November 1, 2009

Bob’s Sabbatical

November 1, 2009

 

            All
Saints’ Day, but no Church for us.  We
remember how Italians take flowers to cemeteries on All Saints’ Day, as we head
for the airport.

            It is a
good thing we got there early.  El Al
security is intense, but disorganized. 
At one point they took Susan’s suitcase away, and it was gone for almost
an hour.  The flight was also
over-booked, and they were asking for volunteers to fly later.  By now we were at the end of the check-in
line, wondering if our seats had already been given away.  We ended up cutting in line for the security
check, and still barely made our flight.

            Arrive
in Israel, meet some others who are going to be in our program, as we wait for
another couple to arrive.  Ride to
Jerusalem from airport is about an hour, but takes longer today.  Remember, Sunday is like Monday for us – the first
day of the work-week.  “Weekend” here is
Friday and Saturday, so we are in rush-hour traffic on Sunday night.  Our driver reminds us that Christians make up
only about 1 percent of the population of Israel, and have little influence!

            After
Tuscany, the landscape is pretty stark here.

Answer to 10/30 question about garden plants:  Artichokes! 
They may be part of the thistle family.

      Peace,

         Bob