Some of the fallen columns at Susita.

Susita

The remains of the ancient city, Susita is situated on a mountain top surrounded by steep cliffs overlooking Lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee). The archaeological excavations are relatively recent and so far the remains of 7 churches have been found on the site . The city was destroyed by a massive earthquake in 749 and was never resettled. The views over the lake towards Tiberius and the surrounding landscapes are amazing.

An interesting sign at the entrance to the Basilica

Mt Tabor

Mt Tabor in the Galilee is known as the traditional site of the Transfiguration of Jesus. There are two large Christian Churches on the top of the mountain-but it is only possible to visit the Franciscan Basilica of the Transfiguration. Inside there are beautiful mosaics and paintings decorating some of the walls. On a clear day there are wonderful views across the Jezreel valley and the patchwork of fields. In the vicinity of the basilica,there are many interesting remains of earlier structures from the Byzantine and Crusader times as well as from the time of Salah ad-Din.

One set of stairs we use as we walk from our apartment to some of the shopping areas in the older part of Haifa.

Here are some photos of the Jacaranda trees that are in full bloom right now. This busy avenue always looks its best when the jacadandas are in bloom.

A last visit to Moris

Life has been very busy over the past two weeks as we begin to organise our departure from Israel. Although we have taken many photographs and had some wonderful trips to nearby favourite areas of the country and meals out with friends, I have not had time to post on my Blog. So, I am taking some time this afternoon to make an addition ... or maybe two. For the past seven years, Noel and I have had our hair styled by Moris who owns and operates a small hair Salon just 8 minutes walk away from our apartment. It is located down in Abbas Street. To get there - as is usual when one walks almost anywhere in our part of Haifa - we have to use stairs to get up or down the mountain. This was our last visit to Moris before we leave Haifa at the end of May - so it was very sad to have to say goodbye.

Doorways in Safed

A trip to Safed

Recently we re-visited the most elevated city in Israel. Safed is situated in the far north of the country, very close to Mt Meron.
The city's history spans all of the periods of Jewish life in israel. There are archaeological treasures and historic remains from the Canaanite, Second Temple, Moslem, Crusader, Turkish and British periods.

It has a very interesting Artists quarter with beautiful winding lanes of fine stonework. Most of the galleries are in the artists' homes so it is a very interesting area to visit.

As we wound our way up the mountain road towards the old city, we saw fields of beautiful wild flowers. There was a great variety of spring flowers in bloom but the red poppies were particularly beautiful. It was a very clear day so we had the bounty of a really nice view of Mt Hermon which is located on the border of Israel, Lebanon and Syria.

After our visit to Zippori, we had lunch at one of our favourite restaurant's- the Herb Farm Restaurant on Mount Gilboa. As usual the food was delicious and the service was excellent. I finished my meal with a plate of chocolate delicacies and a large cappuccino. Later in the afternoon we visited an ancient Synagogue at Bet Alpha National Park that has an amazing mosaic floor with the central section in the form of a zodiac. It dates from the 6th Century. To complete our day we then visited a beautifully designed Japanese style garden with a pool full of colourful fish.

Last weekend, Noel and I visited one of our favourite National Parks here in Israel. We went with Susan and Christopher Lyons who are two friends from Canada. The site we visited is Zippori (also known as Sepphoris) and it is located quite close to Nazareth in the Galilee. The mosaics at this site are some of the best that can be seen in Israel. The site has been excavated in the past few years and the beautiful remains of the ancient town unearthed. This was the home of Anne and Joachim, the parents of Mary who was the mother of Jesus. Apart from the mosaics, we also enjoy visiting the ancient underground reservoir which is what remains of the original water supply system

I have finally managed to get myself organised to begin a blog. I enjoy reading postings by many of my friends and spend some time each day reading about their adventures. My wife and I have been living in Haifa, Israel for the past 7 years. We serve at the Baha'i World Centre which is located on Mt Carmel overlooking Haifa Bay. Haifa is the third largest city in Israel and it is the major port. Sadly, at the end of May, we will be leaving Israel and returning to live in Australia. I plan to use this blog as a way of sharing some aspects of our life here in Israel as well as a way to share our adventures as we visit family and friends on our way back to Australia.