Happy Birthday to meeee!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to meeee!!!!!!! 12/30

This morning the sun was shining a perfect hue of warmth and my roommates managed to keep it down until an appropriate hour. Today was “a sunshine day!” I went to enjoy the huge buffet of Israeli breakfast and coffee. I sat with my new friends from the Netherlands that I met last during one of my jaunts to the bathroom. Somehow I looked like an authority on physics (fake it ‘til you make it, right?) and in their beer induced odd conversation began a discussion on the discovery and properties of electricity in the middle of the night. When in Rome...(or Nazareth). Anyway, I was eager to get on the road. Christina was packed and ready to go so we hopped in the car and made a beeline for Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee.

The water level meter: they continually
measure the water level.

Christina testing the water.

I’m still amazed by how easy it is to get around this country and how quickly you can get from place to place. We drove into Tiberias in less than 45 minutes. It is obviously a tourist summer town that probably comes to life during the Spring and Summer. It was nice to be their when it was quiet. We walked along the boardwalk and went to sit out on the docks. The morning haze hadn’t burned off yet so it looked like the Sea of Galilee and the sky were in a continuous flow. It was beautiful.

Where is the horizon?

Finally a visible shoreline.

From Tiberias we decided to take the longer scenic route on the eastern edge of the shore. Diving down from one of the hilltop ledges heading to the north we drove past gorgeous green rolling hills and then suddenly past an old abandoned stone village.

Christina navigating the mud and rocks in her flats!

The stone village

The valley below.

We pulled over and found a trail to hike on. The signs were in Hebrew, but one of the locals explained it was just an old village that was abandoned, nothing special. Regardless, it was beautiful. Two local dogs followed us and other hikers along our trek. We came out the other side to see a huge valley with a stream at its depths and could hear a waterfall below us. I sat on a rock that felt like it was floating in the air and just absorbed the sun and scenery. Sad to leave, but deciding we had more to see we hiked back to the car trying to avoid more ankle stress and mud potholes.

Floating on the rock.

Back in the car we found our way to Qazrin in search of a winery. According to the guidebook it’s located in an industrial park. Pointing to the right, Christina jokingly said, “maybe that’s it” as we passed a gas station and market area. Driving along we turned into a Jewish Heritage Center to make a u-turn and drove up on a kid that had just dropped to the ground having a seizure. Not even thinking, the car seemed to pull itself over, my seatbelt unbuckled, I was up and out of the car asking what had happened and assessing him. His companions didn’t really know him; they thought he was dehydrated. They called an ambulance but didn’t think it was coming for 40 minutes. He was maintaining his airway but still seizing. As far as they knew he had no medical problems and wasn’t on meds. Asking for his bag revealed no clues. By that time the first responder with a slightly more than basic kit arrived and was followed shortly by the ambulance who shuttled him to the hospital.

We took our leave to return to our hunt for the winery. It turns out it was in the industrial park we passed on the way in. Hungry we stopped on the brewery for food and made friends with a slightly sarcastic (understatement) and opinionated waiter who was eager to pick our food selections since we clearly didn’t know what we were doing. Full and ready to explore Israel’s wine offerings we finally went to the winery. We were snuck into the tasting room to join another private tasting and thoroughly enjoyed our comedy host and sommelier behind the bar.

In the same park was an olive oil mill which caught our eye. Making an impromptu stop we had the place to ourselves and got the complete taste test tour of their olive oil and then were introduced into their beauty products. Dangerous! Managing to leave only mildly unscathed from there, the sun was setting so it was time to make our way to Tzfat.

The Yardin winery glass.

Winding through the mountains we found the small hostel that Christina was staying at for the night. The owner gave me directions back to Rosh Pina where I had splurged on a boutique hotel. Ten minutes later I drove into this idyllic town of old stone homes, hills, and lots of greenery with wonderful views that I wouldn’t appreciate until the next day.

I was waited on hand and foot with the manager of the restaurant checking me into the hotel and showing me my room, “we upgraded you because we could.” Awesome! “You have a private jacuzzi with candles and bubble bath if you want.” Yes, please! “Breakfast is served until 1pm tomorrow.” Can I move in?

I followed him back to the restaurant, planted myself at the bar and made him play director of my birthday dinner. I got a free wine tasting followed by roast duck then made him choose a dessert to celebrate my day.  Ten minutes later a molten chocolate lava cake with lit sparklers was placed before me with his kitchen and wait staff trailing behind him to wish me a happy birthday. Thoroughly embarrassed, but appreciative, I enjoyed every bite and told him he’d chosen wisely.

Throughout the rest of the night he introduced me to the locals as we discussed travel, healthcare (their topic choice, not mine) and my the plans for the rest of my trip. Everyone had an opinion on where I needed to go. The most common reaction, “Twelve days? That’s only a taste!” This country is smaller than the size of New Jersey, you would think that 12 days would be more than enough, but I can tell already it’s not.

Thoroughly satiated from a good day with good company, good wine, and good food I indulged in my personal jacuzzi and then passed out in my wonderfully cozy bed feeling thankful for a great birthday and thinking this next year is going to be my year! :)

Finding hearts and love all over this country!