I guess I need to start writing about my experiences on my "holiday" away.
And I'll start at the start- with the first story we were told as we bundled off the plane and into a blue and white tour bus.
You drive out of Tel Aviv airport and straight into bits of history lying around.
Just outside Tel Aviv is the town of Lod, which is where St George is said to have been buried.
You probably think you know who George was. Yeah, he's the one with the dragon, patron saint of England. Blah blah.
George surprised me. Because George was originally a Muslim. Who went around during the crusades killing Christians. He did eventually convert to Christianity...
What a great way to reclaim the mythic status of the George flag from footballers and far right groups. George also surprised me by being all over Israel and Palestine.
Turns out that George is also the patron saint of Palestine too. And it's believed that he lived in the areas around Bethlehem during his childhood years. Christian houses can be identified with a stone-engraved picture of the saint (known as Mar Jiries) in front of their homes for his protection or over the doors. In one hotel in Bethlehem, Saint George appears over the lift, as well as many other places throughout the structure.
