Back in the Golan Again

My dad has been back here for another visit and during his stay we took a trip to the Golan with him, an area of Israel which we all love to visit. The eldest son, who has now flown the nest and is living on a kibbutz whilst doing a pre-army course, was home for a few days as well, so off we went to explore. I would say that it was also an opportunity for some well-earned rest, but no one gets any rest on one of my trips!

I had booked guest rooms at Kibbutz Ortal, a kibbutz in the northern Golan Heights. The main source of income for the kibbutz is mostly through agriculture but it also has a vineyard which is affiliated with the Golan Heights Winery and produces several varieties of grapes for their own boutique winery. On the first morning of our visit we were lucky enough to get a short tour around the winery and a tasting too, before stopping off for a quick visit to Ortal's mini zoo, Hai-Tal, below.

Our next stop of the day was at the Banias Nature Reserve, which we last visited back in 2015. We had come to see the roaring Banias waterfall, the biggest waterfall in Israel, which we could view at the end of a suspended trail - a walk through a narrow basalt canyon above the rushing Hermon Stream. Nothing quite prepares you for the loveliness of the walk to the waterfall. It was hot for some of the way but, once you get down to the suspended trail, it becomes more pleasant in the shade and the sight of the rushing waters is just magnificent. Crystal clear and cold, it was tempting to stick our feet in! However, access to the Hermon Stream has been strictly forbidden since the early 1990s in order to preserve the delicate ecology. The 10-metre Banias waterfall (mapal in Hebrew) at the end of the trail is a wonderful sight and even in summer with lower water flow, it was well worth a visit.

We then drove on to the second part of the Banias Nature Reserve, the Banias Springs. It is possible to walk between the two sites along a trail which runs along the Hermon Stream, but you need two cars to accomplish this hike, unless you want to walk two hours back to the parking lot where you started!
According to the Gospels, it was in Banias that the disciple Simon informed Jesus that people believed Jesus to be the messiah. In response, Jesus renamed Simon "Peter," which means "rock" in Greek - the rock upon which his church would be founded.
At the Banias Springs we were greeted by the impressive ruins of the Temple of Pan, a grotto, courtyards and niches for rituals dedicated to the worship of Pan, developed in several phases during the Roman period. Banias was originally named "Panias" after the Greek god Pan, god of the forests and shepherds. Since there is no "p" sound in Arabic and the region was long under Syrian rule, the village that grew up around the spring came to be called Banias.
The Banias Springs site has ruins from the Roman period, when the village was called Caesarea Philippi after King Herod’s son Philip who inherited the area and made it his capital. The Palace of Agrippa the Second, grandson of Herod, is among the relics. Caesarea Philippi remained important during the Christian Byzantine period. It was later conquered by the Muslims and then the Crusaders, then went back under Islamic rule and fell from its heyday.

We had time for just one of the four trails offered at the Banias Springs. Our chosen trail took us past a Roman bridge and the remains of a Crusader tower that controlled the sole entrance to the city of Banias and could block the entrance when necessary. A few metres along we found a water-powered flour mill which once served the residents of the Golan Heights villages of Massadeh and Ein Kinya. The trail then led on to the Palace of Agrippa the Second, a public building constructed at the beginning on the first century CE. The site extends over more than 2000 square metres. During the Byzantine period many stones were taken from this building to build other structures, and part of the palace became a bathhouse. A structure apparently used as a synagogue and dating from the eleventh century CE was also discovered here.

Continuing on we passed the remains of the Cardo, below, the colonnaded street that crossed the city from north to south, which was constructed during the period of Philip and Agrippa the Second. Additional streets were constructed during the Byzantine period.
This was the end of the particular trail we had followed but the corner tower, also below, situated at the end of the trail, is worth noting. The lower walls of the tower were built in the late Roman and Byzantine periods. Above them is a part of a Crusader wall and above the wall are the remnants of an Ayyubid corner tower. Above the tower remnants are Ottoman structures built of small brown stones, and at the top are modern Syrian constructions. Amazing!

Our next stop was at Mitspe Golani, also known Tel Facher, below. I hadn't planned on stopping here on this visit but it is near to the Banias and I realised that it was the kind of place my dad gets a lot from.
Prior to the Six Day War of 1967, Tel Facher was the strongest and most important Syrian base in the northern Golan Heights. For several decades, Syrian guns on Tel Facher dominated and terrorized the entire region. During the Six Day War, however, Israeli troops fought one of the fiercest battles in Israel’s military history, determined to retake the base and thus end the Syrian stranglehold over Israeli citizens. Over the course of a five hour battle, every single Israeli soldier but one was either killed or wounded, but by the end of the day, the base was in Israeli hands.
Today, the site is known as Mitspe Golani or Golani Lookout, renamed for the Israeli Defence Force’s infantry brigade whose soldiers fought and died for this base. An impressive memorial has been built to honour the memories of the Golani soldiers who fell here. A low memorial wall lists the names of the fallen soldiers.
We were able to wander around the well-marked Syrian trench system and walk through the narrow, well-fortified bunkers. With the exception of adding the memorial, the military features of the site have not been reconstructed since the moment of capture in 1967. Since the base is located so high in the Golan, we also enjoyed magnificent views of the region and of the Hula Valley below.

