The adventure continues

Day 17: Leaving Tel Aviv. We packed up our belongings and left Tel Aviv with some sadness. Scott is going to miss his daily trips to the Shuk for fruits and veggies and the kids are going to miss their own rooms. But, the fun continued as we headed to Ceseara for a day of exploration and excitement. We spent the better part of the afternoon walking around the ancient ruins of the once thriving town of Cesaera. The kids walked around an ancient amphitheatre still used today, a Hippodrome, Bath House and more. The coolest things to see were the extensive and elaborate mosaic and marble floors. The kids even got to keep some of the shells and rocks they found. We learned about King Herod and the many civilizations who conquered the town. Let me not forget the two lizards Avi spotted and watched in the bathroom for an extended period of time; we tried to convince him they were ancient lizards – not sure if he believed us. We left Ceseara and headed to our next sleeping destination En Hod.

We arrived in En Hod and located our apartment, which is a little studio apartment on the lower level of a residence. The view off the balcony is breathtaking and the owners of the house are lovely. The kids settled in and quickly chose their sleeping space. We had a quiet dinner in went to bed.

Day 18: Haifa and Surrounds. Today we awoke to very hot weather: we were told they were predicting 100 degrees – yikes! But, we forged forward, ate a quick breakfast and drove to Haifa. The drive to Haifa was quick and we easily located the tourist center. We visited the Dagon Grain Museum, where we learned about the history of the caring of wheat from ancient times to current. The tour was short and informative and also included a neat book about the history of wheat. Our day continued as we headed to the Bahai Gardens for a twelve o’clock English Tour. We started the tour at the top of the Gardens and finished with a movie about the Bahai Faith about ½ way down the Gardens. Visitors are not allowed to go any further. The Gardens were beautiful and the tour interesting. The kids did a great job walking down the many stairs. Unfortunately, we did not end the tour anywhere near our car, so Scott (the adventurous-type) boarded a bus with the hopes of finding the car, and only one bus ride and one taxi ride later the car was located.

After Scott picked up everyone else we headed to The Germany Colony where we enjoyed a delicious Kosher lunch. Yes, the Shapiro children ate meat again. With the hour late and the children tired we headed for a quick visit to the Castro Mall for a little food shopping and viewing of a Minature Doll exhibit consisting of 55 dioramas depicting different stories from the Bible and the history of Israel. The exhibit was very interesting and kept the kids excited. We arrived home around 6:30 and worked on some homework. The owner of the apartment is a glass blower and he invited us to watch him work. The kids were fascinated by his talent and Avi got to assist by blowing some glass. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that the beautiful swan he made was a gift for us. Unfortunately, the swan only survived unscathed for a short time. With his excitement while telling Scott about his glass blowing experience, Avi accidentally knocked it over, breaking off a small part. But not to worry as with many items in our house, it can be easily fixed with crazy glue, or better known in our house as silly glue. The evening ended with a light meal and a late night movie.

Stay tuned for more Shapiros in Israel as the days continue and some photos from these two days when we have a better internet connection.