Preface: This is being posted on the 4th day of our 4 days at sea! From now on, we have no tours over 4 1/2 hours and the trip will not be as port intensive so maybe, just maybe, I'll get some more posts up!
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Our shore excursion for Day 3 in Israel was "Herod's Dream - Caesarea Maritime". We'd not heard of it but the write-up looked interesting so we Googled it and booked it. Part of picking this excursion was it was only 4 ½ hours! Nice after the 10 and 12 hour ones in the two previous days! What a pleasant surprise! It was far larger than we expected. Not only were there the ruins of Herod's Palace but those of a theater, hippodrome, harbor and a good portion of a full city.
We visited the theater while we waited our turn for the 10-minute movie about Caesarea. The movie was great and WELL worth the wait!!
The hippodrome looking from the palace ruins. According to our guide, Herod could stand on the second floor and look out to watch the chariot races.
A walk through the wall and we were on our way back to Haifa.
From there, we could also see our "home" waiting for us at the port, ready for departure at 3pm.
We were sincerely looking forward to the next two days at sea with trips to the spa for hot stone massages to relax our overworked muscles! YEAH!!
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Our shore excursion for Day 3 in Israel was "Herod's Dream - Caesarea Maritime". We'd not heard of it but the write-up looked interesting so we Googled it and booked it. Part of picking this excursion was it was only 4 ½ hours! Nice after the 10 and 12 hour ones in the two previous days! What a pleasant surprise! It was far larger than we expected. Not only were there the ruins of Herod's Palace but those of a theater, hippodrome, harbor and a good portion of a full city.
We visited the theater while we waited our turn for the 10-minute movie about Caesarea. The movie was great and WELL worth the wait!!
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Part of the original walls of the theater.
The hippodrome looking from the palace ruins. According to our guide, Herod could stand on the second floor and look out to watch the chariot races.
My "Mantique" with the ruins of the hippodrome behind him.
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The remains of the Roman era public bathhouse. Note the mosaics on the floor.
What it looks like today.
And in the same area, a now in ruins warehouse building. Note the bricks and the arch perpendicular to their original position!
From the bathhouse, we walked through the old marketplace. Note the more intricate mosaics on the floor.
The harbor from the era of the crusaders. Earthquakes and neglect have taken their toll.
What it looks like today.
And in the same area, a now in ruins warehouse building. Note the bricks and the arch perpendicular to their original position!
A now dry moat around the city walls.
A walk through the wall and we were on our way back to Haifa.
On the drive back, we drove back across Mt. Carmel, high above the city of Haifa and made a brief "photo op" stop to see the beautiful Baha'i Shrine and it's gardens. We learned that Haifa is the international headquarters for the Baha'i faith. Honestly, I cannot recall ever hearing / reading about that faith! That of course, took me to Google!!
Some folks actually walked down into the gardens but after 3 days of heavy walking up and down hills, we chose to stay at the top and enjoy the view.
From there, we could also see our "home" waiting for us at the port, ready for departure at 3pm.We were sincerely looking forward to the next two days at sea with trips to the spa for hot stone massages to relax our overworked muscles! YEAH!!
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