Rosh Pina

The kids recently went off to camp for 12 days. Yes, 12 days! 12 whole days of peace and quiet, and time to go off and do the things that they would possibly declare "booooring!". Mister Handmade in Israel and I decided to take a couple of days off work and chose the lovely Galilee town of Rosh Pina as our destination. En route we visited Metzudat Koach, a mandate-era British fortress (known also as the Nabi Yusha fortress) in the Upper Galilee. The fortress overlooks the beautiful Hula Valley and is used these days by the Israeli Border Police. Next door is the Reut Museum, a memorial site which commemorates 28 soldiers who fell during the conquest of the fortress during the War of Independence. In Hebrew the word koach means strength, which describes the Israeli soldiers who fought, and died, to secure the fortress and the surrounding civilian population in 1948. But there is a deeper meaning in the name. In Hebrew, letters and words have numerical values. The numerical value of the Hebrew word koach is 28 – the number of soldiers who gave their lives in the battle to control this important fort.

We left the museum with rather heavy hearts. Metzudat Koach is one of many places in Israel that inspires these conflicting emotions: the pain of the price we have paid for independence, and the beauty of that which we have created in the 67 years since. Shvil Ami, the Jordan River Promenade, a lovely paved promenade located above and along the flowing waters of the Jordan River, was the perfect way to relax and bring back that holiday feeling. Mister Handmade in Israel and I took a leisurely stroll along the promenade, enjoying the well-kept lawns, vine covered pergolas, and the sight of kayaks moving noisily through the river. The walkway is studded with biblical quotes, all connected to crossing the Jordan River.

We drove on to Rosh Pina, to our delightful zimmer (the Israeli B&B is known as a zimmer - German for room), Pina Barosh.  'Pina Barosh' is located on Hachalutzim Street (halutzim is a Hebrew word meaning "Pioneers"), right in the old town of Rosh Pina. The stone building was established in 1876 by Josef Friedman, the family's great-grandfather, and its upper floor is still occupied today by the sixth generation of the original settlers. The ground level of the unique building was once used as the farm livestock yard, and was restored in 1991. Our guest room was in the refet, the "cowshed", though only the beautiful arches and stone walls bear any reference to that nowadays.

Rosh Pina was founded in 1878. A group of young religious people left Safed, the neighbouring city, in order to start an agricultural village. They bought land from the Arab natives and called it "Gei Oni", but after three years of hardships and hunger most of them left, leaving a few who were great believers in the place and who were stubborn enough to hold on to the land. In 1882 a group arrived from Romania. They managed to stay in the place, with financial assistance from Baron Edmond de Rothschild, who decided to lend a helping hand. They renamed it Rosh Pina, 'cornerstone', taking the name from Psalms 117:22: "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."

In recent years Rosh Pina has become a sought-after tourist spot. Ceramic studios, art galleries, good restaurants, and lovingly preserved old buildings make it the kind of place I love to wander through. We passed Beit Hapekidut (House of the Clerks) where the clerks sent by Baron Rothschild lived and worked, and the house of Simha Haim Vilkomich, the principal of Rosh Pina's school, the second modern Hebrew school built in Israel. The beautiful synagogue, with its amazing ceiling filled with fluffy clouds, was the first public building erected in Rosh Pina. Before descending through Gan Ha Baron, a small wooded area planted in 1884 and meant to look something like the famous garden in Versailles, France (it doesn't), we stopped off at HaChocolatte ('The Chocolate Box') gallery and café for the yummiest chocolate drink I have ever tasted!

At the uppermost part of Rosh Pina there is the 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 visited the the Nimrod Lookout on the 15th of Av, the Hebrew Valentine's Day, the date on which Nimrod was killed. Mister Handmade in Israel noticed a poster advertising a memorial evening in Nimrod's name and we were pleased to join it that evening, to hear Nimrod's parents speak about their son and to listen to a sing-along (erev shel shirim) with his friends. It was emotional, poignant yet enjoyable all at once.

Staying in Rosh Pina was a real treat. Although it was hot, we loved strolling around the small town. The cobbled streets and numerous steps brought us to many picturesque galleries and hidden corners. The dilapidated wooden doors and stonework of some still-abandoned premises are part of the charm. Many visitors come to Rosh Pina for the restaurants and, though not great "foodies", we especially enjoyed our breakfasts at 'Pina Barosh'. It was lovely to sit in the sunshine, with time to spare, just enjoying the magnificent views and open landscapes. The sleepy little town of about 2,500 people really was our perfect getaway destination.

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!

Delight

I have a big birthday coming up very soon - okay, it's my 40th - and this last weekend my husband really came up trumps and organised a wonderful 'birthday weekend' away, tailored to all my wishes and desires! I knew that he had planned for us to go away but had no idea where we were going or what we were going to be doing. The kids were lucky enough to be invited to friends for three whole days and so Thursday morning came around and we set off for our short break together - something we have not had the opportunity to do for many years.
I took so many photographs over the three days that I have decided to split my post up into two parts. This first post is bursting with photographs of the magical little zimmer (the Israeli B&B is known as a zimmer - German for room) where we stayed.'Hemdatya', with roots in the word 'delight', can be found at Moshav Ilaniya in the Lower Galilee. As you can see from my photos, the place was more than a 'delight', it was a dream! I don't think I have ever stayed in a place where so much attention has been paid to every single little detail.
The stone houses where we slept and ate our delicious breakfast were originally farmers' homes, from the time when Ilaniya was a pioneer farm, worked by settlers of the Second Aliyah, among them the young David Ben Gurion, Israel's first Prime Minister. They have been restored to perfection and are both environmentally friendly (though I can't say that the composting toilet really appealed to me!) and equipped with modern facilities. We managed to catch the results of the British election whilst relaxing in this little piece of paradise in northern Israel!
While each house has it's own delightful little porch, all the rooms are situated in a beautiful courtyard, surrounded by an ancient stone wall. Lush green and blooming plants, a small vineyard, stunning flower beds and vegetable patches which provided us with some of the ingredients for our delicious breakfast fill the area.
Breakfast was a whole nother story. Frankly, the longer we sat and enjoyed both the food and the area around us, the more food our friendly proprietor brought us! This culminated in a quick shot of some sort of homemade cherry liqueur on our second day there, at 10'o'clock in the morning! As I have already mentioned, much of the food we ate was homegrown and used in mouthwatering jams, pastries and salads. We saw deep purple eggplants growing in the vegetable patch, next to huge cauliflowers, broccoli and cabbages.
In my next post I plan to tell you what we got up to during our days in the Galilee area, but what I will tell you now is that we did manage to squeeze in a dip in the beautiful stone pool and to while away quite some time in the hammock hanging between the olive trees. The little frog, in the photo above, along with his friends, kept us amused with his constant croaking, both day and night. It didn't bother us in the slightest. We just felt so privileged to be able to spend quality time in such a beautiful location.