joeturner

worth it for the hot-pools alone.

I worked on a farm in Harstad for 3 months one Summer. As a town it is nothing particuarly spectacular, but the scenery is amazing. Make sure you visit in time for the midnight sun.

Tromso is a beautiful town in the fjords. If you can persuade someone to take you for a walk in the nearby mountains, the views are tremendous. Expensive.

Hebron, home of the Abraham mosque/complex, venerated by Jews and Muslims.

The city is divided into several areas of control, with some being adminstered by the Israelis and some by the Palestinian Authority.

The main ‘new’ city is a bustling town with quite a lot of shops and things going on.

The old city is a disaster area. Here, Israeli settlers live literally on top of Palestinian shops separated by a thin layer of barbed wire.

Expect normality – but also expect to see military presence.

One you get there (expect hours of delays and questions), it feels quite normal most of the time. People are friendly and like to talk and drink coffee. Tourists are a rare commodity, so expect to be treated like gold-dust.

Last Summer I visited Bethlehem as part of a business trip. The greater Bethlehem area comprises of three smaller towns – Beit Jala, Beit Sahour and Bethlehem.

As a town under occupation, the people are unable to leave without a passport. Queues at the checkpoints (for cars) last 3 hours+.

The old town is a network of narrow roads and tall buildings and churches leading towards the main square and the church of the Nativity. Everywhere there are empty shops selling trinkets to non-existant tourists.