Time for a Pilgrimage to the Holy Lands?

Perhaps like me, you grew up attending Sunday School, learning about the legends from the Bible.  I know that for me, David, Sampson and Solomon were big heroes, even more so than Zorro, Superman and the Lone Ranger, whom I understood to be just fiction.



The former seaside port of Ephesus (as in Ephesians)

Years later when I made it to college, a close friend took his own life, and I had a hard time dealing with that. I began attending church more religiously and bringing a Bible with me to read while waiting for Business classes to start.

At the same time, I did yoga along with a PBS Television class daily and meditated regularly in Mom's green backyard under a magnificent apricot tree.  Incidentally, that fruit tree became incredibly abundant with sweet, juicy, thoroughly delicious apricots, so much so that we would give bag after bag away every summer and still have lots to enjoy ourselves. 

I must have begun to present myself differently from the rocker I believed I was.  When working on a group project with a half dozen others in a Manpower Management class at Long Beach State, one of the other students uttered the slightest profanity, something not nearly as offensive as what seems to have become somewhat common language among young adults these days.  He turned to me and quite sincerely said, "Oh, I'm sorry Wes.  I didn't mean to offend you."  I smiled and said no apology was necessary.

What a diffferent world it has become since then.

Over the years, I've always felt a strong relationship with God and been extremely grateful for His many blessings.

While I'm not a medieval knight or Muslim who feels compelled to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and the Holy Lands, it is a place I've dreamed about since my earliest memories, a land where heroes for the ages arose.

Have you always dreamed about visiting the Holy Lands?

There's no time like the present, but a "trip of a lifetime" frequently requires more time to plan and save for, so perhaps you'll be ready for your sojourn right about when Viking introduces its Holy Lands cruise.

Viking Ocean Cruises is a sister line to Viking River Cruises, which has been the market leader in river cruising in Europe and beyond for several years.

With their ocean cruise product, they are basically taking the features that made them popular on the river to ocean voyages.





As such, while their prices at first glance seem high, they do include an introductory shore excursion with local guides in every port, and on board free wifi, free alternative dining with a choice of 11 restaurants, plus complimentary beer and wine by the glass with lunch and dinner served on board the ship.

All things considered, this more inclusive cruise costs more than, for example, Celebrity Cruises, which is a very deluxe large ship, even after similar excursions and some allowance for the rest is allowed, but small ship cruising has nonetheless become increasingly popular with experienced cruisers.  In any case, Viking's itinerary has very succinct descriptions of excursions to amazing sites which can be easily explored on a Holy Lands cruise.