Last of Ladybug

Ladybug is now back in my son's possession. I'm at home and happy to be back with my family. Nevertheless I've got a few more pictures to post of ladybug's adventures in Israel taken on the last day. Here goes:

Here are ladybug and I at the Valley of Elah (think David & Goliath)


& Here are ladybug and myself at the farewell dinner in Abu Gosh:

Well that's the end of the Ladybug's adventures in Israel. I might add a couple of pictoral posts in the next few days that are aimed more at the trip and sites than at the plastic insect. At any rate, these pictures at my son's request added a degree of fun to the trip.

Back in the USA

I am now sitting in JFK. After an eleven hour flight on El Al from Israel, I am back on American soil. It's good to be (almost) home. I can't wait to see my wife and boys tonight. Still in the interest of completing the online documenting of this journey I have a few more pictures to post.

I'll add those pictures later as the necessary connection cord between my computer and camera is in my checked luggage. In the meantime here's one more picture (above) of me on the southern steps or the temple. It's a pretty cool place. These are the original 1st century steps (the ones I'm sitting on not the restored ones). These are the steps that Jesus would have walked up on his way up to clearing the temple of the moneychangers. Maybe the lame man that Peter and John healed used to lay here. Today, (that day) I get to share the space with ladybug.

Tonight, thankfully, I get to share my time with my family.

Day in Pictures

OK, this is probably the last day I'll be updating before we return. I'll throw a few additional pictures up on the page when I get home.

We spent the day in Jerusalem. We visited St Anne's and the Pool of Bethesda and then went to the lithostrathe, a place inside what was at one time the Antonia Fortress. Following that we embarked on the Via Delarosa (way of the cross). However, when the road divided we headed out to Gordon's Calvary (Garden tomb) instead of the traditional Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

Here I am at the empty tomb at Gordon's Calvary:

Of course garden's are a good place for ladybugs:

Here's another view of Jerusalem. This was taken from Mt. Zion and the possible location of Caiaphas's house. Interesting development while we at the overlook. I'll tell you more about that in a later post.
Here is a statue outside the possible location of Caiaphas' house (Gallicantu meaning in latin "Rooster Crows). Notice that Ladybug wanted to join the scene. He was motivated by my wife's college statue misdeeds. That's a story for another time:

Here's a close up:

Later we went to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre:

We saw the holy sites to conclude the day. Ladybug & I made a special appearance at the 1st century tombs in the Syrian Chapel located immediatly behind the rotunda where the traditional tomb of Christ is found

So that's the day in pictures. One more day to go then I get to see my family. Pray for safety, I'm looking forward to seeing them.