Our final stop of the day was at the Sa’ar waterfalls located about 4 kilometres below the Nimrod Fortress, on the horizon above, another incredible place we have been to in the past. Located just a few steps from the road this is allegedly a gorgeous waterfall, with powerfully rushing streams and well-placed observation points to take it all in. However, the waterfalls are best visited in the winter or spring when the water and snow from Mount Hermon are still making their descent to the Sea of Galilee. In the summer and autumn there was simply nothing to see! We hadn't timed our visit to the waterfall well at all.

It was time to call it a day and return to Kibbutz Ortal. I had more planned for the following day...

* This post has been shared on Little Things Thursday, Friday Foto Friends, Welcome To The Weekend Blog Hop, Sharon's Souvenir's, All Seasons, Pictorial Tuesday and Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday).

Bar BaKfar

We stayed at Bar BaKfar, a delightful B&B in the heart of the beautiful Lower Galilee, back in July, but we went off to the UK not long afterwards and I didn't get round to showing you the pictures here. It was such a gorgeous place, and a wonderful spot to mark Mister Handmade in Israel's 50th birthday, so I still want to show them to you.

Now let me explain. The kids had gone off to their youth group's summer camp, so this was a relaxed, child-free weekend. Always a good thing! For a change I was looking for something really special and perfect for couples (though, having been there, I'd happily take the kids too) and Bar BaKfar was just perfect. The B&B or zimmer, as it is known here in Israel, is located within Moshav Sharona, a moshav with 130 families, some of whom make a living growing livestock or various agricultural crops, and others who work as professionals or in the fields of tourism. The area has long been known as Israel’s "Little Tuscany" due to its green landscape, a number of boutique wineries, and the magnificent views of Mount Tavor.

Arriving at Bar BaKfar we immediately noticed how much care and attention has been given to the place. It has been beautifully planned and decorated, down to the smallest detail, and it was truly a treat to stay there. Our cabin, while not large, was very nice, with an amazing private deck and jacuzzi. The setting was beautiful, green and relaxing. Breakfast was divine and plentiful, with a variety of home baked breads, delicious cheeses and labneh, and a freshly made omelette, cooked each morning according to our wishes. It was as good, if not better, as being in a fancy Tel Aviv restaurant! The swimming pool was utter heaven and we found it very difficult to tear ourselves away from the place to go touring. As an added treat, a small bottle of Bar BaKfar's own "Sarona" wine was waiting for us in our room, along with some tasty tahini biscuits. Bar BaKfar have their own vineyard, producing a first-class Merlot, as well as Limoncello and Pomegranate liqueur and, upon request, we were even given a short tour and explanation of the winery, including a little tasting. Yum!

Now, hard as it was to tear ourselves away, we did indeed explore the area. That first evening we enjoyed a good meal out at the historical Makom B'Sejera (A Place in Sejera), a restaurant which is housed in an old stone building dating back to 1899. It was originally built as an inn for workers and travellers before there were motor vehicles. You can see reminders of that era in the restaurant - wooden cart wheels, farming tools and old photos - including one of David Ben-Gurion, who lived and worked on the settlement for a while in the days before he became prime minister!

The following morning we drove to one of the observation points in the Switzerland Forest, between the village of Poriya and the city of Tiberias, to enjoy the views. The primary purpose of planting the Switzerland Forest was one of rescue. The steep, bare slope was forever a source of trouble for the city of Tiberias – landslides, avalanches and soil erosion harmed the city, and sometimes even cost lives. The blue landscape of the Sea of Galilee and the mountains around it are an added bonus to the forest and the views were simply breathtaking.

Next we stopped off at the Ein Gev promenade. Fishing has been widespread in the Ein Gev Kibbutz almost from the day it was founded, and a leisurely walk along the kibbutz's promenade saw us pass the pier and several tourist boats. Unfortunately there was no sign of any real fishing in sight.

