✡ Vacation is finally here! We arrive in Israel and pick up the car, head to Tel Aviv and then to Hadera where we drop off some things to Idan’s mom. I have no idea how I remembered where her shop is. As we walk up to her she suddenly recognizes me and says “Wow you know Hadera well that you found me!” We stopped at the Kinneret and saw Church of The Beatitudes on our drive up to the cabin in Ramot. By the time we made it up there everything is Tiberius was closed for Shabbat.
The morning started with a multi course breakfast presented by our host here in the Southern Golan Heights – fresh fruit, cheese, and Yemenite delicacies. Our host explains that she was confused because Nathan Tableman sounds like an old man’s name. Oh, and asks “Who is Bitton?”
We make the climb up onto the heights and encounter several deserted building, bunkers, and obvious road blocks that would stop an advancing Syrian army. Our first stop is to see a small farm of wind turbines perched atop a hill. Beneath one of them is an old abandoned army bunker. This position has to be no more than 5 km from the border.
I want to show Dan and Anthony the corners of Israel and the first corner is Hermon and Majdal Shams. We drive up towards Hermon and suddenly there is no more Hebrew and everyone is dressed in what I am guessing is Druze traditional garb. I get a little nervous and decide to turn around. No Hermon.
The national park that comprises Nimrod Fortress & The Banias is very close to Hermon and it is our next stop. Again, both spots seem to be filled with Druze and Arabs. The Banias in particular resembles any park in NYC on a warm weekend – full of people barbqueing, playing loud music in an unintelligible language, and kids running all over the place. The falls are simply spectacular. I am reminded again that Israel is not all completely dry!
To complete the loop we head over to Kiryat Shmona – named after the 8 men who died defending the local Kibbutz some 75 years ago – with a stop at the Good Fence in Metula, Israels most northern city.
A quick stop for a cup of coffee and we head back home to our zimmer in Ramot.
I am in love with Osem Bagelah pretzels: completely covered in sesame seeds!