Pilgrimage to Ecce Homo Convent

My Israel 2018 friends are flying home today. I'm staying 2 more weeks. I guess they're flying past Iceland about now. 

Sisters of Notre Dame de Sion

Meanwhile I made it to Ecce Homo Convent. 

So grateful to my sister, the Reverend Emily McColl, for telling me about this bed and breakfast for only $69 per night. It's situated two stories above the courtyard of Pilate's palace, where Jesus was flogged and put on trial. (Rulers held court just outside the entrance to their homes--court yard.)

It took 1 1/2 hrs from the front desk of our hotel (Dan Boutique Hotel at 31 Hebron Rd.) to my room. Rather strenuous. Thank you to Narel, the desk clerk at the hotel, for calling a taxi. I thought having the address was enough, but Narel asked which gate I wanted to go to. He explained that most taxi drivers will not go into the Old City. Too difficult on the narrow roads filled with pedestrians. He lives in the Muslim quarter just north of the Western Wall, but he no longer drives to his home. He parks just outside the wall of the Old City and walks to his home.

After studying the map I said I wanted to be driven to Herod's gate "Not the Damascus Gate?" he countered. I kept repeating,"I don't know" ("Ani lo yodeat"). 

Indeed the driver would not drive to convent door, just to Herod's Gate. Cars are not welcome inside the walls of the Old City. 
From there I hauled my bags to 41 Via Dolorosa and checked in. Beautiful convent of the Sisters of Norte Dame of Sion, founded in 1856. 

Then quite a maze to get to my room. Elevator to third floor, down stairs to a patio, around a few corners, down more stairs and corners to my room.

Barbed wire separating the convent from Palestinian Israelis

View from one of the balconies of Ecce Homo Convent

 Just above me are Muslim apartments with children playing on the balconies.

At 2:30 pm there was a call to prayer. I'm taking it as a call to nap time. 🙂

The icon in my room

View from another balcony