Christmas eve in Bethlehem

I am a bit worried about John Edwards. He is being very strict about our schedule. The first thing I heard this morning was panic that it was 8.30am and Kate shod have been on her way to collect the turkey. This is very unlike John. He isn't normally one for sticking to timings. I can think of more than one wedding that he has arrived after the bride (although fortunately not his own or ours.)

At 9.30 we were on schedule to head to Bethlehem for our first visit of the day. It takes about 20 minutes to drive there from here and we pass through military check point to get onto the West Bank. The IDF are out in full force today. Seriously. Men with machine guns like everywhere. Craziness.

In Bethlehem we stop in Manger Square to watch the parade. They remind me of the parades I was in when I was in the brownies as a child.

There is such celebration. I am also very warm in my Ugg boots. It is really warm here compared to home. We wander through the Church of the Nativity. Like many of the famous churches in the Holy Land it is divided into various sections, by denomination. And whilst there is much evidence that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, there is little that this is where X marks the spot. Still, for me, it is a place to spend a few moments reflecting. Here we are stood outside this famous church:
We then head to buy some secret Santa goodies. As we wall down one of the streets by the church a young boy hassles us to buy chewing gum off him. My heart is saddened as I see all the sores on his face. There is much poverty here, especially amongst the Palastinians.

Bethlehem on Christmas Eve is far from any Christmas card scene you would imagine. It is busy. There are policemen everywhere. There are parades. There are TV crews and jounalists. There are tourists and locals. It has a very real military presence that you are acutely aware of. It is a built up middle eastern town:

It even has it's own take on Starbucks:

We head back to Jerusalem and Jonny and I head into the Old City whilst John has to go and get the wing mirror fixed, which was broken whilst we were parked in Bethlehem. Having been here before we know our way around and wander through the streets of the stations of the Cross in the Christian quarter. We meet Kate outside the Holy Sepleche. John Edwards isn't here so we can go off schedule and buy jewellery and then head to the Austrian hospice for the best apple strudel in the world. And then it feels like we are on top of the world as we climb to the top of the hospice and look out at the views across the city. Truly amazing.

We get back on schedule and return home to them head back to Bethlehem. It is the first service of the day. Carols in shepherds field. We meet some of the clergy. The Bishop here is bishop of 5 countries. The carols are sung in both English and Arabic at the same time. It is a little strange. As is the American tune to O Little Town of Bethlehem. And the message is a little different. But the messages of hope ring true.

The rest of the gang sip whisky to keep warm. I hate the stuff so don't.

The very British tradition on eating far too much at Christmas is still live and kicking in this house. I am missing out on chocolate right now. We still have Christmas Eve roast beef and midnight mass at St Georges tonight. Although my Jonny may opt out of that and play on the wii instead. And try some more whisky. John Edwards made sure that was on schedule throughout the day. Christmas Spirit of the alchoholic variety.