An Unjustly Overdue Post

After disappearing from the blog-o-sphere for some time, I have returned and offer the following brief updates:

1. Following my return from Jerusalem, I ventured to Haifa with an entourage to nosh at Fattoush (arguably, one of the best restaurants in Israel), visit the Bahai gardens, and enjoy the Haifa International Film Festival. Nearby the film festival, we ventured into a bazaar offering food and gifts to moviegoers.

Photos of the trip as follows:

Labne at Fattoush in the German Colony (note hummus with garlic and mushrooms in upper-right of photo)


View of the Bahai gardens from the German Colony (note that the Shrine of the Bab seen in the distance marks approximately only half of the way to the top of the gardens)


View of Haifa from the tayellet (promenade) on top of Mount Carmel


How bazaar! (Sorry, I couldn't resist)


View of Haifa from the tayellet (promenade) on top of Mount Carmel at night

2. After a day off, we traveled north again heading further east towards the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). We spent the night at kibbutz Tel Katzir, a kibbutz with a rich history given its proximity to Syria prior to the war in 1967. I learned that eucalyptus trees, not native to Israel, were planted along the road to the kibbutz to prevent the Syrians from seeing military trucks heading north. Additionally, the kibbutz has bomb shelters throughout, with paths dug from places on the kibbutz such as the kindergarten to the shelters to protect members of the kibbutz from constant shelling by Syria. Apparently, members of the kibbutz could tell whether a rocket was coming from Syria to Israel or leaving Israel for Syria based on sound alone to determine whether they should take cover. The kibbutz also constructed a wall to prevent Syria from observing the daily workings at the kibbutz from the Golan Heights. However, following Israel's acquisition of the Golan at the conclusion of the war, members of the kibbutz recalled being able to see over the wall from the Golan. Oy...so much for preventing onlookers from abroad.

The return trip to Tel Aviv included stops in Zichron Yaakov and Caesaria. Since I'm returning to Zichron Yaakov in a few days as part of my official program to study the first significant waves of Jewish immigrants to this region, I'll skip the explanation for now. Caesaria offers everything one would expect of Israel's West Palm Beach. A golf course, a wealthy retirement community, fancy restaurants, a picturesque beach, and, um, ruins? Yes, Caesaria's rich history dating back to the Roman period allows one to walk through ancient ruins sitting along the Mediterranean Sea. Is there any wonder why Bibi likes to hang here?

Photos:

Sunset over the Kinneret from the kibbutz


Entrance to Zichron Ya'akov, established by Baron Edmond de Rothschild during the First Aliyah


Ruins and all along the Mediterranean, Caesaria

Zehu. That's it for pics from my Sukkot travels. Now to catch up with my move to Arad and some of the things that I've been doing here in the Negev...