10 days Israel
Last night we returned from a great vacation in Israel. We had the best tour guide ever, trying to show us as much of the country as possible in the short time. Even though we were there for ten days, we barely scratched the surface. Must go back for longer at some point.
As for the current political situation: were always accompanied by armed guard/medic on outings. Machine guns everywhere on soldiers as well as civilians in the street. We never felt like there was any danger, but security is certainly tight. The newspapers were full of the recent events.
Here's the itinerary of our trip:
22.06.06
Arrive in TA, wait for Uncle Husky and Auntie Sheilah, drive up to the 'Mitzpeh HaYamim' spa in the Galilee. There, we meet up with Matt's dad and sister+bf, Uncle Eddie and Auntie Nancy (very sweet), Bar Mitzvah boys with parents. Spa is nice place which grows and produces all its food in their bio farm with goats/sheep for milk, vegetable garden and orchard. Flowers everywhere, green oasis in the dry landscape.
23.06.06
Delicious huge buffet breakfast. (We will no longer mention breakfast explicitly and assume it understood that every day was started by a huge buffet. Yummmm!) Followed by walk around property. Goat tenders invited us to share their Arabic coffee - sweet and strong. Petted goats, picked mulberries and oranges, admired unripe pommegranates on tree. Spent afternoon in Safed, the city of Jewish mysticism (no Madonna/Esther sightings) and one of the holiest cities for Jews. Then went for swim and relaxed by the pool for the rest of the day.
24.06.06
Spa relaxation day: swimming, reading, eating, playing ping-pong, making various experimental concoctions at the self-serv herbal tea bar. In the evening went to hotel movie screening - summer camp flashbacks.
25.06.06
Head to Jerusalem. Beautiful hotel 500 meters away from the Old City's Jaffa Gate. Walked around the old city for two hours with Matt's dad, Eddie and Nancy. Saw the Western (Wailing) Wall with Al Aksa mosk and Dome of the Rock in the background. Ate best Shawarma ever in the Jewish quarter. In the evening start of the official entertainment program: welcome reception on terrace in lovely old Jerusalem neighbourhood. Afterwards the young folks walked to Ben Yehuda Street, the center of Jerusalem's nightlife.
26.06.06
Went to Holocaust museum Yad Vashem - guided tour, impressive museum (sad). We then participated in a touching ceremony, dedicating the twins' Bar Mithvah to two kids that had been killed by the Nazis before ever reaching Bar Mithvah age. Tree planting after lunch - supporting the goal of reforesting the hills of central Israel, organized by the Jewish National Fund. Then Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv (Palmach was an underground militia active during the British mandate responsible for smuggling many Holocaust survivors into Palastine and fighting the War of Independence in 1948). Dinner in Abu Gosh, an Arab village near Jerusalem.
27.06.06
Visit of army base near the Westbank city of Tulkarm - guided tour of the "frontier" (security fence and checkpoint). Lunch with soldiers (and photo op :) ). Trip up to the Galilee, kayaking on Jordan river, drive past Lake Kinnereth and the former border with Syria (Golan), through Jordan valley (West Bank) towards Jerusalem, stop near Jericho for dinner and entertainment (bongo drumming and singing) in a Beduin tent.
28.06.06
Get up at 4:30 am to climb the Herodian mountain fortress of Masada by the Dead Sea in the early morning while temperatures still bearable. Guided tour of excavations. Late morning and early afternoon floating in the Dead Sea - impossible to sink. Drove past Qumram caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Jeep ride in the Judean desert with introduction to Beduin lifestyle (more grateful than ever to live indoors). Special anniversary dinner at open air restaurant in Jerusalem for celebrating Uncle Husky & Auntie Sheilah's 46th wedding anniversary.
29.06.06
Bar Mitzvah ceremony on the Tel Zion promenade overlooking Jerusalem (great location - incredible view). Tour of the Western Wall excavations. The part of the Western Wall that we see is only a small part of the original structure, more of which can be visited in underground tunnel. Went to Church of Holy Sepulchre to see Golgotha where Jesus was crucified according to the Catholic tradition, the tomb of Jesus and an actual tomb from 2000 years ago. So much bible everywhere! Shopping in the Old City. Big Bar Mitzvah party in the evening at the Bible Lands Museum. Fantastic - great museum, great band, great food, great time.
30.06.06
Drive to Tel Aviv with stop at a secret bullet factory run by the Jewish underground during the 1940s (British mandate). After checking into the hotel, went to the Carmel produce market and the Nahalat Binyamin arts and crafts market. Visit to the beach - Matt went into the water at his own free will - the Mediterranean is warm. Watched end of soccer game and cheered Germany's victory over Argentina. Midfielder Micheal Ballack is such a dreamboat.
01.07.06
Went to Jaffa of Jaffa orange fame with Eddy&Nancy, beautifully restored old neighbourhood now home to many artists and galleries. Had beer on the beach, dinner on lovely patio in the first neighbourhood of Tel Aviv.
02.07.06
Depart. Sob! Matt nearly not let into plane because of his weired travel schedule this summer which seemed suspicious to them (Canadian just having travelled to the Stated then visiting Israel and returning to Germany...).
