BBC News
By Yolande Knell
image copyrightGetty Images
image captionThe Milk Grotto dates from the 1870s but the site s importance goes back to Biblical times
Usually the narrow, gently winding street to the side of Bethlehem s Church of the Nativity would be bustling with souvenir sellers.
They hail passing tourists in English, Spanish, Polish - trying to guess their nationality.
Today, with foreign travel here virtually impossible because of the pandemic, the shop windows are firmly shuttered - like eyes closed tight.
It s deserted when I reach the Milk Grotto too, although that s not so surprising - this little church is often overlooked by visitors on rushed trips around the Holy Land.