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Scenes from the Galilee
The Galilee is at the north part of Israel.
It is usually divided into two regions: the Upper Galilee and Lower Galilee.
The Lower Galilee is dominated by the Jezreel Valley
(where I spent the first 10 years of my childhood), the scene of historical battles of the
Egyptians, Mesopotamians, Assyrians, Persians and Romans who claimed it for its strategic
value.
The Upper Galilee sports Israel's highest peaks and
greenest valleys. It borders with Lebanon and Syria. |
At the north-western point is Rosh Hanikra, a geological attraction right on the Lebanese border. It is a hugh rock made out of limestone, in which over the years the sea has carved caves and grottos. A view from the cable car, as it descends down to the caves. You can see the opening of one of them. Another shot from the cable car. The sea waves crash against the white rock, churning white foam. Inside one of the grottos. The sound of the crashing of the waves is quite impressive. I don't think you'd want to be here during a stormy see. It was a hot bright day. And the white rock face makes it doubly bright, you either wear shades or squint. Since this is right on the Lebanese border, there's a definite military presence. But it's a pretty peacefull point, and these two soldiers (just boys by the look of'em) were passing the time under a big umbrella. They were only too happy to oblige. North of the town of Kiryat Shmona, in 1919 was a settlement called Tel-Hai. Every Israeli kid is well versed in the story of Joseph Trumpeldor and 7 other zionist pioneers that were killed by the Arabs, defending the settlement. As he lay dying, the myth goes, Trumpeldor said "It is a good thing to die for our country". Kiryat Shmona was founded later, and was named after the fallen. At the cemetary where the eight are buried stands this monuments, which each Israeli is quite familiar with.
You can read more about the battle of Tel Hai. In the Lower Galilee, in the south-eastern corner of the Jezreel valley is an oasis-like place called Sachne. It's a favorite tourist spot for Israelis, and is quite beautiful. There are four or five large pools, connected by waterfalls. The color of the water is this amazing blue. The source of the water is a warm spring (although I guess "warm" is a relative term. I found the water chilly). At some point some fish were introduced into the pools (I believe karp). They keep the water clean, so fishing is forbidden. If you go in and stand still for a few seconds, the fish come by and start nibbling at your ankles; a decidedly disconcerting sensation. The place is surrounded by palm and carob (boxer) trees. You can reach up and pick the carob pods and eat them. The kids love this place.
At the north-western point is Rosh Hanikra, a geological attraction right on the Lebanese border. It is a hugh rock made out of limestone, in which over the years the sea has carved caves and grottos. A view from the cable car, as it descends down to the caves. You can see the opening of one of them.
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