for more photos see: http://www.flickr.com/photos/21984041@N08/sets/72157623888348517/
We arrived at our Hostel in Tel Aviv (Gordon Inn) and got to bed at about 0400 Thursday morning. We were so tired, we did not care that we had to climb four flights of stairs, the shower wet the floor all the way into the bedroom, and the 'view' out the window was of the wall of the building behind us. The bed was clean, and as a matter of fact, so was the room, but the a/c did not work. It was about four hours after turning it on that the somewhat cool air began to flow. We just could not face another night of heat and humidity, so, after a complimentary Israeli breakfast buffet, we packed up, walked a few blocks and booked a room at the Renaissance on the beach. I know: "Travel Snobs" and "Wimps" - we own up to those labels.
After a good nap, we took a walk down the beach to the port of Jaffa, had schwarmas at the restaurant Alan found two years ago,
and walked back up the beach to take photos of the sun sizzling down into the Mediterranean (Deb's first time to see the
We're now (Friday evening) in Rosh Pinna, on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee (really just a lake). We rented a car and drove up the coast from Tel Aviv, the northeast from just south of Haifa, past the turnoff to Nazareth, and up a long hill to the Safed Inn (near Tzfat/Tsfat/Zafat, etc.). It is much cooler here than Tel Aviv, and there are trees on most of the hills--part of the 235 million trees that Israel has planted over the last 50 years.
The weather and land resemble California a good deal, except for the mugginess. I think that Israel is the only other country, besides the US and Canadia, in the world where (1) people speak English, (2) they drive on the right, (3) you can drink the water, and (4) many places will accept dollars.
Debbie gave me a scare after dinner by wandering out of sight into a souvenir shop in Jaffa last night. I could not find her for about ten minutes! While there she spoke to two Canadian ladies last night in Jaffa who recommended the Safed Inn so we ditched our plans to travel from Tel Aviv daily and have the comforts of the Renaissance Hotel, to "roughing it" in Safed in a B & B. the Renaissance was wonderful, with crisp sheets, A/C that could put icicles on your wet hair, and a sumptuous breakfast, but it was very expensive and not near any historical sites, so we rented a car, filled it with the most expensive gas I've ever bought (must be good stuff at $9/gallon), and headed for the hills.
The proprietor of the inn is the third generation owner, who told me his grandfather hauled water 10 km up the hill with a donkey in order to plant the first trees here in 1936. The owner's wife is American, so we feel right at home. They directed us to a restaurant about ten minutes' drive down the mountain to Jish to a fabulous Mediterranean meal of about a dozen salads and side-dishes and lamb/cow kebab accompanied by lemonade and a Baklava-like dessert of shredded wheat, cheese and honey. If we did not know better, we would think we had driven through the Napa Valley, as there were vineyards on either side of the road most of the way. There were also forests of pine, eucalyptus and cedar flanking the roadway's hairpin turns.
Debbie has spent the day reading of all the places we should visit here in the north. After dinner I'll find out what tomorrow holds in store!
For now, "Shabbat Shalom" from Goldenbear70 and his Honey
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