Our day started (simulating Holy Thursday) by celebrating the Institution of the Eucharist and the washing of the feet in the Upper Room. Many of these locations are prefaced with the comment, “this is the place – or nearby – where Christians have been commemorating the Last Supper”. The point is not to say absolutely, “this is where it happened” but with a gap of over 300 years, we depend on the recall of these earlier Christians and the passing on of memories through the generations. I always trust the good instincts of the late scholar Fr Jerome Murphy-Connor OP who wrote the “bible” of archeological comments on the holy sites. We celebrated Mass in this church, the guardians being the Franciscans who have been in the Holy Land since the visit of St Francis.
Gethsemane is down the southern wall of present-day Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley, normally crossing a busy street into the Garden. With the heat of the last few days, we were thankfully bussed downhill. We had a memorable visit to ourselves locked in as we had a pass, that allowed any or all to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation. These gnarly old olive trees below could be 2,000 years old. We were privileged to spend an hour in this place of beauty and memory. The flowers frame the eastern wall of the Temple Mount.
Last stop of the day was the palace of Caiaphas, known as the Church of St Peter in Gallicantu. Jesus, now arrested by Judas’ betrayal, has been dragged across town to the “palace” plus Peter’s three-fold denial in the courtyard of the palace. All that is really left is a staircase from the site.
Below, Peter saying to the servant girl, “I do not know the man!!!!
Madeira and the Azores - November 2016 
Wow, this is great commentary Paul. Wish we could be there with you. The cumulative affect on pilgrims who visit all these holy places must be very spiritual. Safe trip.