Return to Israel

I have just returned from a business trip to Israel with customers to our XIV lab in Tel Aviv. We did manage a couple of days of sightseeing; one day to Caesarea, Jaffa and a winery.

 Caesarea

Carmel Winery

Original winery ledger in French detailing "bribes" 

 Jaffa

The other to Jerusalem where we did go inside the Church of All Nations in the Garden of Gethsemane (it was closed when we were there on our Parish Pilgrimage).

 The agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane

Church of All Nations

Our excellent guide Josh, a Jewish Israeli, and so we did get a different perspective on things from the one given by Rami, a Palestinian Christian who was our Parish Pilgrimage Guide. Josh was very balanced, as was Rami, but it did make one think; as always there are two sides to every question. Our trip to Jerusalem included a visit to the the Shoah (Holocaust) Memorial which left us all in a very sombre reflective mood.

 Shoah Memorial

We even managed some business discussions which went very well and the feedback was very positive from the attendees.

View from IBM offices over Tel Aviv