound at each place we stop. The timing of all this was my first Jewish wedding - of a niece (daughter of Miriam's brother). Glasses were stomped underfoot and there was lots of food, dancing and music. Both me and my boys had a great time connecting with family we haven't seen in almost 11 years. Our reception was very warm and loving... if a bit overwhelming to white bread Americans such as me 

OK, time for a few photos. I'll add more as things progress and as connections allow...



We started in Jerusalem. This is the plaza in front of City Hall. They have been having a contest for artists to decorate these traditional lion statues. This one had lipstick, eye shadow and fishnet stockings on. Quite the fetching lioness.



The old city of Jerusalem is a most dynamic place with three of the most aggressive and powerful world religions trying to learn to co-exist together. A very interesting experiment. From an American media perspective it always sounds like violent confrontation and extremism, but the day-to-day reality is that dynamic cultures are building and living right next to each other, and, for the most part, working things out.



Here, viewed from the rooftops of the old city (between the Christian and Jewish quarter??) you can see the gold leaf on the Dome of the Rock where Abraham was prepared to sacrifice Issac and from which Mohammad ascended to heaven. Seth also says this is the geomantic center of the whole world and the most sacred pagan site in this historic region.

I will post a few more photos now that I have the chance and can then come back and add some comments later. Off for a hike around town. 



This is a shot looking down into the excavated lower level of the old Roman Cardo or market street. This level in the old city is over 2,000 years old. As you dig deeper you go back further in time.



Maybe someone will recognize what church this is... I was taken by this view as I came out of a narrow canyon between stone walls.





The Jerusalem shuk or open market - kind of like a 400 year old farmers market. Fruits and veges are the best. Spices, beans, nuts and seeds that you have never seen before.

[glenn kangiser]

Sounds like fun, John and family.  Please tell Maui Wowee Hi from the folks at the forum.  Ask him to drop by some time.  I liked his little dissertation.

[Sassy]

Thanks, John, for the pix - keep posting more    I'm fascinated by the dynamics of the different religions co-existing together - versus the media always talking about the fighting - how is the Gaza strip - do you see many Palestinians?  I always feel bad for them - seems like they've been totally displaced...  from the Jewish side - how do your wife's relatives feel about it all?  Looks like they take the missiles in stride - I would love to walk along the open markets!  There's just so much history there.  Interesting that Seth says this is also the "geomantic" center for the pagan world... 

[glenn kangiser]

Seth also says this is the geomantic center of the whole world and the most sacred pagan site in this historic region.

I agree with Seth it is my understanding that the turret's,  towers, steeples on the religious centers are actually giant phallic symbols. 

[John Raabe]

I am back here in Jerusalem after a visit to Saad, an older kibbutz near Gaza. They have three or four missiles fired into the settlement each week by Hamas. When this happens they get a 10-20 second warning on an air raid siren. This is only enough time to get under a doorway or masonry stairway.

No one in the kibbutz has been killed yet but some missiles have landed close enough to houses to blow all the windows out. These are not highly targeted weapons, more like the old German V-2s  - they go up in the air, they come down, they go boom. Most explode in the fields and orchards. People seem to take it in stride.

Here is what they have built to protect the kids. This is a very heavy concrete structure built on top of the children's day care center. Four foot columns supporting several feet of concrete on the roof.





We spent only one night visiting with my sister in-law and there were no incomings that night I am glad to say. Kibbutzniks are said to be tough... I think I agree!!

[PEG688]

 Interesting place John. I enjoyed it , wouldn't wanta live there though.

[PEG688]

Any more photos John?

[Sassy]

Yes, I was wondering that myself...   

[ScottA]

The old world is facinating but I doubt I could live in such a place. I would like to visit there someday though.

[John Raabe]

When we were scheduled to fly to Crete from Israel Athens had its' first heavy snow storm in (some say) 10 years and the airport was closed. We stayed an extra day in Tel Aviv, which got part of the same storm itself. (High winds, but no snow).



Once we got to Crete the place was deserted (low tourist season and the storm) but the air was clear and the mountains spectacular.



Rethymnon is the first city we stayed at. It has a dramatic old Venetian fortress (Fortezza castle) built in the late 1500's. We took an hour and walked around the forbidding walls from below. It didn't seem to be open but a 10 year old boy on a bicycle showed us this gate and doorway. "No Money!" he said and it was true. We were the only people there (not counting the ghosts of all the battles with the Turks and others).









This is the topside look of the same turret that was highlighted against the sky in the shot before. Looking from the top down the cliff to the rocky beach below I understand the difficulty of attacking such a site. Yet, the Turks were successful and held the island for many centuries. There is a Byzantine church that was converted to a mosque in the center of the castle.

[glenn kangiser]

That's a cool place, John.  Kids can really help when in foreign countries.  (Steal your stuff sometimes too)...but overall, such as when in Mexico, they showed me lots of stuff I would not have seen otherwise.

[John Raabe]

On to Knossos - a most interesting civilization and something Miriam has wanted to see all her life. She actually cried when she finally saw it. This is something you don't often see at a dusty archaeological site.

Minoan culture is more playful and egalitarian than any that existed at that (and maybe any other) time. It's high culture lasted from about 1700 BC to 1450 BC. Look at the Art & Architecture article on Wikipedia to understand how advanced they were. They had fresh water plumbing (from the mountains), central heating, flush toilets and waste water treatment systems at a time my forefathers were probably still wearing bear skins and going to the back of the cave when nature called. 

4,000 years ago the island of Crete was regularly struck with large earthquakes. In the Minoan structures such as these they wisely designed the buildings to combine the flexibility of wood with the strength and durability of stone.  The columns are inverted cypress trees and on these rest wooden timber beams supporting masonry infill. It is presumed this was plastered and then covered with murals and paintings.

The system worked quite well with most earthquakes but a massive shock in the mid 15th century BC toppled the buildings at the same time the island was under attack from mainland Greeks (Mycenaeans). The area was never rebuilt and was only discovered in 1899-1900. It is said to be the longest lasting non-militaristic culture to ever have existed in the world. It was egalitarian and a seemingly open and fun loving culture.

The art (both high palace art and the household objects) where done in a very open and modern style. They often built clay models of their houses to experiment with modifications and designs.   

These are the old guys (the REALLY OLD guys) we need to learn a few things from.

[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Yup, older than Glenn.

[glenn kangiser]

Young lady, are you implying that I'm ancient...

[John Raabe]

Compared to a 4,000 year old culture, even Glenn is just a pup.

[Sassy]

Cool pix, John - anymore?  How about more history & also more on the political climate?  Did you encounter many Palestinians besides the area you posted where they were shelling?  Would love to explore that area, so much history...