Jerusalem Palomniki 2012: Mt. Tabor/Spring of Mary/Cana/Caperneum

Mosaic at the Church of the Annunciation - the Spring of Mary

The Church of the Transfiguration at the top of Mt. Tabor

Today our pilgrims visited Mt. Tabor, where the Transfiguration of Christ took place. We started with a two mile hike up the steep mountain road. Our hike was a quiet and contemplative one, since Fr. Sergei asked that we walk in silence and pray. Luckily, the day dawned a little cloudy, and so we were spared the searing sun on our hike. At the top we prayed in the Church of the Transfiguration at a Greek Monastery, and then had a delicious Italian style lunch in a Catholic Pilgrimage center also at the top of the mountain. The views from the terrace were breathtaking! In addition to our group, there was a group of students from Italy who were impressed with our singing of Oche Nash before the lunch. Although they finished their meal before us, they stayed specifically to hear us sing the prayer after the meal! After lunch we walked the two miles down Mt. Tabor, and headed toward the Sea of Galilee, a two hour trip. On the way, we stopped at the Church were the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. There our pilgrims collected and drank water from the same spring that Mary was getting water from when the Angel greeted her! We had a short stop in Cana, and went into the house where Jesus performed His first miracle: changing the water into wine at a wedding. Then we headed to the Ron Beach hotel right on the Sea of Galilee. Our hotel had a salt water pool and was right on the Sea. After dinner, we all enjoyed a long, refreshing swim in the Sea and in the pool under a full moon. Happy Birthday to Pete Zaporoshan and Happy Namesday to our two Marinas: Marina Zacharin and Marina Bezdornaya!