Photos to follow...
As for the current political situation: were always accompanied by armed guard/medic on outings. Machine guns everywhere on soldiers as well as civilians in the street. We never felt like there was any danger, but security is certainly tight. The newspapers were full of the recent events.
Here's the itinerary of our trip:
22.06.06
Arrive in TA, wait for Uncle Husky and Auntie Sheilah, drive up to the 'Mitzpeh HaYamim' spa in the Galilee. There, we meet up with Matt's dad and sister+bf, Uncle Eddie and Auntie Nancy (very sweet), Bar Mitzvah boys with parents. Spa is nice place which grows and produces all its food in their bio farm with goats/sheep for milk, vegetable garden and orchard. Flowers everywhere, green oasis in the dry landscape.
23.06.06
Delicious huge buffet breakfast. (We will no longer mention breakfast explicitly and assume it understood that every day was started by a huge buffet. Yummmm!) Followed by walk around property. Goat tenders invited us to share their Arabic coffee - sweet and strong. Petted goats, picked mulberries and oranges, admired unripe pommegranates on tree. Spent afternoon in Safed, the city of Jewish mysticism (no Madonna/Esther sightings) and one of the holiest cities for Jews. Then went for swim and relaxed by the pool for the rest of the day.
24.06.06
Spa relaxation day: swimming, reading, eating, playing ping-pong, making various experimental concoctions at the self-serv herbal tea bar. In the evening went to hotel movie screening - summer camp flashbacks.
25.06.06
Head to Jerusalem. Beautiful hotel 500 meters away from the Old City's Jaffa Gate. Walked around the old city for two hours with Matt's dad, Eddie and Nancy. Saw the Western (Wailing) Wall with Al Aksa mosk and Dome of the Rock in the background. Ate best Shawarma ever in the Jewish quarter. In the evening start of the official entertainment program: welcome reception on terrace in lovely old Jerusalem neighbourhood. Afterwards the young folks walked to Ben Yehuda Street, the center of Jerusalem's nightlife.
26.06.06
Went to Holocaust museum Yad Vashem - guided tour, impressive museum (sad). We then participated in a touching ceremony, dedicating the twins' Bar Mithvah to two kids that had been killed by the Nazis before ever reaching Bar Mithvah age. Tree planting after lunch - supporting the goal of reforesting the hills of central Israel, organized by the Jewish National Fund. Then Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv (Palmach was an underground militia active during the British mandate responsible for smuggling many Holocaust survivors into Palastine and fighting the War of Independence in 1948). Dinner in Abu Gosh, an Arab village near Jerusalem.
27.06.06
Visit of army base near the Westbank city of Tulkarm - guided tour of the "frontier" (security fence and checkpoint). Lunch with soldiers (and photo op :) ). Trip up to the Galilee, kayaking on Jordan river, drive past Lake Kinnereth and the former border with Syria (Golan), through Jordan valley (West Bank) towards Jerusalem, stop near Jericho for dinner and entertainment (bongo drumming and singing) in a Beduin tent.
28.06.06
Get up at 4:30 am to climb the Herodian mountain fortress of Masada by the Dead Sea in the early morning while temperatures still bearable. Guided tour of excavations. Late morning and early afternoon floating in the Dead Sea - impossible to sink. Drove past Qumram caves where the Dead Sea scrolls were found. Jeep ride in the Judean desert with introduction to Beduin lifestyle (more grateful than ever to live indoors). Special anniversary dinner at open air restaurant in Jerusalem for celebrating Uncle Husky & Auntie Sheilah's 46th wedding anniversary.
29.06.06
Bar Mitzvah ceremony on the Tel Zion promenade overlooking Jerusalem (great location - incredible view). Tour of the Western Wall excavations. The part of the Western Wall that we see is only a small part of the original structure, more of which can be visited in underground tunnel. Went to Church of Holy Sepulchre to see Golgotha where Jesus was crucified according to the Catholic tradition, the tomb of Jesus and an actual tomb from 2000 years ago. So much bible everywhere! Shopping in the Old City. Big Bar Mitzvah party in the evening at the Bible Lands Museum. Fantastic - great museum, great band, great food, great time.
30.06.06
Drive to Tel Aviv with stop at a secret bullet factory run by the Jewish underground during the 1940s (British mandate). After checking into the hotel, went to the Carmel produce market and the Nahalat Binyamin arts and crafts market. Visit to the beach - Matt went into the water at his own free will - the Mediterranean is warm. Watched end of soccer game and cheered Germany's victory over Argentina. Midfielder Micheal Ballack is such a dreamboat.
01.07.06
Went to Jaffa of Jaffa orange fame with Eddy&Nancy, beautifully restored old neighbourhood now home to many artists and galleries. Had beer on the beach, dinner on lovely patio in the first neighbourhood of Tel Aviv.
02.07.06
Depart. Sob! Matt nearly not let into plane because of his weired travel schedule this summer which seemed suspicious to them (Canadian just having travelled to the Stated then visiting Israel and returning to Germany...).
Photos to follow...