Mount of Beatitudes + A Game of 'Interpret That Sign!'

Most of Israel's highways and landmarks are incredibly well marked by signs in English, Arabic and Hebrew. It is nearly impossible to drive more than fifteen minutes without seeing a sign for some famous landmark, a biblical site or place of historic significance.

So after our somewhat out-of-the-way stop at Tsafed, near the Sea Lake of Galilee, we spotted a sign for the Mount of Beatitudes and decided a quick stop was in order, after all, how often is one in Israel? So we pulled off at the turn and found ourselves staring at... not exactly what we'd envisioned the place the Sermon on the Mount was delivered to look like.

We were at a convent.

There was a church, a gift shop with a cafe and espresso stop, a big nunnery, a series of immaculately groomed lawns, a great view of the Sea of Galilee, some of the weirdest looking gardens I've ever seen, a CACTUS TREE and one of the best, easy to misinterpret "Do Not" signs in the history of the human race.

A photo essay:

The Sea of Galilee. The hills around the "sea" are mostly covered in food crops now, including a LOT of banana trees.

 The Church

 One of the strange little garden areas... this fountain totally looks like something that belongs in the movie, The Goonies, at least to me.

 CACTUS.TREE. Tree on bottom. Cactus on top. Seriously. Mind. Blown.

The best "Do Not..." sign ever. No Doberman Pincers. No short pants and socks without shoes. Always whisper seductively. No cutting martini glasses with forks and knives. No guns. No Smoking.