Tut Neyar paper mill

Our friends Izhar and Timna Neumann own and operate a Paper mill on the main street of Zichron Ya'akov, so we called in to see them. It was nice to chat with them and to see their beautiful papers and paper products. It is always a pleasure to walk up the driveway of their property that leads to the paper mill and their shop as it very attractively decorated with flowers and interesting objects. It was Timna's birthday today, so we were able to wish her a very Happy Birthday!

Zichron Ya'akov

As today was a holiday following the early morning (3 am) Commemoration of the Ascension of Baha'u'llah, that was held at Bahji, near Akka last evening, our friends Christopher and Susan Lyons invited to join them for lunch at Zichron Ya'akov.

We visited a very nice restuarant where we had eaten with friends on past visits to this beautiful town that is situated high on the Mt Carmel range, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

After lunch we took a gentle stroll along the main pedestrian street, where we visited several of the shops and enjoyed the beautiful afternoon sunshine.

There are many shops with very nice products in Zichron Ya'akov. As we entered one particular gift shop we noticed a very relaxed white cat asleep on the main counter.

At the Baha'i Visitor's Centre, Bahji

We joined many Baha'is who gathered at the Visitors Centre, where we waited until it was time for the Commemoration programme for the Anniversary of the Ascension of Baha'u'llah at 3 am.

A late supper with friends at Greg's Cafe, Nahariyya

After sunset today, it was the beginning of a Baha'i Holy Day commemorating the Ascension of Baha'u'llah. Along with other Baha'is who are currently serving at the Baha'i World Centre, Noel and I paid a special visit to the Mansion at Bahji where Baha'u'llah passed away.

Later we joined with some friends, Jackie Silver, Bonnie Ellis and Sally Weeks to have a late evening meal at the nearby beach side town of Nahariyya. We enjoyed delicious food as we heard Bonnie's plans for the future - as she will be returning to Canada to live at the end of the month.

We visit Bet She'an National Park

Today we were invited to go on a trip with our friends, Allan and Muna Waters. As we had not been to visit Bet She'an for some time, that site was at the top of our list. It is known as Israel's Pompeii. The area has a long and dramatic history that includes the Egyptians, the Canaanites, the Philistines, King David, King Solomon, Alexander the Great, the Romans and the Jews.

There are the remains of a large theatre, two bath houses, colonnades, temples, markets and fountains as well as many other public buildings and streets. There are some beautiful mosaics as well as a large Tel that we climbed. There are excavations currently in progress on the Tel. We also had amazing views of the site and surrounding countryside from the top of the Tel. We had a very clear view of the Gilad mountains of Jordan.

We spent more than 3 hours at the site as it covers a large area. We then drove over to the Herb Farm Restaurant that is situated on Mt Gilboa where we ate a delicious lunch as we looked out across some of the beautiful farmlands and hills of Israel.

Coffee at Arcaffe

After our visit to Belvoir Castle we returned to Haifa and, after some shopping at some of our favourite shops in Allenby Road we went up to Merkaz HaCarmel to have coffee and cakes at the Haifa Arcaffe.

We like the coffee and the cafe style food that this chain of coffee shops has on offer. The cafe is spacious and the staff are very welcoming ... so it is always a pleasure to visit there. It was a very pleasant way to finish our day out with Barbara and JoAnne.

Kohav Hayarden (Belvoir Castle)

Today we went on a visit to Belvoir Castle National Park with friends, Barbara Taylor and JoAnne Robinson. It was a great trip across to the Jordan Road that leads from Lake Kinneret to Bet She'an. On the way we passed another famous site that we have visited in the past - Megiddo.

We spent time exploring the various areas of this once mighty, impressive Crusader fortress that stands on the basalt plateau at an altitude of 312 m above sea level overlooking the Jordan River valley some 550m below.

It was built by the Hospitaller Knights between 1168-1189 on land purchased from a French noble family named Velos.

The castle is surrounded on 3 sides by a moat that as 10m deep and 20m wide. The moat was cut from the basalt bedrock and the stone that was removed was used to construct the fortress.

Shingo's last day in the Office

Today was a very sad day as it was Shingo's last official day in the Office before he and his wife Amelia and daughter Shiori leave to settle in Australia at the end of the month.

As completing the daily crossword puzzle in the Jerusalem Post is a focus of morning break each day, Mojan and Lucas decided to mount and frame the completed crossword for today and present it to Shingo. As you can see from the photograph, Shingo was delighted with the special gift.

Dinner with Toshiko

Toshiko joined us for a meal at Greg Gallery which is a relatively new restaurant in Haifa.

We visit Mrs Mushtaq

After our visit to the Shrines and the gardens, we decided to call on Mrs Mushtaq who lives in an apartment that is part of the building where Noel and I used to live. Mrs Mushtaq is a very talented carpet weaver. She invited us for coffee and sweets. It was wonderful to spend some time with her on such a beautiful afternoon.

Garden ornaments

I always enjoy looking at the decorative ornaments that are placed at various points around the gardens. They certainly add to the beauty and tranquility of the experience.