H̱of HaDeqel

Departing Haifa, it was off to the ancient city of Akko. We first explored the Crusaders fortress, built during their 2nd second coming this land. Crossed arches was a dominant feature as we started with a cheesy but fun video, then a brief tour of various halls. The Templars Tunnel would be later, and not too claustrophobic actually. We'd also walk along old city walls, visited 2 synagogues (one still under renovation and the other a Tunisian synagogue that was closed, and the local mosque.

There've been thoughts to excavate the site, but the difficulty lies in needed to relocate the locals living above the old city in the new city and it's very unlikely that this will happen, partly due to logistics but also the love for their home.

Lunch was a quick stop at what was the best falafels in Akko and they didn't disappoint. They were as fresh as fresh could be, you could see the man scooping the mixture and dropping it into the hot oil. A busy operation, they have the process down.

After lunch, we made our way to Nazareth to visit the Basilica of the Annunciation and the nearby Church of St Joseph. The basicilia is beautiful and sits above what is believed to be Mary's home. Outside and inside walls show various depictions from countries around the world. It was really neat to see them all and how the culture of each country comes through.

A quick stop for kanafeh dessert. I'd had some in Jordan a few years ago and was curious to try the Israeli version (or one of them). I really enjoyed the texture of the top half, but as I was too full to eat it til much later, the cheese on the bottom had cooled down and solidified.

Our stop for the night? Tiberias, a town on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, around which we would be exploring the next day.Read more