Born Free

We are free and our army duty is complete. Today our group has a trip and then the weekend. Five of us have finished the two weeks while the rest are going back on Sunday for week three.  Outside the dorm we were handed a certificate and pin to thank us for our service.

We boarded a bus with two groups from other bases and headed south of Haifa. We toured the detention camp Atlit and it was a fascinating site. Jews from Europe and others were held here by the British and refused entry to Palestine from 1939 until after WWII. It was very difficult for these Holocaust survivors who were again subjected to barbed wire, showers, disinfectant and armed guards watching them.

Atlit was in a state of deterioration and has been restored as a museum. There are barracks, entry hall and other buildings to tour. There is also a Latvian fishing boat similar to those used in the blockade. We went aboard and were treated to a multimedia program that was quite impressive. It showed life on the boats and the arrival in Palestine.

Now we are headng south to Tel Aviv. Most of our group have headed north for the weekend and we said our goodbyes. There was sadly no ceremony for our departure. One madricha simply handed us our certificate and pin this morning as we waited for the bus. I hope they do more next week for those who stay on.

Finally arrive at the central bus station in Tel Aviv and found a sherut to Jerusalem. The five of us from our group are all staying in the same area and get dropped off in front of each place. Jeff and I are at the Abraham Hostel.

It is a large place with people of all ages and from many lands. Our private room is very comfortable with two twin beds pushed together, storage and a counter with sink and mini refrigerator. Lots of toilet paper and decent towels. We brought our towels and pillows so we are extra comfy here. Our friends Sue and Bob stayed here last year and gave it a good recommendation. It is a great location too.

After unpacking we took a short walk to the Mechane Yehuda market. It is a fabulous, large shuk (market) with produce, restaurants, and anything else you can dream up to buy. We saw a doggie store and a place with a huge variety of halava.

I purchased the pecan halava and will go back to try some others. Jeff got some carrots and tangerines and we got six big bottles of water to keep us hydrated. We had dinner at the shuk and it was an experience. My cousin Eleanor had recommended a fish restaurant near the spaghetti place. How we found it is so crazy, but well worth the visit. We asked at the hostel about the spaghetti place and the guy said it is called, "Pasta Basta." When we were walking around we asked for this place and got directions and sure enough the fish 'n chips was right across the way. The gal recommended the panko coated cod and we found a nice table where we could watch the world walk by.

Our meals were so good! Large portions of crunchy, moist fish with really good French fries and three kinds of dipping sauces plus ketchup. I had not had anything to eat today so I was famished. Afterwards I bought some baklava and just tried one bite as it is so rich and buttery and delicious.

We are back in our room now and ready for sleep. Tonight they spring ahead with their time and we have changed our watches. We have had quite a day and quite a great vacation.

Red Roses for a Blue Lady

Our last day of work is bittersweet. We have had such a good time and yet anxious to go touring. Started off with another sunny day and hard boiled eggs for breakfast. After the flag raising ceremony we went to our work stations and did our usual routine. Just before lunch we had some special visitors. Four of the army men were finishing their three year stint and going out into the world. There was a pizza party for them and speeches and warm congratulations. We opted for the regular lunch and I had yet another veggie patty. They are bland, but taste okay.

After work our commander spoke to the five of us who are leaving the program. He thanked us for our service and was sorry he did not make a party for us since he did not realize that we were finished. The rest of our group are staying a third week. Another gal I worked with was here also for the same two weeks doing training. Shani is a lovely person and we shared many laughs working together. Photo of me, Shani and our boss, Bar (on left).

Jeff with his coworker Susan and their boss whose only English was, "No good."

Dinner was more of the same and then we had a fun evening program. A version of Israeli jeopardy with our group on two teams. We were all very competitive and did lots of laughing.

Now I am packed and in bed. Tomorrow we have a field trip and then go our separate ways for the weekend. Jeff and I will continue on to Jerusalem to start touring.

