Around this time of the year I, and many other residents of Oroklini, head for the port at Limassol to embark on an eight day cruise to Egypt and Israel. We travelled with Thompsons, an English based company who lease their ship from Louis, a well known Cypriot cruise line. As usual the food and entertainment on the ship were well organised and enjoyable. Each year the itinerary varies slightly and trips are added or changed, but the main attractions remain the same: the Pyramids and Jerusalem.

My first visit to Jerusalem was more special than I had hoped. I had imagined a dry, dusty landscape, but Jerusalem is actually surrounded by millions of trees, planted by the Jewish National Fund to commemorate those who lost their lives in the holocaust.

Our first stop was at the garden of Gethsemane, which was beautiful, but much smaller than it had been in Jesus’ time. There we visited the Church of All Nations, with its impressive display of scenes of the Betrayal. Next we moved on to the Western or ‘Wailing Wall,’ as it is more commonly known. This is the most sacred place for Jews, many of whom touched the wall while they prayed and placed their personal notes of hopes and wishes into its cracks and crevices.

The next phase of the tour took place inside the walls of Jerusalem, following the last of the fourteen stations of ‘The Via Dolorosa’, the final journey of Christ to Calvary, where he was crucified. We entered the Chapel of Investiture, which was built at the site of the crucifixion. In front of us at Station Eleven was a depiction of Christ on the cross and a wall of sacred Greek icons. The place where the cross actually stood was marked by a silver disc on the floor underneath the altar. To the right there was a section of ancient rock under glass, the Rock of Calvary, and you could see the huge crack, which suddenly appeared during an earthquake when Jesus died.

On the ground, surrounded by lights, was the Stone of the Unction (or Anointing Stone) on which Jesus’ body was laid after death and prepared for burial. It was a very moving experience as the modern day pilgrims laid their hands upon the stone and prayed.
The last place we visited was the Holy Sepulcher, built on the site of the original tomb, which had held Jesus’ body and was his last resting place before the resurrection. There was a very long queue to enter and we had to be content with a glance outside, but the atmosphere was electric. It was a very special time for many of us who had long dreamed of this visit.

On the way out, our final stop was the stunning Greek mosaic, depicting the stages of the crucifixion and burial in beautifully detailed, golden brilliance.

The trip to Jerusalem was the highlight of a lovely holiday, which also included visits to Jaffa in Israel and El Alamein in Egypt. If you are thinking of taking this trip, look out for special offers. The cruise is affordable and relaxing and the trips are breathtaking.