Monday, June 22, 2015

Orthodox Church Tour, 7 days | Cana Guest House

Orthodox Church Tour, 7 days | Cana Guest House

The Orthodox Church tour is specialized designed to serve a group of Orthodox believers.

All Tours Include:

Guided visits of churches of choice. We have created the itinerary
of churches available by default for Orthodox believers, but it is the
final choice of the group, which churches they really prefer. We discuss
this at the time of arrival at Cana Guest House.
Art, architecture and history explanations
Time for observation, exploration and/or silent worship

From the moment the group arrives in Israel,
they will be welcomed by Cana Guest House from the airport by Cana
Guest House personnel and the guide for the group. A comfortable bus
with air conditioning and WiFi
is waiting to bring them to Cana Guest House. Depending on the ‘mood’
of the group, we will stop on our way for a snack or a quick bite to
eat.

Arriving at Cana Guest House, a feast is waiting for the group, while
the evening everyone has the ability to browse through Cana and visit
the famous churches, which are located next to the Cana Guest House.
Furthermore we discuss the schedule for the next day.

The next day, the actual tour starts. The group will be picked up by a
touring bus and brought to the first sight, according the schedule. The
guide stays with the group from the beginning to the end. Optionally, a
priest can assist the guide and of course the group.

Holy Masses can be arranged each day, depending on the demands of the group.

Day 1: Arrival

Day 2: Bethlehem: Church of the Nativity. Haifa: St. John St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, Baptist Center. Nazareth: Church of the Annunciation, Christ Church, Local Baptist Church.

Day 3: Around Sea of Galilee: Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha, Holy Mass on the Sea of Galilee

Day 4: Jerusalem: Via Dolorosa, the Room of the Last Supper and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem Baptist Church (The Baptist House Center), First Baptist Bible Church,

Day 5: Jerusalem: St. George’s Cathedral, Christ Church, Tomb of Mary, Gethsemane, St.Anthony Patriarchate, St. Mary’s Church, St. James Cathedral, St. Michel Archangel, St. John the Baptist

Day 6: Jerusalem : Christ Tomb, Christian Quarter, Temple Mount, St. Helen’s Church, St.George’s Monastery, St. Mark’s Church, St. Constantine Convent, Praetorium, Via Dolorosa

Day 7: Departure

Groups of all ages and beliefs, from park districts to families or
curious individuals, are welcome to join one of our tours. An
experienced guide will explain thematic and architectural elements of
the structure, speak about the history of the particular parish and its
ongoing progress, as well as reserving time for quiet observation or
prayer at each location.Our tour guides are experienced guides and
trained Cana Guest House staff.

Your schedule for each day for all our tours is huge. For that
reason we discuss each day your schedule with you. Some groups want to
see everything, other groups not.

Also, sometimes a security alert might change a schedule. In those cases we have multiple alternatives ready.

Masada and the Dead Sea Day Tour | Cana Guest House

MASADA AND THE DEAD SEA DAY TOUR

JUNE 22, 2015 CANA GUEST HOUSE LEAVE A COMMENT EDIT

Before we go with this tour, please dress appropriately. Count on the fact that you will be covered totally by mud! Ah! And the heath! Take hats. And water, at least 3-4 liters! The guide takes his pink umbrella against the sun!

We’ll begin our tour descending to the Judean Desert. You and others from you group are being pickup up (from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Nazareth or Tiberias) by our comfortable bus with air conditioning and most importantly WiFi and you have in the bus the chance to recharge your mobiles. That’s needed for the photos and your Facebook pages while on tour!

Pay attention to your guide if he is the Dutchman. He loves his sweets and his cakes and you can see that. Some of Cana Guest House thinks that he is tour guide in the effort to lose some weight.

Anyway, we approaching the Judean Desert. That means that it’s warm (outside), and cool inside.

We are moving towards Masada. Masada is a rugged natural fortress, of majestic beauty, in the Judaean Desert overlooking the Dead Sea. Masada is a symbol of the ancient kingdom of Israel, its violent destruction and the last stand of Jewish patriots in the face of the Roman army, in 73 A.D. It was built as a palace complex, in the classic style of the early Roman Empire, by Herod the Great, King of Judea, (reigned 37 – 4 B.C.). The camps, fortifications and attack ramp that encircle the monument constitute the most complete Roman siege works surviving to the present day.

You need to realize that the tragic events during the last days of the Jewish refugees who occupied the fortress and palace of Masada make it a symbol both of Jewish cultural identity and, more universally, of the continuing human struggle between oppression and liberty. That’s serious stuff.

Ask the guide to tell his battle stories! He knows loads of them, describing how the Romans were attacking and the final moments when they breached the defenses (after years of fighting)! He’s not only telling it, also trying to enact it with waving arms and his particular expression on his face, and don’t laugh (out loud) when he is hopping and jumping to demonstrate the battles and fights!

That said, it’s time for some excitement. We will see your guide and his interaction with the cable car. That’s funny. So … we are taking the cable car, which we use to tour the remains of the Herodian Fortress.

The fortress is built by King Herod two thousand years ago. Touring the sites, we’ll revisit its history and heritage, relating to the up rise of the Jewish Zealots against their Roman overlords. Don’t expect to see the fortress as the image above here, but ruins. Your guide was there, so he can tell you about it, he claims.

