"On the Road" with Nancy Cutter & Betty Cowles
Follow our agents as they travel around the world
Coming Soon! Nancy Cutter's 2010 trip to Portugal, Crossing on the WindSpirit and St Martin
Betty Cowles - Trip to Israel - February 2010
ISRAEL - A Life Changing Experience
Israel … Land of the Bible … Land of Faith …the Holy Land, revered throughout recorded history as the cradle of monotheistic religion. For a person of faith whose beliefs are rooted in the Bible, there is no place on earth like the Holy Land..
There are so many reasons why people are attracted to Israel. For some, it’s the sun-drenched climate. For others, it’s the rich variety of sites and sights - historical, archeological, religious or just beautiful. For still others, it’s the fascinating contrast between the ancient and the modern. But for absolutely everyone, Israel has a special hard-to-define something - an extra dimension - that turns every visit into a truly memorable experience. When you visit Israel for the first time, you invariably experience an instant feeling of familiarity. So many of the names that appear on the road signs - Jerusalem, Sea of Galilee, Nazareth - have been familiar since childhood. You will also experience the special thrill of walking in the footsteps of history as you retrace the steps of Abraham 4,000 years ago. King David 3,000 years ago, Jesus 2,000 years ago, and the Crusades 1,000 years ago.
Israel is a modern country that combines a rich, illustrious history with a tourism infrastructure that caters to every vacation taste. Glorious beaches, Bustling cities, Nature reserves, Health spas, Religious shrines, Shopping malls, Markets, Artists’ colonies and Concerts in the park. Israel has a compact geography that enables you to get from place to place in no time at all. It takes less than an hour by car or bus from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, just two hours from Tel Aviv to the Sea of Galilee, and half an hour from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea.
OUR JOURNEY BEGINS:
WEDNESDAY: February 3, 2010
Our Christian Pilgrimage began today as Ann Rodriguez, Ronnie and I left Charlotte to meet our group
( 20 Travel Agents from all over the US) at NewarkAirport along with our host from Select International
To fly to Frankfurt then on to Tel Aviv.
Thursday: February 4, 2010
Arriving at the very modern, beautiful BenGurionAirport outside of Tel Aviv. We were greeted by Gloria of the Israel Tourist Board, who arranged our tour and Rimone our guide, leader and teacher, He made the Bible come to life,and Edita Kruner of Select International, she arranged our study group.
We started our drive north among the lush, tropical orange and lemon groves to our first night in Netanya, “Rose of the Sharon” a wonderful resort town on the Mediterranean Sea, miles and miles of beautiful beaches, staying at the Seasons Hotel on the cliffs, oceanfront boutique style, all rooms have balconies overlooking the Sea. Dinner tonight at the neighboring KingSolomonHotel
Friday: February 5, 2010
After a delicious Israeli breakfast we continued up the coastline to the ancient Roman Port City of Caesarea, one of the largest archeological digs in Israel. The colossal building projects of Herod the Great. In creating this city and its adjacent splendid harbor, Herod named Caesarea in honor of his patron Augustus Caesar. This is where the Roman centurion Cornelius was baptized by Peter and became the first gentile convert to Christianity Then on to Haifa, the third largest city and most important port. Visited the Carmelite Monastery of Stella Maris. Here is Elijah’s grotto, and home of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is associated with the prophets, Elijah and Elisha, a Christian holy site where Elijah performed miracles atop the mountain. Breath taking views atop Mount Carmel, then to Megiddo, or Armageddon, this is one of Israel’s loveliest regions. The JezreelValley is lush with farms, villages, pastures and meadows and is known as “Israel’s breadbasket.”Armageddon known in Hebrew as Megiddo, a giant fortress and city was built here by King Solomon, and is referred to as the site of the “final battle”. The fascinating hill, comprising 26 ancient civilizations superimposed on one another. We visited the excavations, stables and fortress. We crossed the valley to our hotel, RominimHotelMary’s Well - a Traditional city center in the old city of Nazareth, small and very charming. Tonight we had dinner at the Plaza Hotel Nazareth, perched high on the hill overlooking Nazareth, very modern high rise, 11 floors with a grand lobby and rooms, a beautiful 4 star property.
