A Saturday hike

Today (Saturday the 1st) Fr. Basilius gave all five of us free in order to take us on a day trip. We hiked the nearby Arbel bluff/mountain. You guessed it, amazing views. You could see around the whole Sea of Galilee and to other parts of the Galilee area. We have begun to get rain in little spurts and things are turning green. I did not believe it earlier this year when people told me that all this soil, rock, and clay would sprout grass but it does.

We devoured a nice picnic lunch at the top of the berg (German for mountain) and then people rested, I chose to sit, look out onto the Galilee, and think. It was marvelous being so alone with such a grand sight. A flock of storks flew a stone’s throw distance away, I didn’t test this, just a guess.

It is said that when Jesus came from Nazareth, he came through this valley.

Starting out. We hiked the left slope.

Flock of storks, didn't see any babies.

Rest stop

ML and I atop Arbel with the Galilee below us

My companions

Lunch time

I asked the Father many questions and he did great in answering them. Some were factual in origin and some were in order to get his opinion. We talked mostly about politics, religion, and people. It was interesting to find that he held a little different opinion of Elias Chacour than the one that was introduced to me at St. John’s and then from what I’ve also read.

I like to listen to the Fathers here talk about Biblical happenings. They are great narrators and without much effort, it seems, paint a detailed belief of what happened, why, and what the people may have thought. I really admire how convinced and enthusiastic they are.

Looking at the steep part of the ascent

Rooms in the side of Arbel used for herders and their animals. A fort was also built on/into Arbel.