Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

Pictures: Shopping
one of many fitness centers on beach (free)
Johnny and Adele
Tel Aviv
July 26,27,28
Between internet problems and being too tired, I have not kept up with the posts. I am doing 3 for today and I may edit them when I get home. On Monday morning we cleaned the apartment really well in preparation for leaving. Diane and I then headed to the Israeli museum which just opened that day with all of their exhibits after being mostly closed for over 3 years. It was fantastic, and we were so glad we went. Included in the displays were the Dead Sea scrolls and the containers they were found in.
We then went to meet with Sami, who had Dixie's shofars, and to meet Adele who was picking us up to take us to their house for supper. All went according to plan and we had a wonderful time at Johnny and Adele's. She cooked an Arab meal of stuffed squash, stuffed peppers, rice pilaf, spicy soup. It was incredible. We then went outside to fellowship. They have a lovely garden and patio and it was very pleasant sitting out there, until the Moslem's call to prayers started on the loudspeakers of their mosques, and neighborhood kids set off firecrackers left and right. We were jumping with every blast, but Johnny and Adele barely seemed to notice. They told us many stories about how God was working in the Moslem people. It was a wonderful night and as Johnny drove us to the bus stop, we had one last look at the walls of the old city, flooded with light.
I am now sitting in a hotel room in Tel Aviv. I am looking out the window at a beautiful fountain and beyond that, the Mediterranean Sea. We came to Tel Aviv yesterday at about noon. I popped into the sea for a quick swim/bob then went walking to the antique markets in Jaffa. Michele and Diane spent the afternoon on the beach. After we cleaned up we went back to the promenade and watched the sun set over the water. We had supper on a place overlooking the beach. There were tables and lounging couches there and it was a nice way to end our vacation.
Update: We are now at the gate of Ben Gurian airport, waiting to board our plane. They went through our luggage with a fine tooth comb, our bags were too heavy and we had to repack them, but we made it. I am excited to be back home and I can't wait to see all my friends and family!