Galilee - Part I

The Hula Lake is one of my favourite spots in Israel. Fortunately it is also my friend Mandy's favourite too, so when she came to Israel recently I had no problem driving north to Israel's Upper Galilee region for another visit. We first visited the lake in 2010, then went back again in 2013 and to the nature reserve in 2015. It was time to go again anyway, though May is rather warm and not the best time for biking!

The Hula Lake, known in Hebrew as Agamon HaHula, is located in the southern part of the Hula Valley. It was established as part of a Jewish National Fund (JNF) rehabilitation project. The lake existed until the 1950s but between 1951 and 1958 draining operations were carried out by the JNF in the belief that the country could gain additional arable land and at the same time the breeding ground of the malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquito would be destroyed. In the early 1990s part of the valley was flooded again in the wake of heavy rains and it was decided to develop the surrounding area and leave the flooded area intact. The new site, Agamon HaHula (literally "Little Hula Lake"), has become the second home for thousands of migrating birds in the autumn and spring.

At the entrance to the reserve we hired bicycles and set off on the 9 kilometres route around the park. We actually missed a turn and rode in the opposite direction than what was suggested but, no matter, there were so few people around on this hot day that it made no difference at all. We rode along the waterside and through the fruit groves, stopping at length at the bird hide, above, where colourful European bee-eaters were pointed out to us, and then at the large deck on the edge of the lake. Two silent pelicans floated side by side. We later learnt that they are injured and rest there until they can heal and continue their journey.

My friend, though a keen cyclist, was happy to ride along at my slower pace. We stopped to photograph the gorgeous White-throated Kingfisher, the occasional coypu and other wildlife. There were certainly less birds to be seen than during the months of migration - apparently over 500 million birds pass through Hula Valley each year on their flights between Europe and Africa - but it was still a wonderful experience getting close to nature and watching the birds fly by.

Once we had got our breath back, our next stop was at Rosh Pina, a gorgeous nearby town where Mister Handmade in Israel and I stayed back in 2015. Rosh Pina, which means 'cornerstone', was founded in 1882 by thirty families who immigrated from Romania, making it one of the oldest Zionist settlements in Israel. The same location had previously been settled by a group of young religious people from Safed, the neighbouring city, who bought land from the Arab natives in 1878 with the intention of starting an agricultural village. They called it Gei Oni ("Valley of My Strength"), but after three years of hardships and hunger most of them left, leaving it almost fully abandoned.

Our first stop in Rosh Pina was at Nimrod Lookout, a magnificent observation point which is part of the memorial site to Nimrod Segev, who was born in Rosh Pina in 1977 and fell in 2006 in the Second Lebanon War while on reserve duty. The beautiful views seen from the high Nimrod Lookout are the sights viewed by Nimrod throughout his life: the Hula Valley, the Golan Heights and Mount Hermon, Israel’s tallest peak at 2,236 meters (7,336 feet), and the slopes of Mount Caanan on which the lookout is built.

We strolled into the centre of the original neighbourhood, unfortunately finding that most things were closed by the time we got there, though we were still able to appreciate the beautiful buildings and scenery. We looked through the windows of the small synagogue, Rosh Pina's first public building, and then at the various historical houses including the historical home of Gideon Mer. Professor Mer was given a property by Baron Edmond de Rothschild to research for a solution to the malaria problem that plagued the inhabitants around the swampy Hula Valley. The Professor was eventually transferred to Burma during the Second World War and served as the chief physician to the British forces in Burma who also suffered from malaria. Today his residence is a national heritage site with his private office preserved for all to see. Next to the Mer House is another historical building with a multi-screen theatre that shows a film of Rosh Pina's history, though it too was closed at the time we visited.
We walked back to the car through the Baron's Park, a small wooded area with stone steps reportedly modelled on the grand gardens at Versailles. There are two shopping malls at the entrance to Rosh Pina - one is full of the standard commercial stores found in Israel, the other is more of an upscale boutique mall - but we were done for the day! It was time for a rest before the next day's activities.

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, My Corner of the World, Summer Holiday Link Up: Six In One Blog Party, Friday Photo Journal, All Seasons, Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday), Our World Tuesday, Travel Tuesday and Tuesday's Treasures.