A couple summers ago my brother Danny spent three months traveling all over Europe on his bicycle. He rode all day and slept in a tent or on the random couch at night. Being the architect he is, he made sure to visit all the popular architectural sites. Once he returned home, the question he got asked more than any other about his trip was: “which place is your favorite and why?” To this he would heave a big sigh and say, “I can’t choose a favorite! Why is that all anybody wants to know?”
I now understand exactly where he’s coming from. After my four-month long Mediterranean adventure, I get asked this question more than any other. This is why traveling is such an intimate and personal affair; you can’t possibly express to those that weren’t there every site you set your eyes on, every smell, taste, or sound you sensed, and each excitement, pain, love, or heartache you felt. Therefore, if you’re not traveling for yourself but rather for the sake of boasting you’d be wasting your time, as you’ll be sorely disappointed to learn most people can’t fully appreciate the minute details.
Nevertheless, because this is the question most asked, I thought to answer it here. If I had to pick only one favorite place I would gladly return to again, it would be Italy. Italy has Pompeii and Herculaneum, pizza in Naples, the coliseum and Vatican in Rome, the gondola rides in Venice, the Renaissance art in Florence, and much, much more.
But, if I could pick two favorites, then for all it’s history and jaw-dropping effects, I would include Israel. More specifically, the Israeli cities Jerusalem and Nazareth. And because I haven’t yet shared that experience with you in photos, I’d like to do so now:
Jerusalem
Eating Falafel
The Olive Columns.
Nazareth
Baptisms in the River Jordan.
Heart rocks near the Church of the Primacy of St. Peter.
The town of Capernaum and the home of Saint Peter.