The Impossible Dream

Just heard this song in a very modern version on the radio. Good memories of the show last weekend. Another work day starting at7:30 with breakfast. Today they had real cottage cheese in individual plastic tubs. 5% fat and boy was it good!

A slow work day as lots of units were out of work. Jeff was hanging around for a while with nothing to do and finally got an assignment. I keep cleaning and have always found some equipment in our unit to clean. I have my toothbrush, big brush, screwdriver, spongy pads, and pads with steel mesh inside. Also use soapy water and lens cleaner to remove labels. A silicone paste is used at the end to coat and shine. Bad news is everything has a habit of disappearing. People walk by and take anything they may need. They are really good at it and you never notice until you need to use something. Over time I have learned to "borrow back" whatever I need.

Jeff working with some cables and raising the flag.

Jeff came over to sit with me and noticed my sponge pads. He said, "Those are the pads from inside the radio helmet. Sure enough, most of them have holes in them and I had wondered why! Very thrifty!

Lunch was a picnic today with hot dogs and big delicious rolls. There was mustard and sauerkraut today. I had a veggie patty on the roll with tehina and cucumbers. A big, ripe orange for dessert. Later in the afternoon Jeff and I got ice cream from the shechem and sat outside to enjoy it. Everyone left a little early to conserve the work for tomorrow.

Stairway to Heaven

Lots of stairs on our hilly base. We are located between Haifa and Tiberias at the skinniest part of Israel. It is a tank base and we are a communications unit set in the middle. We all work in one three story building and eat our lunch there too. Breakfast and dinner are in the main dining hall, one staircase down from our dorm. At dinner time  it is pitch black and there is no outside lighting so we have to depend on our flashlights.

Our workday goes like this. Up about 6:30, shower and dress in uniform. Walk down two flights of stairs to street level and walk along narrow path to another set of stairs.

Go down and short walk to breakfast at 7:30. Then we walk back up to dorm level, go behind the dorm and climb a steep flight of stairs to the next level.

Walk a ways and go behind a supply building to climb another flight of stairs.

That is the street in front of the work building. Up more stairs at 8:15 for the flag raising where all the communication workers are present.

The regulars have role call and may have to show their work papers. One regular and one volunteer raise and salute the flag. Afterwards we have a short meeting and get a world news update.

Now we trudge up a few steps into our building and then up to the third floor where we work and eat lunch.

We have a unisex bathroom on the third floor, the ladies only bathroom is on the first floor so I rarely use it. Needless to say there are no elevators anywhere. We work until 4:30 with a break in the morning and afternoon. There are picnic tables outside in the back and we usually congregate there. There is a little store with snacks and ice cream on the second floor, but it is never open when we want it. After work we go back down all the stairs and then up the two flights to our room.

Women on the third floor, men on the second. It's not as bad as it sounds, but in the dark it's a little tricky. Sometimes I go outside to read and get fresh air before dinner so that means more stairs. Dinner is at 6:30 in the main dining hall so we go down and then all the way back up to the work floor for our evening activity at 7:45. When that is over we saunter back to the dorms to pass out. As I am writing this I realize how much walking and climbing we do each day. Very good exercise!

 Today was a regular work day and beautiful weather. We are wearing army work uniforms that are drab green.

Shirt and pants with lots of pockets and a mesh belt. I usually wear a tee shirt under my shirt and we have a heavy green jacket to wear at night. We wear our own shoes and mine are sneakers with socks. We were given a maroon tee shirt and khaki cap and had gotten a green tee shirt by mail before we left. We need to wear the hat for the morning flag raising.

We were also issued sleeping bags and I use mine as an extra mattress and sleep on top of it with my sleep sack. Each metal frame bed has a mattress with green cover and a blanket. Jeff and I purchased pillows here and brought old pillowcases from home.

So that is our typical day and with all the walking and climbing we should be in better shape. Also the dairy breakfast and dinner should not add too many calories. This morning they had omelettes. Not like anything you have ever seen before. They were flatter than pancakes and very salty. It was just a flat egg. So disappointing. One bite which I could not swallow and I went back for a hard boiled egg.

