I have been reading some of my friends Xmass blogs and really liked the right background of the common issue on all of them –THE WHITE SNOW….That is how it should be…
So let me share with you our Xmass that also happened to be our Anniversary in Eilat ,the city on the Red Sea.
I will let the pictures speak for themselves and leave you all with a blessing for a BETTER year to come.
While Europe,Canada,parts of the US and even Australia (where it is summer now) are covered with snow we are experiencing this lovely weather in late December,although we would like to have some more rain if it is not to much to ask for..it is sad to see the “poor” brook almost dry.
Any how we decided to take advantage of this weather and took of to the Northern part of the country called Galil and as expected not to many people where out there in the middle of the week and that is what we like.
We hiked along the Zalmon brook and although the water level was really low still we could enjoy the hike,the surroundings and the small water pools traps along the way.
After taking it easy for about 3 miles we decided to head to the old city of Akko situated on the Mediterranean Sea and has a long history ,ancient structures and I would like to share it with you.
As we spend summers traveling with our 5W in North America we try to catch up with our local travels during the winters.
Usually the winters are quite mild in this part of the world so clear skies and crispy days are very common here that makes the outdoors activities very attractive.
All you have to do is be dressed as an “ONION” meaning layers of clothes that can be taken of or added accordingly to the weather changes,the trail has to dry and not muddy after a heavy rain ,add to it good company , good mood and you are set to go.
Our tour bus picked us up at 6AM and others on the route to South Golan Heights to Gamla and ancient Synagogues.
If you are interested to read about one of the most heroic battles (even more than Masada) go to http://www.jewishmag.com/40mag/gamla/gamla.htm and read all about it.
The trip ended at 8PM but till then we hiked around 7 miles on a beautiful day (a little hazy) and visited 3 ancient synagogues ,Gamla and had a surprise birthday party to one of our friends during the lunch break.
The tour guide was very informative and gave us the feeling that we are experiencing the old times and the events as they happened.
Till we meet again…
We live in Israel and RV every summer for 4-5 months since 2002 ,each trip to different States/Provinces, winters (that are very milled) we spend at home with family and friends.
So as you can see we are now at home while the RIG is stored in Ontario waiting for us to pick it up in the spring.
I have posted our next RV plan on the blog and will be happy if you can send you remarks/suggestions on it.
Yesterday I read some of your blogs and found myself missing the the travels and the RV life although we just got back from a 4 months trip in November,so we decided to take advantage of the great weather today and drove to the OLD part of Tel-Aviv .
The city is going through a lot of changes,the old section is getting an uplift while around it skyscrapers are blocking the sun and changing the atmosphere for the worst,doesn’t it happen everywhere?
We parked the car in a central location and wondered around by foot trying to go through old alleys,markets and old fashion restaurants.
I wish I could bring you the smells and the sounds of the market and the restaurants,but till this high-tech will kick in you will have do with the pictures as they here (try to imagine…).
As you can see it is impossible to escape the Modern buildings,they are everywhere,one person that lives still in one of the small old houses told us that the skyscraper built next to him blocks the sun completely and he can not even use the solar panels to heat the water…
The alleys and the small renovated houses that kept the “old flavour” are very nostalgic and inviting,just strolling down the alley,stopping at a coffee shop for a drink or an Ice-cream is very enjoyable,you can find old book shops,second hand stuff,old praying places from all religious and PEOPLE speaking different languages .
The next stop was the market that has it all,fruits,vegetables,flowers,food stands, a lot of GREAT smells and colors.
Then we hit our favourite small restaurant that specializes in meat soups that are prepared on small flame above an old small stove for hours ,the smell and the taste is just fantastic,the owner goes around and adds soup to your plate (not the meat) whenever she sees the level is reaching the bottom of the soup plate…so you will never leave hungry.
The soups come with a special pita that is usually dipped into mixture made from herbs,lemon and garlic,so after that you need a good glass of herb tea to “clean” the air.
I hope you enjoyed traveling with us in the OLD town although you must leave your RV behind…(But I envy you that can do it year round..)
Till we will be back on the road again…
