Yesterday (Saturday) walked down to the seafront from hotel around 9.30 a.m. Whole place almost deserted. Almost all the shops were closed; Jewish shabbat and also Jewish Festival "Sukkoth" - Festival of Tents (joyful, harvest time). You see many sukkas (tents) outside houses where families celebrate. Around 11.30, I met a lone Israeli Arab taxi man (Nazeen) at a deserted taxi rank. Negotiated a trip with him (3 hours) to Mount Tabor for $100 (around 70 euro). We had a spectacular drive (30 km) from Tiberias. In the distance you can see Nazareth and Cana. Very biblical! Mount Tabor is 588 metres high. Buses have to stop quite a distance from the top (walking time 40 minutes), but cars can go right to the top. I had an hour on Mount Tabor. There's a catholic basilica and a greek church there (both closed because it was Saturday). However, that didn't bother me too much. I sat and read the gospel of the transfiguration of Jesus: on "a high mountain apart". Mt. Tabor is certainly that. There's no certainty that this was the place of the gospel event, but christian tradition located the story here in the 3rd century. There are beautiful views of all the surrounding countryside and towns. After Mt. Tabor, we stopped in the local village and I had a sandwich at a local arab cafe. Very friendly people. Came back to Tiberias around 3.30 p.m., had a rest in the hotel, and washed a few clothes in the sink! I went to mass in St. Peter's (local catholic parish church, built in 1100, in the shape of a boat, upside down). It's now Sunday noon, and Tiberias is back to normal with loads of people around. Thank God! I went to mass in St. Peter's at 8.30. Small congregation, but many speak english. I had coffee with some of them after mass. One of them, Paul, has offered to drive me to my next stop tomorrow at 1 p.m. - the Benedictine Monastery at Tabgha - the place where the memory of the Gospel story of the multiplication of the loaves and fish is preserved.
