Baha'i Temple and Gardens Focal Point of the Baha'i Religion

Baha'i World Headquarters and spectacular park reportedly costing $260 Million to build

Approaching Israel Approaching Haifa in the wee hours of the morning Haifa from the sea

Haifa Haifa Street Haifa Old Town Street Art

Akko

Acre of Akko?  Salah's home town Salah and his friends standing outside his families building We are welcomed! Akko street scene Salah's extended family Lunch

From time to time we all get an email that strikes a pleasant chord.  This is one of them!  I received this email from our next door "slip" neighbors, Larry and Ken on Julia while we were in the marina in Herzliya.  It says it all.  Enjoy, Dan

It's Thursday evening in Tel Aviv and we are sitting on the foredeck on JULIA listening to a live jazz band playing beautiful easy French jazz. We are the first boat inside the locked gate area of Herzliya marina and so we couldn't have a better location for hearing and seeing the music played at the Yacht Club's Thursday night music festivals. There are hundreds of people because tonight the music is such a great mix of easy French jazz combined with a bit of Israeli folk, and the music is so wonderful, it's pretty much standing room only. Except for us. We sit on the foredeck, best seats in the house behind the locked gates. I look up and see a boy standing at the gate, staring at the boats...staring at me...and I see none other than myself so many years ago standing at the gate staring at the boats, at the lifestyle that I oh so dreamed of...and I realize that I am looking at myself. I am lucky. I stood at the gate and decided that I would settle for nothing less than being on the other side of the gate...that I wanted to be the one sitting on the boat and I made that happen. I hope so much for that boy that he too will turn his dreams into reality and also find himself on the inside of the gate rather than the outside. The helicopters continue to fly overhead, the violence continues to heat up, the last bomb blast went off just 15km north of here, and yet the Israelis are listening to French jazz at the marina. They are the experts in appreciating life and getting all they can out of it and I have to say that I have learned a lot from their attitude. This all is such a contrast to me, because on the negative side I have just laid out $7,000 for an entirely new refrigeration system that is being shipped today from Italy, and a new air conditioner that is being shipped today from the U.S. Having not slept the last 3 nights because of the heat has made me a bit delirious and perhaps I have gone over the edge, but it seems to me that I should be making every moment as great as I can. After all, what is money's value if not spent? And what is life's purpose if not to enjoy the one life that we are given? So, enjoy life to it's fullest! Climb your mountain, cross your ocean, get your degree, get your promotion, quit your job, quit your career, marry, divorce, move, do whatever it takes to make you happiest in this life. For as far as I can tell, this is it; this is all we get, so get up, put your climbing boots on and go for it! And don't be the boy behind the gate...be the one inside... Love and Shalom, Larry and Ken S/Y Julia

While in Israel, four of the 12 rally boats went to a classical music concert featuring Verdi's Requiem conducted by Zubin Meta.  The performance was fantastic.

The URL:   http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Agora/1985/index1.html This site is dedicated to Verdi's Requiem. It includes The requiem's text in Latin and English, historical background to the Requiem and musical analysis. This site also includes short samples from the Requiem, in realaudio format. They are not essential to the understanding of the piece but they can be of much help.

Herzliya

Herzliya Marina Dakare and Mooraker at the marina Party at Herzliya Marina The Boys (Larry & Ken)  from Julia w Dan Joy roasting Chris at his birthday party Problem yok. 4th of July celebration Karen and Joy showing 4th of July creations Herzliya Beach party Tel Aviv Craft Market

