David Sokol Photography: Day 10 - The Old City of Jerusalem

So today was going to be the day of walking - and we did. Other than a 30-minute lunch break we walked from 8:30am through 5:00pm. Tired at the end? You bet.. We climbed up steps, down other steps, walked inside in tunnels, and outside in markets and archaeological sites.

The weather was windy, cold and showery when left the hotel but we might as well have been in Melbourne because no sooner were we caught in a shower of rain then we'd be sweating in the sun, and five minutes later shivering in the cold wind. But, really, it showered for no more than 10 minutes all day which was so against the weather forecast. And we were happy about that.

We started the day at Mt. Zion where we visited the tomb of King David and then we walked back to enter the walled city and the Jewish Quarter, which was constructed after the city was unified at the conclusion of the Six-Day War in 1967.

We then stopped at the Cardo, meaning the "heart" of this Byzantine city. We saw the ancient Roman thoroughfare and marketplace lined with columns.

Then we visited the four Sephardic synagogues in one cluster building in the Jewish quarter, all of which have been beautifully restored.

No time for coffee breaks because it was time head down the stone stairway, past our first security check, down to the holy Western Wall - the Kotel.

In front of the Kotel is an incredible labyrinth of tunnels, arches and passageways that have remained untouched for centuries. We visited the incredible excavation of the "Underground Rabbi Tunnels" of the Western Wall and then continued onto the Southern Wall excavations. Here we visited the Davidson Centre, one of the most significant archaeological sites in Israel.

Then via the Muslim Quarter markets we took our half-hour lunch break at a cafe that advertised "the best pizza in Jerusalem" - well i hope they're wrong about that otherwise Jerusalem is in pizza trouble. But we drank it down with freshly squeezed lemon & grapefruit juice with fresh mints sprinkled on top. now that was worth going there for.

once lunch was over we moved as a group to the Western Wall, but with time for each of us to spend at the Wall in our time of prayer or reflection. This is what many people came on the whole tour to experience. For me, after getting over the fact that the Wall that is above ground was very much smaller than I had imagined, I found it was a strangely emotional few minutes for me at the Wall and a time that I will never forget. After that we re-assembled as a group for a group photo with everyone's camera (that's 39 photos!) before heading off.

We moved next to the Jewish Quarter's markets for some free time for shopping, although my priority was finding a place for a decent cappuccino - I didn't realise how much I miss my coffee during the day. We also saw the large mural of the Cardo with many of us having our photos taken to blend in with the painting.

The last stop on this day was to walk out of the Old City via the Jaffa Gate to visit David's Tower Museum and see the ancient remains of the city beginning with the first Temple period.

Tonight, for me, it's a get-together with my friends Nao, David, Debbie and another couple visiting from Melbourne and that will be a lovely way of relaxing after a pretty hectic and emotional day.