We now head toward Galilee to see the ministry sites of Jesus. My mental picture of most Bible stories are two-dimensional felt boards, so I am excited to replace that with the experiences of real places.

Nazareth and Basilica of the Annunciation: where the angel Gabriel announced to Mary that she would be the mother of Jesus. We walked into the sanctuary just before the noon procession. The priests filed into the inner grotto singing in Latin and swinging thuribles. They had surprisingly good voices. The basilica is decorated with Madonna and Child depictions from all over the world.

The Sea of Galilee and Capernaum is just down the road from Nazareth. We felt like we should eat bread and fish, but we couldn’t pass up the delicious shawerma in Tiberias.

Walking around the sites of miracles and sermons was incredible. I look forward to re-reading the gospels with the vivid scenery in mind.