August 2: Haifa (Tzfat & Tiberias)

(1) Using Haifa as our home base, we spent the next two days making various day trips. The city itself was quite agreeable, so as to say that it felt very western. Of course, one doesn't go to Israel just to feel like he or she is hanging out around fill-in-the-blank-American-town, but I could see Haifa being a popular place to live for Israelis who seek such comfort. Perhaps it also had something to do with the fact that I was a first time traveler, but I recall being pleased with being able to explore off the beaten track places during the day, but return to such a place like Haifa. (photo: www.unf.edu)

(2) We settled, first, on the beautiful town of Tzfat. As one of the highest places in Israel, Tzfat, and the surrounding area, has always been a strategic site. It makes sense, then, that it has been the staging point for multiple battles, and has changed political hands numerous times. Today, Tzfat exists as an important center of Jewish learning, and is home to artists, sages, and scholars. This was one of the most pleasant places we visited on the trip... until somebody tried to kill mom. After we were done exploring, Lucy and I sat down for a bit while mom went back to a particular artist to purchase a painting. On her way back to meet us, painting in hand, somebody dropped a full 2 liter bottle from a roof, just missing her head. It crashed to the sidewalk. (photo: www.terragalleria.com)

(3) Before heading back to Haifa for the night, we made a visit to Tiberias on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Built by the son of Herod the Great (again, that name) in honor of the Roman emporer, Tiberias, this town has developed into a resort destination, offering wonderful hot springs. (photo: www.rainfall.com)