Haifa and a Northern Road Trip

Haifa

Sybil sleeping on the train from Tel Aviv to Haifa. We've been on planes, trains, and automobiles at this point. I'm mostly posting this picture to remind us that it wasn't always hard.

Haifa sits on steep hills rising up from the Mediterranean and so, like a game of chutes and ladders, you follow a seemingly endless series of staircases and steep paths that wind up the mountain.

We made it to the top of the mountain for the great view. This photo was snapped mere moments after Sybil peed all over me! 

A candid and tender moment I'm glad I snuck up on

There were two couples shooting their wedding photos at the top, and Sybil most definitely photo bombed both of them. One was an accident, but this couple was actually excited to have a random baby in their photos. 

The whole shebang up on top of Mt. Carmel 

The view from the top of the Baha'i Gardens. 

Almost every day on the trip we've accidentally come across an amazing playground at an opportune moment. Part of it has been luck and part of it has been our willingness to just explore places instead of "get to" places.   

Northern Road Trip

Our second day in Haifa we rented a car and car seat and hit the road to explore northern Israel: Acre (Akka), a couple of national parks, and the Sea of Galilee. Road trip!!

Outside the walled city of Acre/Akka. In Western history, this city is most well known for being the seat of the Christian kingdoms at the beginning of the Crusades in 1099.

A view from inside the walled city. 

Sybil trying to chase cats in Acre.

Cool juxtaposition of old and new in a turf soccer field right inside the old city walls, which have been there (however rebuilt many times) since the late 900s CE.

Sybil has a keen eye for cats, or Meows, and had developed a penchant for chasing them around trying desperately to pet them. Usually, they are evasive of her not so subtle techniques. This cat however, at Bet Alfa Synagogue, beat her at her own game.

Bet Alfa Synagogue was built in the late 400s CE and is significant for its well preserved mosaic tile floor, which was only accidentally discovered in 1929 when the kibbutzim located here was digging an irrigation ditch. Mosaic tile floors were common in synagogues at the time in this area, but the thing that surprised me is that it shows the signs of the Roman pagan zodiac. Apparently a common decorative motif of synagogues during this time and in this area, since a few others have been found. 

Next we hit up a spring fed river for a quick dip, reminiscent of Barton Springs but not nearly as cold. 

We took a scenic route to through beautiful 

Hait Gilbo'a Preserve, which abuts the West Bank, and climbed a hill to look over at the Palestinian city on the other side of the fence/wall.

We drove past the Sea of Galilee on our way back to Haifa. It was beautiful, but we didn't stop since we had to get back to Haifa. I wish we had a little more time to spend in the mountains, but it's time to move on to Jerusalem and then Camp Ultimate Peace!