It is almost time for dinner so I will finish later.

Tonight we had shashouka again over rice. Chocolate pudding for dessert. Tonight's activity was geographical bingo with cities of Israel. Jeff and I did well and the entire group enjoyed it.

It's The Little Things You Do Together

Great song and so true for Jeff and me. Another magnificent day in the Galilee. We stayed alone last night and rested. I watched the second half of Beverly Hills cop as we have over a hundred channels plus HBO on TV here as well as excellent internet. We are so spoiled and now have to go back to the base where we have the basics only. At the base there is a TV in the room where we meet at night and we usually watch news. Good news I have time to play Candy Crush and now up to level 142!

Our host insisted on driving us to our meeting spot which was so kind. He explained that the gunfire I heard the night before was not from Lebanon, but the neighboring village. It had been a wedding and part of the celebration is firing guns into the air. Wonder where the bullets land? We drove through the Arab village and saw a statue honoring resistance fighters. The figure is hoisting a Palestinian flag. A little troubling to me.

We got to our meeting place on time and met a few other members of our group. Then we sat and sat as plans were delayed and we did not get back to the base until after 12:30. They did hold lunch for us and then I was able to exchange my uniform for a clean one. We worked all afternoon and then had dinner and our evening activity.

Spinning Wheel

What goes up must come down. That is how we started our adventures today driving through the hilly Galilee.

Woke up to another perfect day and I took a stroll around our quiet neighborhood. The place is called Yuvalim and it is a settlement founded in 1982 to encourage Israelis to live in the Galilee. Beautiful homes and shrubbery are everywhere.

There is a famous artist, Dalia Meiri, living here and her sculptures line the entry streets and a little park adjacent to her home. I saw some awesome pieces of art and met two nice dogs on my journey.

Lots of birds here and I spotted a common one called a bulbul which lives in Israel and Lebanon and sometimes as far as Turkey.

Around 10:00 we four adventurers set off and explored an industrial park and then continued to Ma'alot, a small Jewish city famous for sculpture. Every year they have a contest with artists from around the world all creating for one theme. The stone is supplied and the finished pieces remain along the city streets. The place is gorgeous with many fountains with the lovely sound of flowing water. 

Shulamit had visited a gallery here and we found it and entered. The art has been created by an Arab women to protest abuse of females in her culture. Her name is Fatima and she uses her father as a model and pieces of her deceased mother's hair in her mixed media work. We were very impressed by her talent and courage.

Happily the art center has been donated by a family and community in the Bux-Mont Jewish Federation which was adjacent to our Federation in Pennsylvania before we moved. We also saw a JNF park in the town donated by British and Irish communities.

Moving on we visited another gallery in a nearby town. The artist belongs to a quilting group with  Shulamit and this was opening day. We stayed a short time since it was very crowded and enjoyed seeing the beautiful homes in the area.

Next stop was lunch in the adjacent Arab town. Touted as one of the best places for hummus, it did not disappoint. First we walked through the Arab outdoor market with beautiful fruits and vegetables. Huge displays of nuts, seeds, candies competed with clothing and home goods. A great experience and Jeff was able to get some peas in the pod which he loves.

The restaurant was busy and Shulamit and I ordered hummus and eggplant. Jeff had a grilled chicken while Hannoch had hummus with meat. It turned out to be goat and Jeff was a good sport and tried it. Everything came with warm pita, olives, tomatoes, pickles and a giant plate of fresh tabouleh with lots of mint. They brought green, minty tea in glasses to finish off the meal.

We walked back to the car and headed home after stopping off at an ATM. Shulamit and Hannoch packed up and left us alone. He is flying to the states tonight to speak at a scientific conference. Hope to to see them again before we leave. Could not ask for better hosts or friends. We will stay tonight eating leftovers from last night's dinner and other items we purchased at the supermarket.

