Rosh Pina

The Israeli breakfast this morning at the hostel was everything we'd hoped it would be. Breads and jams and cheeses, yogurts and salads, burekahs and pound cake, tuna and juices, shakshouka and eggs of several varieties. We ate our fill, played briefly at the hostel playground, and then drove the short distance to the Hula Nature Preserve. When Jews first settled in this area, the first thing they did was drain the swamp - this had lots of benefits including making places to live and cutting down on malaria. But, it had unintended negative consequences on the wildlife. So, years later, this nature preserve was developed to try to bring back the wildlife. Hundreds of thousands of bird migrate through this preserve each spring, and hundreds of other species (both plants and animals) make their home there (including water buffalo!). We took the 1 mile hike and saw otters, birds, giant catfish, water lilies, storks, and turtles.

We drove on just a bit further and climbed the steep roads into Rosh Pina. Rosh Pina was an early settlement supported by Baron de Rothschild in the late 19th century, and has recently become an upscale tourist destination, with nice restaurants and galleries and beautiful (hilly) cobblestone streets. We focused our visit on the restored historical area where you can see several of the original 2 room houses of the pioneers and the clinic of Professor Mer (who came to Israel over 100 years ago to do research on a cure for malaria). We also poked into several nice art galleries. We ate lunch at a restaurant called Shokolat - which features chocolate soup, chocolate fondue, and other chocolate treats. We had pizza and salads, but finished with amazing truffles!

We then walked up the hill to a memorial overlook for a young man named Nimrod who grew up in Rosh Pina and was killed in the second Lebanon war. His parents set up this memorial to him. It is a nice shaded overlook with an incredible view to the east, with a telescope that the kids loved. There was also an audio recording telling the very touching story of Nimrod's life and death.

Back on the narrow winding road for a short drive to Tsfat, and checked into the B & B. The hosts are friendly and the accommodations are comfortable. We picnicked in the shaded courtyard (we're up high so it's nice and cool), and sat outside talking with other travelers while the kids lounged in hammocks and enjoyed a little rare "down-time" (i.e., ipad time).