Chapter 36In December, in honor of her thirty-sixth birthday, Macaire took Ruth to Haifa, where they stood by the balustrade on top of Mount Carmel, looking out over the port and an attractive collection of manicured terraces.
“It’s beautiful,” Ruth said. “I’ve only been to Israel once before, to the Dead Sea and Jerusalem.”
“Then you can appreciate how exceptional this place is.” Macaire pointed. “Below there is the Bahá’í World Center, in itself spectacular in terms of landscaping, architecture, and tenets. At its bottom is a road lined with ancient buildings by the Knights Templar, plus a Baptist church—one of several churches in the city. To the far left is the Stella Maris Monastery, and behind us, the Mahmood Mosque.”
Ruth gazed in wonder at all there was to see.
“In its shared d
