IKEA- Haifa,Israel |
Shalom from Israel
Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Dinner
last night was exquisite. We arrived early to find our names on
place cards at an intimate table for five. Our gracious host,
Franck, the General Manager, was dashing in his formal wear.
During
the evening we discovered we had mutual friends...Joan and Charlie were the best “next door neighbors” on our first world cruise.
This sweet couple “tied the knot” on a repeat Alaskan cruise
on the Seven Seas Mariner, where they first met, years earlier. What a
fabulous love story! Franck managed every detail of their onboard
wedding, including painstakingly painting the petals of every purple orchid, white, so that the bride could have the all-white flowers she dreamed of on
her special day. Regent will stop at nothing to make every guest happy
and Franck embodies that philosophy.
Shalom
from Israel.
After
a quick meet with immigration this morning, we nestled into our comfy
van. Today's excursion was like a private tour with only seven other
guests joining us for a day into the desert. No trip out of the city
of Haifa is complete without driving past Ikea. We wound our way up
into the mountains to our first stop in the city of Safed. We learned that this artist
colony was tucked away in an old city with an even older synagogue
founded by the famed Rabbi Caro, who would have been old, had he not passed away at the tender age of 35.
Had he lived, our guide assured us, the Rabbi would have changed
Judaism forever because he was so mystical and influential. We walked
through the tiny building while rapt young men listened to a talk by
their teacher. It was a bustling place protected by a languid young gent with a mighty powerful rifle laying casually across his
lap. He smoked and checked his phone while people like us
invaded the sacred space....the nozzle of his weapon was
pointed directly at me! I was nonplussed.
Then
it was time to walk uphill again...just because. Uphill we went in
the rain over slippery cobblestone streets. Once uphill, we went
trudged up some more. Finally, we walked downhill past very
inviting art galleries, but when we were finally rewarded with some
free time, we had already passed the most enticing stores. I am sure this money saving measure was preplanned by the gentlemen on our tour.
Back
into our van for the most interesting and fun part of the day.
Through upper and lower Galilee, through a desert with rocky terrain,
past centuries old olive trees with thick branches and gnarled
trunks, inches from the borders of Lebanon, Syria and Jordan in a
sand storm so thick it was nearly impossible to see a few feet in
front of you. The wind was fierce and it rocked the van back and forth as we drove over mountain roads, threatening to push us off the hairpin
turns. This drive was more harrowing than the thought of any wayward
rocket finding our vehicle, but incredibly fun.
We
parked at our next stop, the kibbutz. Our host, Joel, was one of its
founders 40 years ago. This seemingly socialist community in the
desert was established on a former Syrian command post. Joel immigrated from New York
City and except for his heavily callused feet, he looked like he just run out
for an espresso in the Bronx.
We
drove the circumference of the Sea of Galilee today, catching sight
of the tall grasses that Jesus must have walked through. This was
the place of his ministry where miracles were performed and people
gathered to listen to his words. Our historic drive took us to the
site of his baptism at a grotto in the Sea of Galilee (which is
actually a lake, but for 2,000 years, it's been called a sea. Don't
ask --- as I shrug my shoulders).
The
site of Jesus' baptism is a mecca for people from all over the world.
They put on white shrouds in the dressing rooms; gather side-by-side
to pray; they play guitars and sing in groups. These are
pilgrimages with tears, rejoicing and people who don't
mind the chill in the air and their soaking wet bodies. Centuries after following in the footsteps
of Jesus, hundreds are baptized here every day. This was a very poignant day.
Tomorrow
we'll be up and out by 7:00 am to begin day two in Jerusalem. Peace
everyone, from this holy land.
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