Israel: May 2018
Thousands of years of history as you cross through Jaffa Gate into the Old City of Jerusalem are immediately apparent. Ancient stone greets you, and reminds you that despite the tourist shops everywhere, thousands of year of history is literally beneath your feet. Did a free 2 hour city tour which did a pretty decent job hitting the highlights, although it was by necessity a bit superficial, as Jerusalem is far too big to cover in such a short time.
After the tour ended, the Western Wall was our next stop. Being tourists it's... one kind of experience. We witnessed many others enjoying the day, and yet we also witnessed many who were clearly having a very different experience.
Church of the Holy Sepulchre was our next major stop-- Temple Mount was closed for Ramadan-- and while I wish we had gotten to see Temple Mount, the time it gave us to explore Church of the Holy Sepulchre in-depth was very welcome. It's not nearly as grand or elaborate as St. Peter's or the Sistine Chapel, yet it's no less significant, and its religious importance is still clear, even without a tour guide.
Did a quick taxi ride up to Mount of Olives for the view, then headed back to Mahane Yehuda Market for dinner. Wandered a bunch, taking in the all the shops (hello dry-aged beef, baked goods, and more!), and ended up eating Lebanese for dinner. Nom!