Week -1 The day before

This summer I'm going to be spending six weeks in Jerusalem, at a summer school run by the Conservative Yeshiva, a Reform Jewish rabbinical college just outside the old city. I'll be studying modern Hebrew in the morning and some aspects of Judaism in the afternoon. But just as important, I think, will be a chance to live for six weeks in a place that for millennia has been the focus of so much attention.

I'm not at all sure what to expect but that's part of the adventure. The other part, as many of you will know, is the fact that I am doing my best not to fly this year. So, as of tomorrow morning, I'll be setting off from St Pancras on a ten-day journey through Europe, Turkey and into the Middle East by train and bus. I arrive in Istanbul on Friday morning, where I'll stay for a couple of days. And after that it will be across Turkey, into Syria and down via Damascus and Amman to the border crossing into Jerusalem. All being well I'll be arriving in Jerusalem on June 26.

I like writing blogs of my travel and it seems a good way of staying in touch with my friends at home. I'll be updating this when I can, maybe once a day or so if there's stuff to tell. And I'll put some photos up too. And in the meantime, have a great summer, stay in touch, feel free to add comments and catch you soon.

David