Hello, everyone! I hope you all had a great Fourth of July. We did! People are always so nice to worry about me and the fireworks, but as you can see by this video that my brother took on the boat a couple of year ago, I’m as cool as a cucumber!
Well, I still need to tell you about my brother’s last couple of days in Israel. The group left Jerusalem and headed to Tel Aviv for a night on the shores of the Mediterranean.
As they left Jerusalem, their guide, Ran, asked their driver, Salang, to swing by the new American Embassy, which just moved to Jerusalem. The group gave Ran an American flag hat, and he was proud to be an honorary American for a day!
To return the favor, Ran and Salang had prepared a “Taste of America” surprise for them at lunch. After spending the last two weeks lunching on shwarma and falafel while traveling in the footsteps of the King of Kings, they stopped for lunch at a different kind of shrine: one for the “small k” king – Elvis!
An Israeli gentleman started this diner about forty years ago with a small collection of Elvis memorabilia. It has grown to the point that now people from all over the world send him things! He even sells an Elvis wine, called “It’s Now or Never”. I guess that means you’d better drink it quick!
My brother says that the name of that song reminds him of an old Amy Grant song called “The Now and the Not Yet”. I’m glad they didn’t have a wine called “Heartbreak Hotel” – that would make me a little sad!
My brother said he wasn’t sure which was the bigger miracle: that he could get a cheeseburger in Israel, or that they had Dr Pepper!
Well, here they are in Joppa, looking north toward Tel Aviv. This church remembers where St Peter was when he had the dream about all the animals coming down from Heaven in a sheet. I guess that’s where the cheeseburger part comes in!
Peter was staying at the house of Simon the Tanner when that deliciously loaded sheet came down, and here it is.
The group walked around the old town and then got some gelato.
I would love to have met this kitty cat!
Here is Joppa’s version of The Wharf, where my brother’s and my boat is in Washington, DC.
My brother took this picture looking west toward home. He said that he had had the most amazing time, but that he was still very glad that he was going to get to see me in a little over a day. That’s so sweet!
Actually, I felt the same way. I had a great time at the Yenzers’ house and they took such good care of me. But when I saw my brother, I gave Elvis a run for his money. I guess you could say I was “All Shook Up”. In a good way!
Love, Winston.