Jerusalem, May 2

We took off from Raquel's home at about 10:00 a.m from Jerusalem. We made it without much trouble to our hotel in West Jerusalem. We quickly settled in and then took off for the Old City, which is really, really amazing. I read in my book that whatever is built in Jerusalem over a particular size must be built in Jerusalem stone, which is a particular kind of golden limestone. It makes the city quite beautiful. We walked around the old city for about four hours. We went through the market, it is all over, really, and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where there were lots and lots of Christian visitors. There were no signs at all, and so luckily I had my Fodor's guide, and Kristin managed to orient us and then guide us around. It has what is purported to be the tomb of Jesus, and many, many different corners and floors down to explore.

After our visit to the church, we then headed to the Western Wall, where we watched the people at the wall with the separation of men and women. We tried to visit the Dome of the Rock after that, but it was closed for the day. We then tried to get outside the old city in order to walk up to the Mount of Olives. Well, it turned out that Ben failed in his navigating skills, and we arrived at the opposite gate from the one that we wanted. We turned around and walked through the market again. It was no problem because it is so interesting.

We did make it out the proper gate and then went up the Mount. We saw the Garden of Gethsemane and the Christian Jewish Cemeteries. It was quite a hike up hill, but the view into the old city was just amazing. We went all the way up to the top of the Mount of Olives where there were signs showing us what we were seeing across the horizon. It was quite impressive. We also met a camel up there who seemed to be just hanging out.

We decided that a taxi home was a good idea. After some rest, we took off in center city to dinner at Mona, one of the restaurants recommended by Fodor, and it was quite good. We the walked around the area and headed for home. So far, I have not really found any shopping areas that match he quality of shopping areas in the U.S.

Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bengoldstein/sets/72157624006318934/

Mount Tavor, Rosh Hanikra, Akko May 1

This Saturday morning, we got up and got ready for the next chapter in our adventure. We first went to the top of Mt. Tavor, which has a church or two on the top and has wonderful views of Kefar Tavor, and the surrounding countryside, filled, of course, with cultivated fields and dotted with villages all around.

After that visit, we went back home, packed our car and then took off in two cars for Rosh Hanikra, which is at the most northern and western part of Israel, just at the border with Lebanon. The stone there is made of chalk and fossils from the sea, and the waves have carved out beautiful caverns that we visited. It was very, very nice. We also saw what is left of the railroad track that was built during the Second World War, when there was a need for a land route from the Middle East to Europe. So volunteers came from all over, including Israeli Jews, before there was an official Israel. They dug through the stone in the cliffs in Rosh Hanikra and built a railroad from Israel to Tripoli all in one year.

From Rosh Hanikra, we drove down the coast to Akko, which has a walled city in its old part that dates back only 4,000 years! It was a city involved in the Crusades, and Napoleon tried but failed to conquer it. It was quite impressive with a very busy port and market. We had another Middle Eastern lunch there - delicious - and then we took off going south. At one point, Rani and Ilana left us to go back home and we continued on to the Ben Gurion Airport to pick up Kristin.

Kristin arrived in good time and looking wonderful, and then we returned to Raquel's home where the family gathering was in full swing. Ben's Aunt Ruthie and Uncle David Goldstein were there. Ben's cousin, Raquel, and her son Avi, his wife Karen, their tw0-year old son, Adam, were there. Raquel's daughter, Vered, was there. Ben's cousin, Ella, and her son, Asi, his wife, Limor, and their one-month old daughter were there. Ella's daughter, Edith, was also there. It was a big, noisy, fun gathering of people speaking, Hebrew, English, Spanish, and French! We had a lovely time!

Golan Heights, part 2, April30

We drove down to visit Ben's cousins and visit the kibbutz a little, then we went to the kibbutz restaurant called Cowboys Restaurant, where we had a delicious lunch with all six of us, and then Ahuva's son, who is 18, stopped by to visit. We really enjoyed visiting with them and watching the horses outside the restaurant - there were about 30 of them. Like many kibbutzim, this kibbutz has guest houses and had horseback riding for guests along with the farming, and a volcanic rock quarry and electric motor manufacturing.

After lunch, we drove the a very scenic road through the Golan Heights to Sha'a Yeshuv, next to kibbutz Dafna, where there was a memorial for 73 young soldiers who died in a double helicopter crash in 1997. It was a really beautiful memorial.

We continued on the road back to Gadot to see the bunker from which the Syrians used to shoot on the kibbutzim in the valley. It was a beautiful view, and we could see how dangerous it was.

From the bunker, we drove through the east coast of the lake and stopped at a kitchen store just to please Ben. Then we went to Beit Gabriel, where the peace treaty with Jordan was signed, and we saw an exhibition of quilts. It is a beautiful center on the south side of the lake that was built with funds from Mrs. Gita Shraber, who built it in memory of her son. It has a restaurant, exhibit rooms, a movie theater and faces on the lake with beautiful flowers.

Then at the end of long and fun day, we came home. Ilana cooked a delicious meal for us before we began this blog.

Visit to Golan Heights, April 30

This morning, after a delicious breakfast with Ben's omelet and cheeses from Ilana and Rani, the four of us started out for the Golan Heights. First we went to a shop called Tamar Bakefar, which means dates in the village. It was a great shop that all kinds of herbs and spices and dried fruits and all different kinds of dates from date palms! We bought dried pears that were delicious!

