My Travel Page
For many years we never had a vacation trip anywhere far from home. Then in 2007 we had the opportunity to go on a Mediterranean Cruise. That was our first vacation trip of any distance. It started something and in 2008 we went to Israel on a tour with New Day Ministries. In 2011 we went back to Israel again on another tour, this time with Bridges for Peace which subsequently led to Mylinda becoming a local representative here for the organization. Then in 2014 we both went to Jerusalem again on our own for some vacation time. In 2015 we went to Glasgow, Scotland. In addition to our trips, Mylinda has had a number of trips to Israel on her own and with Bridges for Peace.
These were wonderful trips and as souvenirs, I put our pictures of the cruise and first Israel tour into PowerPoint presentations. On our second Israel tour we had a video camera and I have quite a bit of video from that trip. OK, I know most people don't want to see pictures of other people's vacations but if you really would like to see them, I have some links here. Not everyone can go to these places so maybe this can show you through someone else's experience. (And if you think you might want to visit Israel sometime, jump over to my Israel web site - link above - and there is a lot of information about that under the Visiting Israel link.)
WARNING - When downloading from MediaFire site look for the DOWNLOAD button to the right of the filename in the black box. Do not click any of the other download buttons in the advertisements! Many sites now try to confuse you into downloading something you do not want. And just close any popup windows. (I am in the process of moving them to other sites.)
These were wonderful trips and as souvenirs, I put our pictures of the cruise and first Israel tour into PowerPoint presentations. On our second Israel tour we had a video camera and I have quite a bit of video from that trip. OK, I know most people don't want to see pictures of other people's vacations but if you really would like to see them, I have some links here. Not everyone can go to these places so maybe this can show you through someone else's experience. (And if you think you might want to visit Israel sometime, jump over to my Israel web site - link above - and there is a lot of information about that under the Visiting Israel link.)
WARNING - When downloading from MediaFire site look for the DOWNLOAD button to the right of the filename in the black box. Do not click any of the other download buttons in the advertisements! Many sites now try to confuse you into downloading something you do not want. And just close any popup windows. (I am in the process of moving them to other sites.)
Mediterranean Cruise - 2007
In June of 2007 Mylinda and I were very fortunate to receive an expenses-paid one-week Mediterranean cruise from Sharp Electronics of Canada through my employer. We flew from Halifax to Montreal to Frankfurt, Germany to Barcelona, Spain and sailed on the Voyager of the Seas (Royal Caribbean International) visiting Nice in France and Pisa, Rome, Naples and Palermo in Italy.
In each port, we had booked local bus tours so were able to see many of the local points of interest, although one day in each port doesn't allow enough time to see everything. We took a lot of pictures but wished we could have gotten more. Except for the points at which we stopped, it's difficult to get good pictures from the window of a moving bus. Thankfully the Internet has plenty of pictures to fill in some of the gaps of what we saw but couldn't photograph.
This was the first time we'd taken a vacation trip of any distance and we considered this to be probably a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Little did we know that this "taste" of traveling would give us an appetite for more, should we have the opportunity to do so (which we had the following year.)
Imagine waking up the first morning of the cruise and looking out the window and seeing the view at the top of this page! This is the town of Villefranche-sur-Mer in France, which was the first stop for Nice. The ship anchored in this bay next to the city of Nice and passengers went ashore by tender boat. This was the only port where the ship did not tie up to a dock.
I had put originally our pictures into a large PowerPoint file that was downloadable and there were 150 downloads over the years so some people wanted to see it. It's a bit old now but if anyone still would still like to see it, I have converted it to a more convenient YouTube video (49 minutes) which can easily be viewed in the player below (enlarge to full screen). Or you can see a few of the best pictures in the viewer below.
In each port, we had booked local bus tours so were able to see many of the local points of interest, although one day in each port doesn't allow enough time to see everything. We took a lot of pictures but wished we could have gotten more. Except for the points at which we stopped, it's difficult to get good pictures from the window of a moving bus. Thankfully the Internet has plenty of pictures to fill in some of the gaps of what we saw but couldn't photograph.
This was the first time we'd taken a vacation trip of any distance and we considered this to be probably a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Little did we know that this "taste" of traveling would give us an appetite for more, should we have the opportunity to do so (which we had the following year.)
Imagine waking up the first morning of the cruise and looking out the window and seeing the view at the top of this page! This is the town of Villefranche-sur-Mer in France, which was the first stop for Nice. The ship anchored in this bay next to the city of Nice and passengers went ashore by tender boat. This was the only port where the ship did not tie up to a dock.