Saturday: February 6, 2010
We began our day in Nazareth, where our Lord spent the first 30 years of his life. Going to NazarethVillage, a re-creation of Nazareth as it was 2000 years ago, where Jesus spent his boyhood with Joseph and Mary. On to see Mary’s Well where the Angel Gabriel told Mary she would give birth to our Lord, Jesus Christ. Visiting St. Joseph’s Church and the Church of Annunciation. Travel to Cana to visit the WeddingChurch, site of Jesus first miracle - the transformation of water into wine. At the Wedding Feast, Jim & Agnes, Ronnie and I re-newed our Wedding Vows conducted by the Priest and witnessed by many in our group and the Nuns. On to one of the biblical sites around the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount. The Church of the Beatitudes was built in 1937, this black dome church and flower filled garden are a treat for visitors.
Tonight at RoyalPlaza Tiberas, this hotel has a grand entrance, lined by trees, very modern classic superior first class with GREAT Views of the Sea of Galilee, this property exceeded all expectations, rooms, food and service. A very special night as we had dinner in a Christian restaurant and I had the opportunity to eat St. Peter’s Fish.
Sunday: February7, 2010
Today we spent the day literally in his footsteps, sailing across the Sea of Galilee, I sailed on the boat Faith - Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. At the GinnosarMuseum we saw the 2000 year old “Jesus Boat” un-covered in 1986 from the mud of the seashore by a group of young boys.
At Capernaum, we had a Priest do Mass for our group and we saw the new church built on top of St. Peters’s house. North of Capernaum is Chorazin, which was rebuked by Jesus for its lack of faith and not following his teachings. On to Tabgha, Greek for Seven Springs and the Church of the Multiplication of Fishes and Loaves and the Church of St. Peter’s Primacy, where Jesus instructed Peter to “feed my sheep”. Continue to MountTabor and the Church of Transfiguration. We made a stop at Yardinit, the traditional Baptism site in the Jordan River. Proceeding down the JordanValley to Jericho, the world’s oldest city conquered by Joshua. We had lunch at Temptation Restaurant. On to Qumran, the Essenc settlement in whose caves was the site of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which lay undiscovered for 2,000 years. Discovered in 1947 by Bildouin Shepherds. We descended to the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth 400 meters below sea level. We didn’t have enough day light to swim, but we waded in the un-sinkable highly saline water. Now on to Jerusalem for three nights at Leonard Plaza Hotel, a very large superior first class modern hotel in a great location. Dinner at CrownPlaza a 3 ½ star first class in the business district. Wonderful dinner and host, a favorite of the locals.
Monday: February 8, 2010
We started our day shopping at Kando Store in Bethlehem. Here we saw the jars in which he DeadSeas Scrolls were in and the owners grandson. Then on to the Church of Nativity, built over the birthplace of Our Lord and St. Catherine’s built over the tomb of St. Jerome. Continue to Yah Vashem( The Hall of Names), the site of the Holocaust Memorial. We traveled to the top of the Mount of Olives an unforgettable view of the entire city of Jerusalem. Visited the Church of Pater Noster and the Chapel of Ascension, then we walked down the Palm Sunday Road to the Garden of Gethsemane, stopping at Dominus Flevit (the Teardrop), where Jesus stopped and wept over Jerusalem. In the garden of Gethsemane we sat among the ancient olive trees and visited the beautiful Church of All Nations. Dinner at Caesar’s, a first class 3 ½ star property in the business area.
Tuesday: February 9, 2010
We started with a drive around the old city walls and note each of the City Gates. They each contain a wealth of history and significances. We entered the OldCity via Zion Gate, to visit the Wailing Wall, TempleMount, and the actual streets that Jesus and his disciples walked on. On to the Church of St. Peter in Gallicantu, where the Apostle denied Christ three times. On to Mt.Zion to visit the Room of the Last Supper, King David’s Tomb and the Church of the Dormition, here the Holy Mother fell into eternal sleep.