Dinner that evening was Italian-Mediterranean cuisine at the 1910 restaurant in Kibbutz Degania Alef, Israel's first kibbutz. "Degan" is the Hebrew word for grain, which was emblematic of the several grains that the kibbutz cultivated. The restaurant is located in the old courtyard of the kibbutz. The Degania founders learnt from the experience of other agricultural endeavours to build separate dwellings for people and animals, and to construct their buildings in a fort-like configuration for security. The original kibbutz buildings are constructed around a courtyard of local basalt stone, with implements and equipment dating back to the early years scattered around the area. Dinner was excellent!

The owners of Bar BaKfar were happy to give us ideas about what to do in the area and, upon their suggestion, the next day we set off for Mitzpe Shalom, also known as  the "Peace Lookout" or "Peace Vista" in the Southern Golan. The views from the lookout were simply spectacular. We could see the coastline of the entire Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), the city of Tiberias, and up in the hills, the city of Safed. Mount Meron, Kibbutz Kinneret, the Jordan Valley and Mount Tavor were all visible from the panoramic lookout. It was quite a comprehensive view!

We couldn't resist taking the short nature hike down from the lookout point, through bamboo reeds, fig trees and Sabras (Prickly Pears). Steps with railings have been installed to make the short but steep walk downhill a bit easier. We stopped at several springs and a small, square, man-made pool which was originally built by the Syrian army so their sergeants would have a place to refresh themselves. The views were out of this world and though we had planned a weekend of rest, we were very happy to do the short hike.
The drive back saw us pass an interesting sculpture named for Eli Cohen, above, the Israeli spy master who was instrumental in providing intelligence to Israel about Syrian positions in the Golan.

Then it was back to Bar BaKfar for a quick dip in the large swimming pool, with its great views of Mount Tavor and the B&B's own vineyards, before it was time to leave for home.

Mister Handmade in Israel has a few years to go before planning my 50th birthday getaway. I do hope we'll be back at Bar BaKfar before then!

Perfect Days of Football and Wine

It really is all about football at the moment in our home. First it was the FA Cup being discussed all the time, and now the 2014 FIFA World Cup. I briefly mentioned the fact that it was my birthday on the day of the FA Cup Final in a previous post. Since then Mister Handmade in Israel and I have celebrated our wedding anniversary and, as with any celebration in our home, that means a handmade card. Of course it was football-themed!

Now, I am originally from Hull, in the north of England, and Mister Handmade in Israel is from London. Thus we support two different football teams. My team, Hull City, waited 110 years for their first FA Cup Final, whilst Arsenal, Mister Handmade in Israel's team, have been somewhat more successful in recent years. There was great excitement in our home when we realised that the two teams were to meet in the final... and on my birthday too!
On the morning of the big day our house was ready. The kids had decorated the lounge in a mass of red and white, and black and amber! I excitedly opened my birthday presents and was intrigued to discover a medal inside the package from my husband. "Lisa Isaacs FA Cup Runners Up 17th May 2014" it read. Before we had even played the game!

Well, in the end my team lost but I had a great birthday anyway! I did appreciate Mister Handmade in Israel's little joke and decided to immortalise it on our anniversary card just a few weeks later. Below you can see the two of us on the card. I am wearing my Hull City t-shirt and he's in his Arsenal shirt. Around my neck is the aforementioned medal. We're still holding hands though - at the end of the day it's only a "beautiful" game!

The FA Cup brought an end to the English football season, which meant that our anniversary could be spent in a rather more romantic way than watching a football game. I decided to book a cheese and wine tasting session at the nearby Kadma Winery, a new winery located in Kfar Uriah, a place where vineyards were grown and wine was made in Roman and the Byzantine times.

The Kadma Winery combines ancient wine making techniques with modern technology, and revives some of the wine making methods that were used in the area in the ancient world. It is the only winery in Israel that uses large earthenware vessels, brought from Georgia, as part of the wine production process. Each of these vessels weighs almost 150 kilo grams and when full of liquid weighs over a ton. In the southern Caucasus the huge vessels are usually buried in the ground in order to maintain a fixed temperature during the fermentation process. In Israel the warm soil temperatures do not allow this and as a result the vessels remain standing upright in the cool rooms of the winery. 

The winery has a small visitor centre and our visit included a film about Kadma's unique wine making process and a lecture from Vlad, the husband of Lina, the ex-high tech worker who founded and manages the place. This was followed by a "meal" of wine and locally produced bread and cheese. Neither Mister Handmade in Israel or I are wine experts by any means - we just enjoy a nice glass of the stuff now and then - but we were assured that fermentation in the earthenware vessels and the vessels special structure increases the intensity of the aroma and colour of Kadma's wine. Who knows? The winery is young and only time will tell, but the sight of the elegant vessels, the interesting historical information conveyed by the family, and the beautiful location of the winery, facing a landscape of green Judean Hills, made for a good visit.

As good as the football any day!