I had put originally our pictures into a large PowerPoint file that was downloadable and there were 150 downloads over the years so some people wanted to see it. It's a bit old now but if anyone still would still like to see it, I have converted it to a more convenient YouTube video (49 minutes) which can easily be viewed in the player below (enlarge to full screen). Or you can see a few of the best pictures in the viewer below.
Israel - 2008
After the Mediterranean we wanted to travel some more. Mylinda had wanted to go to Israel so she saw that New Day Ministries of Winnipeg (a favourite TV ministry at that time) was taking a tour, we decided this was the time so in June 2008 off we went to Israel. This was a fantastic trip and Willard and Betty Thiessen were great hosts. The fact that it was a small group of 45 people enhanced the experience.
This time we took more pictures and with a little more PowerPoint experience, I put the pictures into another slideshow, this time with special effects and sound. One of our group made audio recordings that he shared. I also added a music soundtrack (mostly Paul Wilbur). In 2021 I converted those PowerPoints into a YouTube video which can easily be viewed in the player below. Watch when you have plenty of time ... it is just short of two hours! Or you can see a few of the best pictures in the viewer below.
This time we took more pictures and with a little more PowerPoint experience, I put the pictures into another slideshow, this time with special effects and sound. One of our group made audio recordings that he shared. I also added a music soundtrack (mostly Paul Wilbur). In 2021 I converted those PowerPoints into a YouTube video which can easily be viewed in the player below. Watch when you have plenty of time ... it is just short of two hours! Or you can see a few of the best pictures in the viewer below.
Israel - 2011
The 2008 Israel tour was fantastic that we wished to return again at some point. A few years later it was again possible and we were looking for a ministry tour. We found that Bridges for Peace was taking a tour in February 2011. Bridges for Peace is a Christian aid organization based in Jerusalem with offices in various countries including Canada. This trip was led by Rev. John Howson who was the National Director of BFP in Canada at that time and again it was another small group of about 45 people. The temperatures were cooler in February - somewhat like a spring day in Canada - and we decided that if we were fortunate to be able to return for a third trip, we'll pick the warmer months next time. However it was still a fantastic trip with great people. We had the same local guide again (Harrison Cohen) and while we saw some new places, Harrison made those we saw for the second time seem fresh again.
We had a new video camera on this trip and I took about nine hours of video, mostly of commentary by Harrison and John at the various sites. If anyone is interested in viewing the videos (now posted to YouTube) use this link below.
Videos Page
The above link (click the title) is to daily videos, about 1 to 1½ hours each. For shorter 5-10 minute "clips" at each stop, see this page.
Below are a few of the pictures taken on this trip. I was concentrating on the video so did not get a lot of great pictures this time.
It was not long after this trip that Mylinda became a local representative here in Halifax for Bridges for Peace and she has returned to Jerusalem numerous times since.
We had a new video camera on this trip and I took about nine hours of video, mostly of commentary by Harrison and John at the various sites. If anyone is interested in viewing the videos (now posted to YouTube) use this link below.
Videos Page
The above link (click the title) is to daily videos, about 1 to 1½ hours each. For shorter 5-10 minute "clips" at each stop, see this page.
Below are a few of the pictures taken on this trip. I was concentrating on the video so did not get a lot of great pictures this time.
It was not long after this trip that Mylinda became a local representative here in Halifax for Bridges for Peace and she has returned to Jerusalem numerous times since.
Israel - 2013
It's October 2013 and Mylinda's off to Jerusalem on her own this time. Some of her time was spent exploring Jerusalem and some volunteering at Bridges for Peace's Jerusalem Assistance Center. She has some very nice pictures from that trip of and I want to share some of them here.
Israel - 2014
It's September 2014 and Mylinda and I are back to Israel again. Since our last tour in 2011, Mylinda had returned to Jerusalem twice more in 2012 and 2013. This time we went on our own just for two weeks of vacation time in Jerusalem. It was a nice relaxing trip. We stayed at the Abraham Hostel just off Jaffa Road at Davidka Square. This has been recognized as the best hostel in Jerusalem and we highly recommend it. Hosteling is not just for the young backpacker crowd. And it's much more economical than many hotels. It's reasonably close walking distance to most places we wanted to go - Jerusalem is a walking city. The Machane Yehuda Market is just a few minutes up Jaffa Road. On Friday morning, this market is very busy with locals buying their food and other items for Shabbat. The Ben Yehuda shopping district and Zion Square are just 15 minutes down Jaffa Road and this area is very popular with the tourists and locals alike (we spent a lot of time there) - often you will find street musicians there. During our two weeks we became regular customers at Moshiko's on Ben Yehuda. Their falafels and shawarmas are delicious. These are the popular (and cheap) street food in Israel. If you haven't tried them, you should. Falafels are basically fried chick pea balls in a pita bread with various salads and sauce. Shawarmas are similar but have shaved meats instead of the chick pea balls. If you have a Middle Eastern restaurant in your area, look for them. Your local restaurant is probably an Arab recipe but is very similar, I like the Israeli taste a bit better.
