MHad to go to the consular services in Haifa again. Dropped off a sample from our lab to the Rambam Hospital, and then I took the train all the way north to Nahariya. The bus ride from there back to Tsfat is cheaper and less painful than the bus ride from Akko. Plus I got to go to the beach for a few minutes to take pictures!
Behind the Rambam Hospital is a beach called "Quiet Beach". It's in the middle of a heavily industrial port, but it is quiet otherwise.
It was already hot in Haifa, and I don't know the city well. So I got back on the train and went north to Nahariya. A far more beautiful town....
My favorite cafe, used to be you could see the surf from there, but now the boardwalk is a bit built up. Still, a nice place for a breakfast on the beach.
Then a nice bus ride home. Views of the green hills, and Mount Meron where the Lag BaOmer celebrations will be next week. The town sprawling on the hillside is Tsfat viewed from Meron.
These are called "lashon hapara", Ox Tongue, after the prickly leaves. Shoots and pre-bloom flower clusters are edible (though heavily infested, so I've never cooked them up)
These are mallow blooms. Later they close up and have edible seed pods, called "pita aravit" by local kids happily chewing on them. The blossoms are good against coughs, so gather in the spring and dry them for winter use. Leaves are edible, young ones tender enough for use in salads. Roots are also very good against coughs.
It was windy when I was shooting these pics on the hillside, so I didn't get the focus I wanted. This is an olive tree branch with the newer green growth against the older (olive green) growth.
These are wild peas, once again not the focus I was looking for. Not edible, indeed poisonous.
If you look carefully, in the foreground is an oat grass stalk with full green oats on it. The wild oats are not yet sewing their seed.
Wild wheat grass is also growing all over the place.
Here is what the hillside looks like at a glance of riotous color and greenery. Catch it now before it all dries!
Many days in the winter the clouds look like waves in the distance. The winter rains add a green to the hillsides. Love these views on my walk to work.
As we finish up the solar year of 2009 and go into 2010, Safed continues to look great. Winter clouds over the mountains, green on the hills from the rain. Have a great year!
The obligatory glow in the dark costume jewelry.
I had to be in Haifa last week for a lecture at the Technion Institute. Figured I'd take advantage of the trip (long and icky now that I am back to bus and train in the heat instead of air conditioned cab ride) to drop off my U.S. passport at the counsular services for renewal.
