Hula Valley

Our day started with a 4am wake up call. We are headed for a hot air balloon ride at dawn.We left the hotel in the pitch black,and our guide got very lost. He had a bit of a meltdown over this and we all quickly realized we were going to have to get another guide. He was not what we had in mind or needed. But I don't want to blog about bad things so suffice it to say the sun began to rise and we were still lost. However, we did eventually find it and they actually waited for us. We were about an hour late. The Ballon was up and away we went over the villages and fields of crops. It was beautiful and smooth. We had champagne after the ride, then on to breakfast. Then off to Hula Valley, a bird sanctuary which we discovered on bicycles.We saw thousands of cranes here from Africa for the winter. flamingos, ducks,pelicans and some type of muskrat or otter. We also called the tour office and discussed our guides issues ( gets lost constantly - not a good thing for a guide) and we are getting a new guide tommorow . we got back to the hotel in time for a nap before dinner . Rebecca went swimming in the indoor pool.This hotel is magnificent . It's like a large guesthouse with a spa,indoor pool, beautiful big rooms with jacuzzi tubs( not common in Israel) , an organic farm which supplies all their produce. Weate in their vegetarian restaurant which was a huge buffet if soups, salads, homemade breads and multiple dishes made from veggies and grains...it was all delicious. amazing what they did ! Desserts were awesome, I liked the chocolate fondue.I haven't taken any pictures of this hotel yet, but we leave tomorrow , so I will in the morning so I can include them in another blog.







View from balloon

















Hula Valley


What is that?

My Israeli Wanderer

Well woke up refreshed after a 12 hour sleep, however as I am writing this I feel that familiar jetlag lull creep over my body and it is only 7:05pm. We started our day with a huge Israeli breakfast which offers all the usual eggs, pastries ,bagels anbut all kinds of salads,cheeses of all kinds, fish, homemade yogurts etc.Then off to Acco , a coastal village which is known as an important crusader port with secret tunnels and large parts of a Crusader castle are the major sites of the old city. it was really beautiful, I felt like a crusader making my way through all the underground tunnels which lead into large beautiful stone rooms with arched vaulted ceilings where crusaders once hung out waiting for. Their shipment of spice or silk. Then up north, almost to the tip of the country to see some remarkable sea caves , We took a cable car down to the caves. We then went on to Haifa walked around the city and went into a few shops. Rebecca's Hebrew is unreal,she was translating like a native for us everywhere we went. We. had dinner in a local restaurant,I had lentil bean patties ...great! Then off to an Internet cafe, joined some local Israelis with Rebeccas language skills and we called it a night.



Crusader castle





Tight tunnel











To the caves








Always listening!











Learning how to eat a krembo

Location:Haifa

The Childrens Journey....Part 2-My Israeli wanderer

Well we arrived in the land of milk and honey yesterday morning to a warm, enthusiastic welcome at the airport by Rebecca! What a sight for sore eyes, my adorable independent wanderer! She was all smiles and waves as we came through the custom doors. Lots of his and kisses later we met our guide Roy, and packed the SUV and headed north for Carmel, which was ravaged by out of control forest fires several weeks ago killing 44 prison guards. We headed for the Carmel Winery which was a tour of the famous winery followed by a wonderful wine tasting with 4 diiferent wines.Much of Carmel has been destroyed,including the Carmel Hotel and Spa which we were going to stay in. Instead we had to change plans and stay at the Dan Carmel in Haifa...a big disspointment. We then walked around the Rothschild Gardens . Jeff and I were very tired and jetlagged, head bobbing much of the day. That was until we got to the ATV's which we took into the Carmel forests and despite the desruction we had a true adventure that put the pounce in our step at least temporarily . We drove those things over boulders,in mud and through some of the bumpiest terrain I ever drove through.Our adrenaline now totally pumped up, we got dropped off at our hotel in Haifa, the Dan Carmel.It was a big dissapointment for a 5 star hotel....it was old, musty and not up to what I considered to be a 4 or 5 star hotel which I was paying for. SO , of course I complained to the hotel management,the tour company and they finally changed us to a suite....still old and musty, but at least more room.I would never recommend this hotel and I hope I don't run into the same problem with all the other hotels we booked.I was tired, jet lagged,hungry....that was just the straw that broke the israeli camels back. I must have been a raging lunatic because Rebecca and Jeff were totally embarrased. Anyway,they went out for dinner, I was just too exhausted and figured I was going to be really bad company , so I crashed and woke up 12 hours later...ready to go!


Rebecca and I at the Winery





Peek-a-boo!


Wine tasting room








Rothchild Gardens




ATVing...Jeff hanging on for dear life.

The Children's Journey....Part 1- The Prince of Greenwich Village

Well the first part of our journey to visit our kids,one in New York and one in Israel , is over. We arrived in New York Friday afternoon to a frigid day....and a wind that went right to my old bones that were much happier in Florida.We went directly to the hotel in Soho....a cute new Marriot courtyard, but in the Soho tradition small and trendy rooms....Jeff said it was a closet. I thought it was cute.Off we went to the Apple store to see our son ,Eric,in action as an "Apple Specialist"....at least that is what it says on his business cards.We walked in the busy Apple store and tried to locate him in the sea of red fleece specialists. Finally,I spotted him....unshaven ,beanie covering his head,baggy jeans helping a New Yorker with many questions about what to buy.Of course my son provided all the answers and dazzled the woman with his knowledge and charm."I will be with you in a minute" he matter of factly told his parents who just came 1000 miles to see him. We just looked at each other puzzled and began to peruse the store noting how my son fit in so perfectly to this array of ...well....computer geeks. I mean that in admirable way.He finally finished with his customer and greeted us like we were patrons of the store.It wasn't cool to have family looming about. But just to look at him, even from a distance was my urge fulfilled. My itch was scratched. I have not seen my son since August. This job at Apple prevented him fro coming home for the Jewish holidays, Thanksgiving and winter break. This, in combination with Rebecca in Israel for 10 months was enough to drive a mother crazy .....my empty nest was unbearable without the typical visitations from my kids. So Jeff and I decided to take the bull by the horns and visit them .....thus the childrens journey has begun.
The weekend was really a big eating extravaganza, including an actual 3 hour walking food tour of Greenwich village where we sampled foods from Cuban to Italian and everything in-between finishing for desert at " once upon a tart". We shopped in SoHo and on 5th ave with all the beautiful holiday window displays. We even went in to Cartiers as we have a 25th wedding anniversary next month and I tried on a beautiful "trinity" ring. Took in a broadway show, Driving Miss Daisy, with James Earl Jones. Jeff and I liked it but it was a little too slow for our future film director. Seems TRON is more along his genre of choice. I watch him buzz around the city and he really fits in so well...loving the pace,the excitement,the variety. Something new around each corner.I am so proud of him...he has blossomed into a young man full of life, love and adventure.Watch out New York there is a new prince in town


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Arriving on a frigid day in new York



Finally , I get to see my baby! On the subway...


Food tour of Greenwich village


Ymmmmo


Sampling foods of the village


Juniors famous cheesecake





The Rockefeller Christmas tree


Walking the streets oh SoHo



Jeff and the prince


More


One last slice before we leave New York


The prince of Greenwich village

Location:Radar Rd,Newark,United States