When we saw our landlord/rental owner he invited us to have dinner with him. That was so sweet, but we are anxious to have some down time. I am sitting outside writing as it is getting dusky. Lots of birds are chirping and I got some pictures. In the distance I can hear chanting at the mosque in the Arab village across the valley.

Now the muezzin is broadcasting and it is really loud. Jeff says we are hearing the chanting from two different mosques. And sadly, I just heard lots of gunfire, probably coming from Lebanon many miles to the north. Found out in the morning that it was gunfire, but happy noise. Apparently it was a wedding and the guests fire rifles into the air to celebrate. Wonder where those bullets come down?

Lovely Rita Meter Maid

We woke up to a gorgeous, sunny day and sat outside on the balcony to enjoy the view. Everything is green with roses, pansies and wildflowers blooming. In front of our weekend home is a large vegetable garden.

We are in a settlement where the home owner has this beautiful apartment upstairs which is rented out for vacationers. We have two large bedrooms with sitting rooms and two spectacular baths with large showers. Such luxury!

First stop this morning was breakfast at a cafe with fabulous views, wildflowers and good food. It was hazy, but you could look out and see Lake Tiberias. We sat on the shady terrace and enjoyed the fresh air.

Then we headed to Rosh Pinna to explore this old city. The cobblestone streets and old stone houses are lovely. It is extremely hilly and there are lots of B & B's, restaurants, galleries and gift shops.

We visited the home of a doctor who helped to cure malaria here and the synagogue.

Walked way uphill to a lookout point and had lovely views of Lake Tiberias again and a fig tree. 

Leaving here we went to a shopping area where Hannoch had a surprise for us. He finally found the tiny shop he was looking for and we entered to find ourselves in the middle of a harp concert.

The shop is owned by a gentlemen who makes instruments from wood and has made small harps. This woman is a world renowned harpist and gives lessons at the shop. We were so lucky with our timing and enjoyed talking with her and some of her family after the performance. I purchased one of her CD's and Jeff fell in love with a wooden door chime shaped like a hamsa which will be shipped to us.

Next we went to a supermarket and got some things to eat tomorrow and to take back to the base.

Now we headed to Tiberias and the Mount of the Beatitudes. Here there is a new building that was built to welcome Pope John Paul when he visited Israel. The building and grounds are stunning and built of stone and glass.

We were taken on a tour by a young man from Columbia studying for the priesthood. We went into the sanctuary, library and auditorium. We were able to view a group in the chapel who were praying at the stations of the cross since it is before Easter.

Outside we saw this beautiful sculpture of Christ and the Apostles, Sermon on the Mount. This is a beautiful site and so worth a visit.

By now we were very hungry and drove all the way around Lake Tiberias to eat at a meat restaurant. The place is owned by a family that are big cattle ranchers in Israel and they feature steaks and lamb. Jeff had a big rib eye while I ordered chicken schnitzel. We started with hummus, tehina and eggplant and I was full. We each took home half off our meal which we'll have for dinner tomorrow night. Across the street is the kibbutz Ein Gev and they have cattle pens right next to the street.

Hannoch and Shulamit saved the best for last and we left the restaurant and headed up into the hills above the lake. We found a spa which is part of another kibbutz and we had reservations for their soothing pools. We entered this beautiful building with views of the lake as the sun was setting. Our hostess, Nomi, explained the place and offered us refreshments, juice, wine, fruit and snacks. Downstairs we got into our bathing suits and were given towels. First stop was a salt water pool with a salt bottom.

When you floated on your back you could hear music from the underwater speakers. Of course you are extremely buoyant and have no trouble floating. My skin feels wonderful! Around the room were stone seating areas which were heated and felt great to lie there and fell the heat warm you. When ready you went to the other side where there were two fresh water pools. These are not spring fed, but warmish. There were neck pillows and noodles to help you float and music. Nomi came in our pool and gave each of us a short water therapy. It was not a massage, but similar techniques to relax you. Afterwards we sat around noshing and talking. Finally we showered, dressed and drove home.

What a wonderful day and how well we will sleep tonight.