Haifa

And when I say on foot, I mean this was a 17,787-step day of meandering around Haifa … from the waterfront … to the crest of Mount Carmel … back down to the waterfront … and all the way in between.

The Carmelit is Haifa’s funicular/underground metro. With only six stops, the system runs between the city’s most important centers. We walked out of the port and headed to the station at Paris Square, in the city’s downtown center … a 15-minute walk in all. After purchasing single-ride tickets from the vending machine, we were on our way up to the last stop … the Gan-Ha’em Station.

First, a walk along the Louis Promenade, which took us to the top of the Baha’i Gardens, which are sculpted into the mountainside. Along with the Shrine of the Báb (aka the Golden Dome), they are a symbol of the city. I had looked into booking the guided tour that allows visitors access to the entirety of the grounds and the shrine, but the gardens are closed today. So, we had to be satisfied with a glimpse from the promenade that overlooks the property.

We had no specific plans on where to go or what to do today, so we just wandered and ended up wherever our feet took us … the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art … the Haifa Zoo (it was obvious that the animals were well taken care of from the way the caretakers talked about them, but the facility itself is in need of a facelift).

More meandering eventually brought us to a small, hole-in-the-wall kind of place — Falafel President — that was doing brisk business. We joined the locals and ordered two falafel sandwiches, which we ate at one of the tables on the sidewalk. Excellent. Then, onto Golda, the gelateria we had spotted earlier for a delicious, creamy Belgian chocolate treat. Excellent.

Thus fortified, we began the 45-minute trek down to the port.

Haifa is situated on hilly terrain. The roads, instead of going straight down, follow a zigzag pattern along the mountainside. Pedestrians in the know take the “step routes” which make for short cuts that go through quiet neighborhoods and narrow alleys. Luckily, Google Maps routed us down via these steps because I had not been able to get my hands on a map of the color-coded routes. Along the way, we enjoyed murals and other bits of art.

Thus, we wrapped up our visit to Israel. Tomorrow we have a sea day before our first port of call in Turkey on the 14th. I know our feet are going to appreciate the chance to rest up.Read more