Had lunch at Rimon’s son, Geo’s café inside old gate wall, then The Via Dolorosa (Way of the Cross), this is a mile long route through the Old City of Jerusalem, leading from the Antonia Fortress, where Jesus was condemned by Pontius Pilate, to Golgotha (Calvary), the place of the crucifixion. The Via Dolorosa is marked by 14 stations, at each station there is a marker depicting an incident where he dropped the cross or fell to his knees in the final mortal journey. The Traditional site of Golgotha - Calvary is the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Some Christians denominations consider the Garden Tomb, outside the OldCity Walls, to be the true site of Golgotha - Calvary. Here, Jesus was crucified and hurriedly buried before the onset of the Sabbath. When the family of Jesus returned to the tomb after the Sabbath, they discovered it empty (on the back of the door or stone it reads “HE is not here for he has RISEN!!) it was 40 days later, from atop Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives, that Jesus is believed to have risen to heaven. In addition to locations related to the life of Jesus, holy sites in Jerusalem are connected with the lives of Mary and the disciples. It was in Jerusalem that the world’s first Christian community was established.
Current Facts about Jerusalem:
The PresentOldCity Walls were built by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th Century
Jerusalem was occupied by Britain in 1917
The State of Israel was declared in 1948, and Jerusalem was declared the capital in 1949
For 19 years, Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan, with Jews and Israelis of all faiths prohibited from visiting their holy places
Jerusalem was reunified in 1967 and rededicated as the eternal capital of the Jewish people, with freedom of worship and tourism for all reiligions.
This was an un-believable experience, Ronnie and I are so, so grateful for this opportunity and to experience “Walking In The Footsteps of our Lord”.
What makes the miracles of Jesus even more miraculous? Standing where they happened.
When you read the Scriptures on the Shores of Galilee …
When you walk in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples ……
When you see the Bible come alive before your eyes ….
You will never be the same!
Nancy Cutter's Trip to Iceland
- Click the animation to see a detailed map of Iceland!
Aug 27, 2009- Husavik, Iceland
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- Mudpits of Namarskard
We are now in Husavik.
On Monday, we left Reykholt and drove thru the most beautiful mountain ranges we have ever seen towards the northern fjords. By noon we made it to Varmahilo and met with the operators of the river-rafting tour Hestasport in Varmhilo. Luckily the rain which had started in the morning cleared to a beautiful sunny warm 65F day. We suited up into drysuits and 8 of us loaded into a large van with our guides (one from South Africa and another from Nepal) 30 minutes down a dirt road.We disembarked and added life vests to our outfits, went to the waters edge and loaded 5 to a raft. The water was actually a bit low, but that was okay as it gave us more time to enjoy the towering cliffs on our way down the west river. 10 minutes into the ride, we hit a stretch of rapids and BW went over in a flip. He was back in in a flash and we carried on. The dry suit had rupper suction grommets at our heads and hands so minimal water comes in. Another 20 minutes and we pulled to shore to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, made with boiling water that was coming up at the river edge. It was too hot to stick your finger into! Totally unreal!Then we set off again for about another hour, before pulling off again. This time our guide said something about a cliff jump. Whoa - I had serious doubts as I found myself climbing up a steep rock face. One by one everyone was jumping off this ledge about 30 feet high onto the swirling river below. When my turn came - I had to do some serious talking to myself and I don’t even remember jumping in, just hitting the water, going under and bobbing up, then swimming to shore. Truly something you could never do in the US.
On our way, they let you even float in your suits down the river! Our trip was about 3 hrs and loads of fun. Luckily one of the girls (BW was the only boy on our trip) said she got me with her camera jumping….After all of the water, we were really dry and so continuing our trip to Dalvik later that afternoon was quite easy.
