Last day in Jerusalem.. On our own

 We left our motel on foot this morning and found the wall of old Jerusalem. We went by the Damascus, New Gate to David's Tower. We climbed David's Tower and took pictures of Jerusalem below. The really fascinating thing about David's Tower and the Ramparts walk (a hike all along the top of the wall) is that these walls and this same fortress has been used over the centuries to defend this city....from BD to The 1967 War that was here.





We walked through the markets to the Jewish quarter for a Jerusalem bagel.  It was light and fluffy, almost a foot long circle, covered with sesame seeds.  It was rather plain and we were glad that we had pocketed some butter from breakfast. The Jewish people do not eat dairy and meat at the same time. It is not ever offered at the same time. Breakfast  you get butter and no meat and at dinner you get meat and no butter or dairy. Someone in our group got involved in some sort of smuggling butter operation which turned into butter-gate and apparently there was also a bit of a problem with someone trying to smuggle tangerines out of the dining area with our group. Honestly, the reprimands were in good humor, but you can't always count on that outside the hotel.  There are lots and lots of armed people in the streets, police, army, and civilians all carry. 



In our travels today we also happened upon twwo more stations of the cross, seven (Jesus falls a second time and eight (The women of Jerusalem weep over Jesus.where Jesus.



We also found our way to the Christian quarter where we did a bit more shopping. Some of us who shall remain nameless may need another bag to get home. 





Ended this beautiful day (not a cloud in the sky)  at the pool.  Put in our regular 6 mile day, but rested and recharged in the sun in the afternoon.  

Dinner tonight will be our official "last supper" with the entire group. There are only 17 of us going on in the second part of the store. Tonight we shared our takeaways from this trip after dinner.

Apparently tomorrow the bus will let us off at the Jordanian border - we will walk across a bridge and who meet our guide on the other side -we hope.

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