Be aware, it’s hot out there. Please take care for proper clothing and a hat, but I said that already. Did I mentioned the water? When you have the luck to have the Dutch guide with you, you will witness his pink Umbrella. He claims it’s the perfect protection against the sun. If the bottles are too heavy, give them to the guide and let him drag it.

We then leave Masada and head towards The Dead Sea, one of the most toured sites in Israel by tourists and locals alike. You will enjoy a mud bath of course. Well, that’s what everyone wants or think they need to do. But why?

The most important reason of course is because of the famous female pharaoh Cleopatra. Ah! She was so beautiful. And she used the mud from the Dead Sea too, just like the guide (but in secret)!

The mud is to be so restorative that hundreds of thousands of tourists visit the Dead Sea each year, while stores around the world peddle skin products made from its mud and salt crystals.

If that is true or not, you can test it right there.

Dipping in the sea itself is also highly recommended, experiencing the Dead Sea’s unique attributes, allowing for extreme ease of floating and effortless swimming.

If you want to dive in the Dead Sea, you will be disappointed. You can’t. It’s like watching a cork drifting on water. Why that is? Ask the guide, he knows. Ask him to demonstrate.

Before you try diving into the Dead Sea, or want to swim or float, look out before it’s too late. It hurts! It hurts so bad, the guide is screaming for his wife. When you have a little scratch or wound on your skin, you will feel it stinging!

To come back to the Dead Sea mud. Take some jars or bottles with you and some bags and fill it with the mud. You can always try to force your husband or family members using the mud at home. If it is too heavy, give it to the guide, your personal donkey.

Keep the guide from the ice creams!

Well, in this tour, we don’t have time to visit Ein Gedi and the Qumran caves, so the bus will pass those sights and you and the guide may wave at it. Ein Gedi is an oasis in the desert and a green Garden of Eden in the wilderness and as you will see, it’s situated on the shore of the Dead Sea. Three years ago, the guide managed almost to drown into a waterfall of 30 cm. Ask him about it. He will claim a 2 km. waterfall.

In the Qumran caves, near the Dead Sea, archaeologists dug up the oldest Bible (the Dead Sea Scrolls). Before the guide was a guide and in training, he was the only one who lost his way in the caves. Now he knows them all!

And we pass the impossible ancient city of Jericho. Archaeologists dug up so many cities that they lost count. It’s said that Jericho is the oldest city in the world; 9000 BCE.

If you want to know more about this day tour, fill in the form below.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Amazing Food at Cana Guest House! | Cana Guest House

Whatever you can eat in Israel, in a hotel, the food is prepared all the same. Except in Cana Guest House, the food is home made. And not only that, it’s Middle Eastern cuisine!

Tradition food consists of all essential ingredients needed for a healthy balanced diet

Slow cooker Middle Eastern garlic chicken, adapted from the grilled chicken

If you want to eat original Middle Eastern cuisine, you don’t need to stay at Cana Guest House. You simply call them and visit; the food will be waiting for you. When you are on a Jesus Trail tour, call them or pay them a visit and you will eat what you see here, only better..

Tel: 972-4-6517186 or Mobile: 972-50-4007637

(If someone wants to exchange recipes, talk with Suav at Cana Guest House)

And what food makes it typically Middle Eastern?

Hummus

Hummis is a mashed chickpea dip made with tahini, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. It is an enticing appetizer, served with pita bread.

Tahini

Tahini is the foundation of many good Middle Eastern recipes. The paste can also be used as a spread on bread and crackers.

Falafel

Perhaps the most widely recognized Middle Eastern food is falafel. The fried balls made of chickpeas, onions and spices make for a tasy appetizer or light vegetarian meal. Falafel makes a great sandwich inside pita bread with veggies.

Tabouleh

Tabouleh is a salad that has a nice “kick”. It makes a great alternative to a traditional salad; tabouleh is made of cracked wheat, mint, parsley and more.

Pita Bread

Pita bread is a staple in the Middle Eastern diet. It is served with just about every meal. Warm, toasted, stuffed, or dipped, pita bread is the most versatile food in Middle Eastern cooking. It’s easy to make, too!

Baklawa

In the Middle East, baklava is called baklawa. The spelling may be different but the tastes are very similar. The Greeks use honey, while in the Middle East, orange blossom or rose water is used for the syrup. This delicious desert may be time consuming, but well worth the effort!

Baba Ghannouj

Baba ghannouj is a vegetarian favorite. It’s smooth and creamy texture makes it ideal for dipping pita bread or vegetables.

Turkish Coffee

Turkish coffee is famed for its bold, rich taste. It has a hint a cardamom and is prepared carefully in an ibrik and allowed to sit a minute before serving to allow the coffee grains to fall to the bottom of the cup. According to a Turkish proveb “coffee should be black as hell, strong as death, and as sweet as love”.

Foul Mudammes

Foul Mudammes is boiled fava beans with spices. Some people prefer them mashed, and foul is traditionally breakfast food eaten with pita bread.

Turkish Delight

Turkish Delight are sweet candies called lokum in the Middle East. Made from sugar and cornstarch, these candies are irresistible!

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Catholic Churches in Israel | Cana Guest House

Here is the collection of Catholic churches, which is base and core materials we use to create the church packages for our customers. Instead of keeping this information on file, we decided to share this information with those, who are interested in it.

In case we have forgotten something or maybe (God forbid) we were wrong, please let us know and place a remark at the end of this page. We have of course the similar page for the Orthodox churches in Israel.