Jerusalem - I love it!

Jerusalem is one of those places that you know you should like. It's a place of significance for Muslims, Christians and Jews, where all three religions meet. Yet I didn't expect to love it as much as I did.

The old city is surrounded by a wall and is a crazy maze of narrow, cobbled streets. There's meat (we can't work out which animal) hanging in the stalls, fresh pastries and bread in the morning (see our local right) and tubs of spices and herbs. Boys push huge carts of goods around without toppling them or squashing any toes.





And then just around the corner (and through an inevitable security check) is the West (Wailing) Wall (see left).



Go over the narrow bridge and you see the Mosque, then turn around and the is the Dome of the Rock, with its bright blue tiles and golden dome (see below right).

It is amazing being in a place where so many 'important' things have happened - where Christ died and was resurrected, where Mohammed went up to heaven, where the First and Second Jewish temples were built.

We ended up following some of the Stations of the Cross and arrived at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre - an odd shaped church with lots of separate areas, where people prayed with muffins and told us off for crossing our legs.