My cousin Danny and partner Shirley urged me to come with them and their friends Arieh and Omer up to the Galilee for a day in nature (teva). “But I will miss a day of school,” I complained. “I’m horribly behind already and missing a day will be hard to overcome.”
“But it’s Purim,” they practically begged. “Come on… let it go.” And so we went.
We hiked in the Gilboa Hills National Park, with views of the Yizrael Valley (also known as Jezreel Valley in English sources.) This is the valley where supposedly Armageddon is to be fought. Oh boy… perhaps later if you don’t mind. But for now, the valley is a rich agricultural plain, with kibbutzim dotting the landscape.
After our hike in the hills, we drive down to the valley and go to another national park (Ein Muda or Muda Spring). This one is a series of spring-fed ponds and a very cool (in both ways of the word) spring-fed brook, that you simple walk down and let the waters flow with you.
Sandwiches eaten on rocks and delightfully slow and nature-centered conversations made this a full break from Jerusalem’s urban intensity.
Daniel's Derekh 
I love the pictures of nature and the surrounding landscape that you include in your blogs, Daniel. In so many ways Israel is completely different than anything I’ve encountered in my travels. Then again, some things (like the irises and the streams) are very much like what I see here in the U.S.
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Beautiful photo of the irises. Somehow, thinking of a visit to Israel doesn’t evoke images of wildflowers. Nice to know of the natural diversity! Sounds like it was worth getting behind in homework.
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I’m beginning to lower my expectations on the language learning, Brian. Of course any lower and I’ll be mailing it in.
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So glad you got out of town and had lunch in teva. Makes for a great memory and a restful place you can always return to when in need of rest.
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Indeed, Judith. And some fun pictures to add depth to the memories.
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