FUN-travel: Holy Land – Haifa To Tel Aviv, Israel – Day 16
May 13, 2013 by Susan Clarke
The ABC’s of The Holy Land
A = Awesome
B = Bummer
C = Celebration
Caesarea
Trip Day 70 – Tuesday, April 9 – Haifa to Tel Aviv, Israel – cool, windy, cloudy turns to sunny, breezy – low 70’s
Baha’i Gardens
- 6:30 – wake up
- 7:00 – warm machine cappuccino – typical breakfast buffet – make sandwiches for later
- 9:00 – take off for Tel Aviv
- 1st stop – view Baha’i Gardens from bottom
- 2nd stop – view Baha’i Gardens from top (can’t go in unless you have a group but don’t need to)
- 9:45 – drive to …
- 3rd stop – 10:15 – Caesarea – port city built by Herod the great between 29 – 22 BC – once seat of Roman rule
- A – impressive Roman aqueduct & excavated fortress
- 11:45 – head on to Tel Aviv
- 4th stop – 12:30 – Nachalat Binyamin Market – only on Tuesday & Friday – several blocks of art vendors including jewelry, clothing, paintings, etc
- 2:00 – arrive Rothschild Hotel
- C – get upgraded to suite w/huge living room
- 2:30 – walk back to market – wanted to let Yuval our guide go home & want more exercise
- 2:45 – burger break @ Agadir – Angus beef, fries, drink, salad – $18 – enough for 2!
- 4:30 – back to hotel for room R & R
Nachalat Binyamin Market
- 7:15 – walk to Herbert Samuel – restaurant recommended by Yuval – fusion food
- 1st course – salmon sashimi w/habanera sauce
- 2nd course – tomato salad everyone’s trying to copy – homemade bread basket
- 3rd course – shrimp & calamari on homemade pasta w/artichokes
- Wine – Yarden Syrah from special vineyard I can’t remember – really good!
- C – so ready for a change of food & this was wonderful! – most expensive meal and worth!
- 9:30 – nice stroll back to hotel
Caesarea
FF – (FUN-fact) – The Baha’i Gardens are splendidly manicured and tiered up the hill surrounding the impressive golden-domed Baha’i Shrine.
More FF – Haifa lies on the Mediterranean coast at the foot of Mount Carmel