Nazareth and Haifa

This weekend, 2/3 of the Bethlehem gang visited friends in Nazareth and Haifa. After getting turned away for a checkpoint because we were "foreign tourists" and having to retrace our steps through Bethlehem, we were on our way north! Our first stop was in Haifa for some fun in the sun. We hung out on a beach for quite some time before heading on into town for some World Cup watching, beer having and back slapping (all in moderation of course). The next day, we awoke and went to the Baha'i gardens (1st and 3rd picture) where we enjoyed the beautiful scape of land with its immaculately manicured foliage. The garden had 18 tiers of symmetrical and exquisite natural beauty accentuated by impressive white marble and fountains. The place is serene. The gardens are a temple devoted to someone important in the Baha'i faith, who died back in the day. Before I went to the temple I knew nothing about the Baha'i faith. Now, I still know nothing about the Baha'i faith except that apparently, it's sacrilegious to joyously jump in front of their gate. Oops. Oh yeah, and we went to a wedding in Nazareth (2nd picture).