Walking in a wonderland

I spent a large part of yesterday looking through some of the photos from our trip and working out which were my favourites so that when we show friends and family our holiday snaps they don't have to sit through thousands and thousands of photos (with Astrid & Christian's photos added to our collection, we have over 3000!). So here are some more from Haifa and later on I will post some photos from Turkey and also India.

Even though we arrived in Haifa in the middle of winter, the weather, although cold, was stunning - clear blue skys and sunshine for ten days straight...perfect weather for appreciating the beauty and tranquillity of the Baha'i gardens, Terraces and Shrines. We chose to walk around as much as possible, (many people opt for taxis or sheruts - a mini-van that operates much like a bus), as the half-hour walk up and down the mountain each day gave us a perfect opportunity to prepare ourselves for the days events, to reflect and to talk about the things that we had experienced together.

Window overlooking a garden inside the Universal House of Justice Building

Stairs leading to Terraces above the Shrine of the Bab

One of the rooms inside the Visitor Information Centre near the Shrine

Gateway and stairs near the uppermost Terrace

Gardens and view of Haifa from the uppermost Terraces

Entrance plaza to Shrine of the Bab and Terraces on Hagefen Street, looking down Ben Gurion Avenue

Pathway on the lower Terraces

Shrine of the Bab lit at night on the ninth day of our pilgrimage

Fountain on the lower terraces

Twenty four days to go...

Twenty four days to go until we embark on our journey to the centre of the Earth - a journey that will culminate in our pilgrimage to the Baha'i Shrines and Gardens on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Haifa, Israel - the most sacred spot on the planet for millions of Baha'is throughout the world.

View of the Shrine of the Bab, the Prophet-Forerunner of the Baha'i Faith

Along the way, we will be travelling with two of our friends taking in the sights, sounds, tastes (yes, and smells!!!) of southern India. As we draw nearer towards our destination we will pass through Turkey, following in the footsteps of Baha'u'llah, the Prophet-Founder of the Baha'i Faith, as He trod the path of exile from Tehran to Baghdad, then Constantinople (Istanbul), Adrianople (Edirne) and finally to the Holy Land, Israel.

We will update our blog regularly so that you can keep track of where we are and what we're up to! Our departure date is Thursday 7th December, and we arrive back in Perth on Saturday 20th January...45 days of what we are both anticipating will be a momentous adventure, both physically and spiritually!