Then we went up on the Golan Heights on the east side of Lake Kinneret (Lake Galilee), and we went to Kefar Haruv, which is a viewpoint called Peace looking out over the Lake. It was quite beautiful though it was a bit hazy. The important thing that Rani and Ilana wanted us to understand is how the Golan Heights under Syrian control allowed the Syrians to bomb and kill Israelis all around the Lake and in all their Kibbutzim.

Then we went to see a spring of mineral water called Mey Eden. The place was called Salukia, and it was quite lovely with water flowing over rocks into little fountains within wonderful bushes and flowers. We walked all around and enjoyed it a great deal.

After the springs we headed for Mt. Bental and Coffee Anan (Anan is cloud in hebrew), which is a play on words obviously. This mountain had on top of it, besides the coffee shop, an Israeli bunker for fighting the Syrians. We actually went through the bunker - that was very scary. There were recorded devices that told the story of the 6 day war and the Yom Kippur war in 1973. It was so beautiful to look out over all the cultivated fields of grapes and other fruits and olive trees. From the top of the mountain you could look down on Kibbutz Merom Golan, which was developed after the 6 day war and then had to be evacuated during the Yom Kippur war. After our visit to the mountain, we went down to Merom Golan, because Ben's other cousin, Ahuva, and her husband, Tato, live there!

Rosh Pina, Kibutz Gadot, Tiberias, April 29

After we left the visit, we then went to Rosh Pina a pretty town with old, stone houses, and boutique shops. It was very cute and nice. We stopped at the cafe and had coffee, coke, etc and a wonderful chocolate dessert. It was very cute, and the food was delicious.

Then we hurried to the Kibutz Gadot in order to visit before it got dark. We visited with Ilana's friends who live on the Kibutz. We walked all over and asked lots of questions. It was pretty and very interesting. It turns out that none of the kibutz's are really socialistic any more. In most of the kibutz's people live and work either on the kibutz or not, but they get paid by the kibutz and have their own property though they do not own their homes on the kibutz. This kibutz has lots of farm land and grows vegetables and fruits. It also produces lots of cheeses; runs a big guest house (64 rooms), and runs a cafeteria and laundry. There are 150 members of this kibutz and about 300 people living there. Parking is on the outside, and you walk around in between all the buildings in the kibutz. It was a wonderful visit.

From the kibutz, we drove home, but by way of Tiberias, which is right on Lake Kineret with big hotels and all.We will see more of the Lake tomorrow as well as the Golan Heights and Lebanon. We are now home and happy to relax and tell you all our story!

Now we try to have lunch, April 29

After the wineries, we looked for the sisters' restaurant in Shchenia - try to pronounce that! So Rani thought that the GPS was completely stupid and didn't follow it until Ben found the same directions on the map! Anyway, once we got there, we found out it has closed. The sisters are gone, and it is now a catering business. So then we turned around and went to an Arab restaurant in Cowcab in a gas station. It was actually next to the gas station and quite nice. Anyway, we ate a ton of delicious middle eastern food. So good! We stuffed ourselves and then went off to visit Agamon Hahula. Let me explain; it is in the Hula Valley where there used to be a big swamp that polluted the Lake Kineret: Galilee Lake. So starting in the 1950's the people started to dry out the swamp and return the area to a good natural habitat. So one can now go there and with your ticket drive a club car the 6 miles around the whole natural area and see all kinds of birds and plants and animals. It was really quite nice. We really had fun going all around and seeing the Pelicans, and Kingfishers, etc.

Haifa, Trip to Kfar Tavor, April 29

We got up early in our great hotel and had a wonderful Israeli breakfast: Israeli salad - cucumber, tomato, onions; tabouleh salad, cheese blinzes, an on and on. It was great. Then we packed up to leave and drove up the mountain to see Ben's grandmother's house. Well, it turns out that Haifa has grown just a bit in 34 years. There was incredible traffic! Anyway, we found the house, and Ben enjoyed a few moments of nostalgia, and then we got going to meet up with his cousins, Ilana and Rani, who live in Kfar Tavor, which is a small town about an hour east of Haifa pretty close to the sea of Galilee. We had a hard time when we arrived because the number of the house goes with the neighborhood instead of the street. So we had to call Rani who came out in the street to find us!

We soon left with them on our adventure. We first went to visit a winery in their neighborhood and tasted some white wines, but we didn't get a tour. It is called Tavor. Then we went next door to the marzipan museum, actually, just the store. And there we bought lots of marzipan and chocolate covered raisins. Then we visit three more wineries in neighborhoods around them, but on the way, we saw many, many olive trees - is that an orchard? - and we stopped to touch and photograph a 300 year old tree. The whole area around here is farmland for olives and wines and other fruits and vegetables. After the olive tree, the first winery was was Rimon Winery, and it is wine made of pomegranates! We never heard of that, but these folks have been doing it for eight years. They also have a winery for wine made of grapes. Well, we tasted, and I really liked the sweeter wine and the port wine, and we bought that one. Then we went to Mils winery and Ben tasted the red wines. He thought the wine was pretty good, but he didn't buy any. The third winery was a bit more difficult to find, but it had very good wine, and Ben bought it. That winery was Ben Zimra. We really had fun with those.