On the 1st September, having booked what is locally known as a “zimmer”, or guest house, up in the Galilee, we jumped in the car and headed north at a staggering 7 am. The date picked was of course the day when families with kids would be packing their offspring thankfully off to school. As a retired teacher, I am now free to go off on a jaunt, to places which up till today have been heaving with large, noisy families. We hoped to find a quiet retreat and some respite from the heat. We were not disappointed.
This trip was supposed to be centred around water spots, since daytime temperatures are hovering around the mid 30s Centigrade, so it is really too hot to do any hiking. I therefore decided to go to the Magrase Nature reserve (otherwise known as Daliot, where one can walk through waist high water to cool down. However the morning we were due to arrive there, the Parks Authority website informed me that it, and a number of other hikes involving water, were all polluted. When I phoned them (on our way up North) they told me that the site was not closed to the public but that walking in the water would be at our own risk. We of course decided not to brave any bugs that might be lurking there, and proceeded to Lavnun Beach on the Kinneret. The Kinneret, for those not in the know, is the local name for the Sea of Galilee, which is not a sea at all but a large lake, and the focal point for most summer recreation in this tiny country. Once we arrived and parked, we quickly found a shady spot underneath the eucalyptus trees, and were happy to see that there were no more than about a dozen people spaced out along the beach. The water was lovely and warm, and we spent a good few hours relaxing in the water, eating our sandwiches and reading.
Check in time at the zimmer is 15.00 so around 14.30 we packed up our chairs and headed up to Moshav Shefer (no relation) to settle in. I picked the place because it is up above the Sea of Galilee, which is rather warm and humid. Up in the hills the temperature is much more refreshing, and has the added attraction of wonderful views down the valley. Our zimmer consisted of four chalets set in a beautifully maintained garden, and a shared pool. Since we were the only guests on the site it was also quiet and private. The owner, Penina arrived when I called her and showed us how to use the a/c and ostensibly the television, which refused to comply. She therefore called her son who was on his way home from Hadera and whom she said would arrive and fix the problem. Meanwhile we relaxed in the capacious chalet, which had two floors, a jacuzzi and a small kitchenette.
After resting we headed out to look for dinner. WE drove around the Druze village of Rame and failed to locate the restaurant recommended to me by Google maps. We tried to ask locals some of whom did not speak Hebrew, and others who just did not know of any restaurant. Driving around Druze villages by the way requires quite a lot of competence, as the roads were mostly constructed for donkeys and not for two directional traffic. Anyway we eventually found a wonderful little place called Snobar (meaning Pine cone) which served us a huge green salad and tortillas filled with spicy chicken breast and vegetables, all for the princely sum of 90 shekels for both of us. We tipped the charming waitress generously. On the way back to our room we picked some pomegranates from the tree outside our chalet. There were also tons of lemons.
Next day we decided to head for Achziv National Park but first I wanted to check out a place I have heard of but never visited before. It is called Keshet (Arch) cave and is not really a cave at all. It is located in the Galilee, and has a wonderful view of the area, once you have braved the hairpin bends to the top of the hill. It is also a popular spot for daredevil rappellers, not of course for yours truly and her fear of heights. The drive up to the top was breathtaking and also gave glimpses of a number of caves. It was impossible to take any pictures on the way up so you will have to take my word for it. On the path leading to the Arch there are memorial stones commemorating Eldad Regev, Ehud Goldwasser, and other soldiers killed in the Lebanon War.
The walk up from the parking lot to the arch is really short and wheelchair accessible so it’s a fun activity for everyone. From there we continued along the Northern Road (which is the most northerly road in Israel hugging the Lebanese border. It’s odd to look over to your right and see Lebanese towns and villages up close and personal. The view is stunning, and I really think it’s one of my favourite places in the country. After about 20 minutes we got to Achziv park, having first gone by mistake to Achviz public beach, which is only a couple of kilometres further on, but requires a U turn to correct one’s error. The entrance to the Achziv Park costs a bit extra despite my brandishing my “Matmon” Parks card because, as the nice lady explained, there’s the beach. And what a magnificent beach it is too. The site has a few archeological curiosities, and a campsite, for those so inclined, who can go to sleep and then wake up to this glorious vision:
After the customary ice cream in the cafeteria ( a family tradition on visiting National Parks, due to us getting a card holder’s discount) we headed down to the beach, which has rock pools where you can wade under the watchful eye of the lifeguard. The water was gorgeous except for the horrid little fish which kept trying to bite me (but then I am also inclined to bite fish when I can too, so I suppose it’s only fair). There is a huge sunshade set up on the beach and it was not difficult to while away several hours there. The site closes at 5pm so from there we headed into Nahariya to get something to eat and watch the sunset before heading home.
