Day Nine: Along the Coast

Today we headed down the Mediterranean coast, winding our way down from the north, back to Jerusalem. We began at Rosh Hanikra, a beautiful series of grottos inside the limestone rock that touches the Mediterranean in the far north of the country. This phenomenon is a result of a tectonic shift that brought the hills down directly into the water, with no beach separating them from the shore. 

View of the Mediterranean coast from above Rosh Hanikra

Inside the grottos...

The limestone cliffs descending directly into the water

We then continued southward towards Zichron Yaakov, an early settlement established at the end of the 19th century and the home of the Carmel Winery, the largest winery in Israel. At the winery, we learned a bit about the process of wine making, as well as some of the history of the winery, having been established by the philanthropy of Baron Edmund de Rothschild. Baron Rothschild sent machinery, grape vines, French wine makers, in addition to bankrolling many other aspects of the winery, including the bribe money necessary for the Ottoman Turks to allow the Jews to open their own winery.

In addition to a tour of the winery, we were also treated to a deluxe wine tasting, complete with fresh bread, dips, cheeses, olives, and vegetables. We learned some tips to appreciating wine and sampled some of the finest wines that Carmel produces.

At our delicious wine tasting

Group picture outside the wine shop

From Zichron Yaakov, we drove along the coast to Caesarea. On the way into the ancient city of Caesarea we passed through the modern one, which is the only private city in all of Israel and home to its only 18-hole golf course. Among the wealthy and high-profile residents, Binyamin Netanyahu maintains a residence in Caesarea, in addition to his private home in the Rechavia section of Jerusalem and the state-owned prime minister's residence where he now resides. 

Our tour of Caesarea began with Crusader fortress built in the 11th century. The fortress is surrounded by a wide moat facing the land, giving the Christian occupants the security needed to control the port. What was most fascinating about the port was that it was built without the use of cement; the stones simply rest on top of one another, rising into arches at the ceiling. The beach stones that were used to build the fortress were once covered by plaster, but have been left bare following their excavation and efforts are now being made to treat the brittle stones in a manner that will keep them from eroding.

Walking towards the coast, we passed the remains of what was once a pagan temple. Caesarea, though built by Herod, a Jewish king, was built to strengthen political ties with the Romans and served as the Roman capital city within the colony of Judaea. Caesarea was complete with all forms of entertainment, including a hippodrome for chariot racing and an amphitheater for gladiator battles and other "sports." All around the port are modern souvenir shops, art galleries, and restaurants, tying together the old and the new. We entered a multimedia center where kiosks are set up that allow you to "interview" various ancient personalities--such as King Herod, Pontius Pilate, and Rabbi Akiva--that are projected onto a screen. We also watched a short film outlining the history of Caesarea, from its first being built by Herod to the present, changing hands from Jews to pagans to Moslems to Christians a number of times over in between. We ended our tour right near the coast for a view of the sparkling Mediterranean and the remains of what was once a magnificent port.

Inside the Crusader fortress

The ruins of the ancient port

Group picture in front of the Mediterranean

We arrived back in Jerusalem and proceeded directly to the Anna Ticho House for our farewell dinner. This house was previously owned by Dr. Albert and Anna Ticho. The house sits on large and beautiful grounds, all of which were bequeathed by Anna to the city of Jerusalem before her death. The house now serves as a museum for Anna's beautiful watercolor paintings and charcoal drawings, and also houses a popular cafe and restaurant: "Little Jerusalem." We enjoyed a wonderful dinner together of fresh salads, bread, pastas, fish, as well as an array of incredible cakes for dessert. Rabbi Bienenfeld made a final "l'chaim," encouraging the group to take with them the memories of how if felt to truly be at home. 

This was our last day traveling as one whole group, but tomorrow we'll try to provide you with a sampling of how our participants spent their final day in the Holy Land.