The Muslims can have Fridays off. The Jews have their Sabbath on Saturday. The Christians have Sundays off. So then I think the Bryants can have Mondays off! Which is today. We realised we needed a down time day. So we took it. A down-day.

We’re staying in Villa Nazareth, a small hotel in the old city part. With a small enclosed courtyard with pot plants. Next door to a children’s kindergarten. We peeked over the wall and saw little kids running around on green fake grass on a half-court soccer field. Laughing and squealing and singing.

So we spent the morning reading in the courtyard. Much cooler today. Blue skies with lots of scattered clouds. A cool enough breeze to put our jumpers on. A lovely relaxing morning.

At 10 o’clock there was a loud piercing siren wail. Like the sound of a fire alarm. Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. The siren was for people to stop and remember. Because we all forget so easily. Whatever happens in our lives. Unless we make a conscious effort to remember.

After lunch time we decided because we had enjoyed the Nazareth Village experience with Oak Hall last week so much, we’d do it again! So we did.

On our walk to Nazareth Village it was midday. As we walked along we heard the sound of many bells ringing. We were walking by the big Basilica and could see the big bells swinging away with their merry sound.

We went round Nazareth Village with a smaller group. So I took more photos!

And you always learn something more when you hear it again anyway. We really enjoyed it again. This time we also got to eat lunch there. Eating produce from their garden. Delicious.

I’ve been thinking over our Israel experience.

It feels like I’ve been given another set of lenses through which to see the Bible and our spiritual journeys. Everything seems much clearer, more focused and more understandable. More relatable and relevant to our lives. And yet at the same time, the mystery and wonder of God is not diminished. But wilder. Wider and grander.

A wonderful down-day. For down time.