SMILES

• We are touring the Holy Land. Making the most of our predicament, we are fitting in a separate overseas tour into this one’s schedule, with four days to spare until our connecting flight from Tel Aviv to Istanbul, from there direct to Cape Town.
• Camping at Yannai beach just past Netanya, lost of kitesurfers, a bit like Muizenberg. On the beach, early morning, anglers, stand-up paddlers, athletes practising for a thriathlon event, elderly folks taking a bracing dip, dog walkers, mountain bikers – feels just like home.
• Caeserea impressed us no end. So much history, dating from the Phoenicians, and so many layers of different cultures. Charismatic Herod’s dream, that flourished and was eventually razed to the ground, only to be resurrected thanks to Baron Edmund de Rothschild.
• Haifa is a gorgeous city. Think San Francisco, with the vibe of Kloof Street, sidewalk cafes and boutiques. We love it! Saw all the sights, Stella Maris Church, Ba’Hai gardens and temple.
• Walking in the footsteps of Jesus along the Sea of Galilee. From the Shrine of the Beatitudes, where he delivered the Sermon of the Mount, on to the ancient synagogue of Capernaum, and the ruins of Peter’s house where He dwelled.
• Driving along the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee to the Golan Heights, to Yehudiya Forest and Nature Reserve.
• Camping at Dugit beach on the far north-eastern side of the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). An early morning dip in the lake and a leisurely breakfast before we drive on to Tiberias and Nazareth.