Sea of Galilee & Golan Heights

Sea of Galilee, Modern times. Tiles inside the Church of the Bread and Fish where Christ multiplied the fish and the bread Mt. of Beatitudes where Christ gave the Sermon on the Mount. This church was initially funded by Benito Mussolini Alter in Mount of Beatitudes Scene from Mt. of Beatitudes looking South towards Nazareth Jacky and Elaine relaxing in church park Nimrod's Fortress, Golan Heights.  Legend has it that Nimrod, besides building the Tower of Babel, he erected this fortress high enough to shoot arrows up to God. Banyas Ruins and the Phrophet Elijas's cave Bill working the manual mill stone, Banyas Karen at the Banyas waterfall An act of civil disobedience?  We were surprised to see that someone had placed a Syrian flag on a 1987 war memorial in the Israeli occupied Druze town of Majdal Shams.  It appeared to have been there for a while. Caravan Check Point Jim pointing the way to McDonalds in Nazareth Plenty of water in Golan Heights "Water is gold" Mary's Well in Nazareth, alledged site of the Annunciation Golan Heights mine field Notice settlements in background Waterfalls, Banyas, Golan Heights BVakery in Nazareth Gardens Mount of Beatitudes Ski resort in occupied Golan Heights at Mt. Harmam Dan sporting his dress over his shorts Syrian and Israeli lookout towers Golan Heights

Jerusalem

Model of the Citadel of David The Mosque we never entered  - The Temple Mount / Dome of the Rock The 3rd most holy sight of Islam Church commemorating the Agony in the Garden in foreground, in the background is old town Jerusalem Russian Orthodox Church of St. Mary Magdelen Jerusalem Temple Mount Temple Mount from Citadel Art in the eye of the beholder Herod's Gate Old Town Jerusalem Church of the Seplucher entrance People watching Israeli soldiers, wailing wall in background Lord's prayer in 78 languages Womens side of the Wailing Wall Site of Christ's Ascension Model trains as part of the display in the Jerusalem Citadel View from Mount of  Olives Dan getting dressed again! This time to get into Dome of the Rock Tower of David (Citadel) Plan Mary's Tomb

Bethlehem

Where Christ was alledgedly Born Alledged sight of Christ's manger Inside the Latin (Catholic) Church of the Nativity, adjacent to the Armanien and Greek Orthodox Church of the Nativity Bethlehem wall, "American Money, Israeli Apartied" The Bethlehem Wall/Baracade Bill at the wall Jim gets his welcome! Manger Square, Bethlehem Door to the Grotto of the Nativity Armenian priest prepares for daily service at the nativity site.  Armenian, Greek Orthodox and Catholics share this site. Site of the manger City of Bethlehem

Dead Sea, Masada and Ellay Valley Winery

The Kosher Ella Vinyards At the Kosher Ella Valley Winery Dan (Dakare), Bill (Sea Swallow), Joy (Kalaerin) and Steve (Equus) receive a lecture of what it means to be a Kosher Winery.  We were asked not to touch anything as our hands were unlcean and that by touching a metal vat we would contaminate the vat and the wine would no longer be Kosher. Waiting for our wine lecture Joy and Pat enjoy the fruits haing made it through the lecture The Dead Sea Lowest place on Earth The Dead Sea is so salty and the water density so high, anything will float! Elaine, Adrienne and Richard in the Dead Sea ...and the gang gets into it! Fred watches the bathing beauties Joy finally finds an animal at the Nature Preserve<G> Masada Where the Roman Army finally beat off the last of the rebellous Jewish soldiers Masada Relief Some sheated and took the lift up (3 minutes to the top) Others decide to do it the hard way (35 minutes to the top on the Snake Path) Read and Beware It's a long way up in the heat! Looking down from Masada Manny and Fred, Highest Point, Masada Looking down from Masada Fort on top of Masada Our Youth Hostil by the Dead Sea Masada at Sunrise Joy's (Kalaerin) Find, Mount of Temptation Allegedly where Jesus resisted the devil while fasting 40 days and nights in the desert Greek monastery carved into mountainside near Jericho

Dive Sites	Fineke, Turkey	Flowers
Cyprus	Lebanon	Jordan
Syria	Israel	Egypt
Sailing Images	Wine Parties	Pirates Party

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