Easter in the Garden

Well we made it to Jerusalem on Sunday morning!  It was a super early start, but well worth it.  It was a classic case of making sure we left early enough to not be late,  but then catching every bus perfectly and being super early!  Oh well - we got to see the sun rising as the bus drove over the hills into Jerusalem (except that I slept most of the way there...)  We managed to find our way there, taking the light rail for the first time.  We also had time to stop for coffee downtown and then walk along the old city walls to the Garden Tomb.  The service was in English and a local church's band was playing.  It was kind of funny to see the garden all decked out with a sound system and speakers but it was necessary since there were at least 200 people there.  Kind of a weird feeling to be singing about Easter and realizing that everything went down in this general area.
The benches were set up all throughout the garden - we were sort of in the front middle: benefit to arriving an hour early :)

He is not here, for He is risen: (door to the tomb)

As we were waiting outside I found this funny sign - note the 3rd Sunday Service.  I wonder what "Scandinavian" sounds like?  Also - "son-rise"?  groan. (maybe I always thought it was sunrise growing up but it's actually been this 'punny' the whole time?)

After the service we stayed in Jerusalem for lunch.  One thing I love about Israel is the cafe culture - everything is so nice and laid back. It was a gorgeous sunny day and pretty hot too.  Yay for spring!

One thing about Passover is that all of the coffee chains have hiked their prices.  One of them explained that they have to buy all this special food, and replace all of the cutlery so that it is "kosher for Passover".  Also we went to the grocery store, and I had this idea that only the yeast and bread items would be covered.  Alas - apparently there are millions of products that aren't considered kosher for Passover and so the grocery store has aisles and aisles of sheet plastic taped over them -taunting you with their cereals and pastas just out of reach!  We wondered what would happen if you grabbed a product from behind the plastic and try to buy it...but I'm too chicken.  I don't want to get humiliated in Hebrew in my local store.

To finish the day, Zach made this...because we stocked up on yeast and flour the week before :)