And 15 minutes further along Jaffa Road is the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City. Entering Jaffa Gate, you can follow the main street to the right and go down through the Armenian quarter (the Armenians make beautiful pottery products which you will see in their shops) and then follow the street left to get to the Western Wall. The other route (we went both ways) is to go straight ahead from Jaffa Gate into David Street which is a narrow alley lined with shops. Part way along David Street, you can turn left and go to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At the end of David Street, turn right and go into the Jewish Quarter, turn left onto Tif'eret Israel Street, go past the Hurva Synagogue, coming out by the Temple Institute (worth a visit). Straight ahead are stairs to go down to the Western Wall plaza. Just before going down the stairs, we went to the Aish Building (nearby to the right but not easy to find) and went up to the roof (small admission charge) where there is an excellent view of the Western Wall plaza.
Go out the front door of the hostel, turn right and walk straight ahead for 30 minutes (mostly downhill) will take you to the Garden Tomb. This is one location where it is suggested that Jesus might have been buried (Protestant tradition). The other location is in the Holy Sepulchre Church (Catholic tradition). The Garden Tomb is a very peaceful place and we happened to arrive at noon just between tour groups so had a chance to talk with one of the guides there.
There is King of Kings church on Jaffa Road across the street from the hostel for those Christians who want to take in a Sunday evening service (highly recommended - they stream live on the Internet at 5 PM Jerusalem time on Sunday - 10 AM Eastern time in North America.) It's just a short walk over to King George Street where you can catch a city bus to almost anywhere in the city. And there's a light rail stop outside the hostel too. We took the light rail to visit Mount Hertzl Cemetery (last stop on the southern end of the line) where many famous Israelis and fallen soldiers are buried. Yad Vashem, the holocaust memorial, is within walking distance from Mount Hertzl.
So by now you've probably guessed that we had a wonderful and relaxing vacation in Jerusalem. It was kind of short lived, the day after I arrived home I was into a busy year end at work! (If you've actually read all of this, have I interested you in maybe visiting Israel some time? If so, why not just pop over to my Israel web site for some travel information - just click Visiting Israel in the menu.
Below are some pictures from our trip.
And 15 minutes further along Jaffa Road is the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old City. Entering Jaffa Gate, you can follow the main street to the right and go down through the Armenian quarter (the Armenians make beautiful pottery products which you will see in their shops) and then follow the street left to get to the Western Wall. The other route (we went both ways) is to go straight ahead from Jaffa Gate into David Street which is a narrow alley lined with shops. Part way along David Street, you can turn left and go to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. At the end of David Street, turn right and go into the Jewish Quarter, turn left onto Tif'eret Israel Street, go past the Hurva Synagogue, coming out by the Temple Institute (worth a visit). Straight ahead are stairs to go down to the Western Wall plaza. Just before going down the stairs, we went to the Aish Building (nearby to the right but not easy to find) and went up to the roof (small admission charge) where there is an excellent view of the Western Wall plaza.
Go out the front door of the hostel, turn right and walk straight ahead for 30 minutes (mostly downhill) will take you to the Garden Tomb. This is one location where it is suggested that Jesus might have been buried (Protestant tradition). The other location is in the Holy Sepulchre Church (Catholic tradition). The Garden Tomb is a very peaceful place and we happened to arrive at noon just between tour groups so had a chance to talk with one of the guides there.
There is King of Kings church on Jaffa Road across the street from the hostel for those Christians who want to take in a Sunday evening service (highly recommended - they stream live on the Internet at 5 PM Jerusalem time on Sunday - 10 AM Eastern time in North America.) It's just a short walk over to King George Street where you can catch a city bus to almost anywhere in the city. And there's a light rail stop outside the hostel too. We took the light rail to visit Mount Hertzl Cemetery (last stop on the southern end of the line) where many famous Israelis and fallen soldiers are buried. Yad Vashem, the holocaust memorial, is within walking distance from Mount Hertzl.
So by now you've probably guessed that we had a wonderful and relaxing vacation in Jerusalem. It was kind of short lived, the day after I arrived home I was into a busy year end at work! (If you've actually read all of this, have I interested you in maybe visiting Israel some time? If so, why not just pop over to my Israel web site for some travel information - just click Visiting Israel in the menu.
Below are some pictures from our trip.
