A few years ago, during a meeting of some government and public relations officials about how to improve Israel’s image in the United States, one of the participants wistfully said, “If we could just fly every American to Israel for a week to experience it themselves, then we would no longer have an image problem.”

The group that I’m with [which included American TV actors Mary Lynn Rajskub from 24; Greg Grunberg of Heroes, Alias and Felicity; Shaun Sipos of Melrose Place; Justin Chatwin of Shameless, Weeds and Lost; and Austin Nichols of One Tree Hill] took a bike ride through the Old City. It was just breathtaking.

You can read the whole article about Austin’s trip to Israel here.