NAZARETH OLD CITY      Just north of the Basilica of the Annunciation lies the Old City of Nazareth.  It’s complete with limestone buildings, winding streets, narrow alley ways, and treasures for the needs of local shoppers as well as pilgrims to the city.  I would still probably be lost wandering its streets if it were not for my phone giving me a step-by-step location for where I was at the moment.  It was a maze, but I had the key to the maze.

It reminded me of markets I’d visited in Turkey and Morocco.  However, the days of bustling tourists filling the market are gone.  Most of the doors to shops had been locked up and there were very few vendors.  I stopped for Turkish coffee (I hate Turkish coffee.) with a man who spoke English and wanted to share his travels in America.

Nazareth must not be far from the Garden of Eden.  I saw the biggest strawberries, radishes, and heads of lettuce that I’ve ever seen.  It was probably my most interesting find in the market.