Happy Birthday to me in Nazareth and Haifa

I was informed earlier this year that 33 is known as your Jesus year. You are to live life to the fullest and do the things you want to do making this year special, because Jesus died when he was 33 so you are to live it up. So isn’t it appropriate that I would spend the transition day from 33 to 34 in Nazareth where Jesus grew up. I just think that that is a little funny. Happy Birthday to me!

My birthday morning consisted of a great workout of 700+ steps down through the beautiful  Baha’i Gardens after I had taken what they call the subway, but what is really a funicular ride up to the top. The Baha’i religion of course as this seems to be the Jesus tour is a religion that welcomes everyone and this garden is one of their Holy Places, with their spiritual leader’s remains buried in the golden dome.  The gardens are cared for by over a hundred gardeners. It also offers a beautiful view of Haifa and the Mediterranean Sea. PS it is also free to enter and take the 1 hour “tour” workout. It is only offered once a day.

So being the end of my Jesus year now that I am 34, I ended the Jesus year in Nazareth. It was neat to see again the religious sites we so often hear about. The Basilica of Annunciation​on is built on the former location of Mary’s house. All religions but the Greeks believe the angel Gabriel came to Mary at home, they believe the angel came while she was collecting water, so there are two sites to see.

Karen and I are just back from a great dinner out for my birthday in the German Colony of Haifa. It is beautifully lit up with spectacular lights in the Baha’i Garden and “fariey lights” as Karen calls white Christmas lights on the patio of the restaurant we ate at. At the restaurant over the loud speaker they played a cheesy electronic version of Happy Birthday and gave me a combination of a sparker and firecracker to hold while they played the Happy Birthday song and gave me a lovely dessert.

Click on this link for Haifa and Nazareth Photos