Glasgow, Scotland - 2015
Mylinda and I received an unexpected opportunity to visit Scotland in August 2015. I had entered a contest on the web site of our Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo for the trip however one never expects to win these contests. But in this case I did. We got the call that we'd won and had to scramble a bit to get everything booked quickly. We wanted to go as soon as possible. Scotland had not been in our travel plans however Mylinda has Scottish ancestry and had always wanted to visit Scotland so this was a perfect opportunity.
The prize package consisted of air fare provided by WestJet, three nights accommodation at the Hilton Glasgow hotel provided by the hotel, two additional nights provided by the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, and an excellent dinner provided by the Arasaig Restaurant in Merchant Square (since closed as of July 2017).
WestJet had a seasonal direct overnight flight from Halifax to Glasgow. We arrived on a Monday morning and the hotel had a room ready for us well before normal check in time (they treated us very well.) We had five days available so we had prearranged two all-day tours to the Highlands with Timberbush Tours. These were excellent tours with very knowledgeable and friendly driver/guides using small comfortable vans. Our first tour on Tuesday was to the West Highlands and the scenery in that part of Scotland is fantastic with all the mountains. Some of our stops that day were at Inveraray Castle (home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Clan Campbell), lunch stop in the town of Oban which is a beautiful seaport town, and the mountains of Glencoe. If you are familiar with a bit of Scottish history, Glencoe was the setting for a massacre of MacDonalds by Campbells in 1692 - full details on this web site. On Wednesday we stayed in Glasgow and took the two-hour city tour so got to see the highlights of Glasgow City from the open top of a double-decker bus. On Thursday it was back out to the Highlands and this time we were going up to the Central Highlands. In this part of Scotland the land is a little more flat than on the West Highlands. The main stops on this day included a cruise on Loch Lomond, a lunch stop in the town of Aberfoyle, and a visit to the town of Sterling. Sterling is famous for its castle that sits on top of a large hill. We didn't go into the castle but took a walk around part of the very picturesque town. The town is on the side of the hill below the castle. We didn't go all the way down because it would have been a steep walk back up! Friday, our final day, was a relaxing day as we had dinner reservations that evening at the Arasaig. We had a delicious dinner in this fine upscale restaurant. It was a very early morning on Saturday as we had to leave our hotel before breakfast to catch the WestJet flight back to Halifax arriving about noon. It was a great trip and I found that I like haggis although only in small quantities - I expect it's an acquired taste. (It was in the excellent breakfast buffet at the Hilton)
I've included a few pictures in a slide-show here.
WestJet had a seasonal direct overnight flight from Halifax to Glasgow. We arrived on a Monday morning and the hotel had a room ready for us well before normal check in time (they treated us very well.) We had five days available so we had prearranged two all-day tours to the Highlands with Timberbush Tours. These were excellent tours with very knowledgeable and friendly driver/guides using small comfortable vans. Our first tour on Tuesday was to the West Highlands and the scenery in that part of Scotland is fantastic with all the mountains. Some of our stops that day were at Inveraray Castle (home of the Duke of Argyll, chief of the Clan Campbell), lunch stop in the town of Oban which is a beautiful seaport town, and the mountains of Glencoe. If you are familiar with a bit of Scottish history, Glencoe was the setting for a massacre of MacDonalds by Campbells in 1692 - full details on this web site. On Wednesday we stayed in Glasgow and took the two-hour city tour so got to see the highlights of Glasgow City from the open top of a double-decker bus. On Thursday it was back out to the Highlands and this time we were going up to the Central Highlands. In this part of Scotland the land is a little more flat than on the West Highlands. The main stops on this day included a cruise on Loch Lomond, a lunch stop in the town of Aberfoyle, and a visit to the town of Sterling. Sterling is famous for its castle that sits on top of a large hill. We didn't go into the castle but took a walk around part of the very picturesque town. The town is on the side of the hill below the castle. We didn't go all the way down because it would have been a steep walk back up! Friday, our final day, was a relaxing day as we had dinner reservations that evening at the Arasaig. We had a delicious dinner in this fine upscale restaurant. It was a very early morning on Saturday as we had to leave our hotel before breakfast to catch the WestJet flight back to Halifax arriving about noon. It was a great trip and I found that I like haggis although only in small quantities - I expect it's an acquired taste. (It was in the excellent breakfast buffet at the Hilton)
I've included a few pictures in a slide-show here.
Israel Again
Scotland was my last trip but Mylinda was off to Jerusalem again just after the Scotland trip in 2015, and again in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 - her tenth trip to Israel. On some of her trips, part of her time is spent volunteering at Bridges for Peace's Jerusalem Assistance Center.
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