Dalvik is a very small town on a beautiful fjord Eylajford, with high mountains all around. The town was nothing much, about 600 with our hotel and one pizza restaurant in town. We had - obviously pizza that night and then treated myself to a soft serve ice cream at the local 7/11. But as fate would have it, we were crossing a parking lot just before reaching the hotel and I tripped on the curb and went down on both knees hard. Bounced up, but lost a very deep patch of skin off my left hand, about the size of a quarter. My right knee took it hard too, but didn’t damage my corduroys. Later my knee was pretty messed up as well, so I spent the night with an ice bag on my knee and 3 Motrin on board- praying that the whole thing was just a dream.The next morning I was pretty lame, unable to bend my knee at all. Thank goodness we were touring by car to Sigluford (Siglufjörður). The town by the same name is only accessible by one road in, via tunnel. Before the tunnel, you had to arrive by boat, but it was the herring capital of the world. They had a really cool museum of this industry (now dead) in three buildings, that was worth the $8 admission. But the best was to come. With a sunny day in the harbor, we found a cute little cafe painted blue and so charming on the inside right on the wharf. I was hungry for lunch - BW had eaten leftover pizza earlier in the car. The owner said he had a nice arctic char (similar to a salmon but better) that he would prepare for me. And it was fantastic, served pan fried in garlic butter, with a salad, buttery baked potato with sour cream and little shrimp on top. Seated outside in the sun we spent close to 2 hours chatting with him and another fellow about Iceland, and the world. Then a woman walked up with a big camera and asked to take my picture - she was working on the town’s website and was taking photos of visitors for the site. All in all a really fun afternoon, we had a 2 hr drive to get back to Dalvik. When we returned it was raining in Dalvik and the prospect of the local pizza place combined with my lunch. This is where my goodie bag with granola bars and local yogurt comes in handy for a snack. We decided to just stay in as watch TV and get to bed early.
So this brings us to Wednesday. We checked out of our hotel and headed to Akureyi the 2nd largest town in Iceland at 16,000. Wow what a busy place, no not really, but it’s on the water and they had some good tourist shops. BW found a great deal on a polarfleece jacket with a viking helmet on it and I bought a pretty Nordic sweater. We opted for lunch from the supermarket, creamy coleslaw with pineapple, smoked ham sandwiches on like a 15 grain soft bread and drove to here to Husavik.
Now Husavik is the prettiest town we’ve seen, a charming Nordic harbor filled with sailing ships and cute Icelandic buildings. We'd called ahead and booked the 4:45 pm whale cruise and had time to check into our hotel and went to the harbor, it was sunny but brisk wind. On the opposite of the fjord, the mountains line up with tons of snow rimming their tops, - just like a postcard. They warned us that most of the whales had moved on, but we braved the wind and after about an hour, BW was the one who sited a bottlenose whale on the port side. Though our sightings were slim, it was a great cruise and they warmed up us with hot chocolate and doughnuts - cause it was really cold out there!
Took me about an hour to defrost and then we chose a cute restaurant all done up with wood inside, very traditional (they have 3 here) for dinner, Arctic Char again with potatoes and a salad. Very few places in the world have arctic char, so we eat when we can.
Today looked a bit grim so I was happy we’d done the whale cruise yesterday. We looked around town for a bit then drove south to see Lake Myvatn. The topography really changes here and the mountains turn to sand hills then lava fields, huge ones. This is where Neil Armstrong trained for the moon landing. We first stopped at the boiling mud pits, very lunar and very smelly - of sulfur and totally incredible to see up close, some of the fissures were blowing steam that would make a tea kettle at full boil look weak. What a contrast though with the blue skies and bright yellow sand and turquoise water. Then we drove up to the lava fields, they had a 3 mile walk tracked thru the lava fields and around the calderas of the volcanoes. You could put your hand down some of the crates and feel the warm moist air. The walk took about 2 hours and it was amazing to see that much lava in one place and the scope of the lava field with little hills popping up where the lava didn't cover.Then, we continued our drive around the lake. There are huge chunks of lava in the lake, so huge they look like towers. BW wanted a nap, so I did a 3 km walk by myself. Yes my knee is much better now, still weak on stairs, but fine for walking. (The abrasion of my hand will maybe take 2-3 weeks to heal.) My walk by the lake was wonderful, so peaceful and so many birds. And did I mention they have no snakes here? So walking is a dream, actually besides sheep and horses they only have a fox in the wild- so it’s hiking with no worries! This took about 45 minutes and the serenity of the lake was quite relaxing.We drove back here to Husavik and ate again in the same place - once great - why take a chance. Tomorrow we will do another day trip out and return here for a third night, then we head south over the weekend to see the largest glacier in Europe.
So that’s it for now.
