criplomats

At our cabin overlooking the Sea of Galilee

We headed out with our guest Cathy late morning on Saturday and drove up though the Golan Heights and down into the Galilee. Unlike our last trip, we only had a little bit of rain, and we were able to really appreciate the stunning views. The roads are steep and winding, with a lot of switchbacks.

We made a great discovery Saturday afternoon. We found a family olive oil business, located on a kibbutz. They showed us their operation and how they pressed the olives into oil. They also make tahini, which is like peanut butter but made of sesame seeds. We walked out loaded with goodies, including handmade olive oil soap.

We were rewarded at the end of the day with a pretty sunset and nice glass of wine on the deck of our cabin at Vered Hagalil, overlooking the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee).

Sunday morning we went back to Galil Mountain Winery where we were treated to a tasting by their winemaker Micha. Micha is very laid-back and we really enjoyed his take on the various wines.

After that, we went to Dalton Winery where we wanted to buy some dessert liqueurs they sell, as well as some of their wine. Edna, who helped us the last time we were there, caused us to drop our jaws when she casually said, “You know, I used to teach Hebrew at the Foreign Service Institute back in the 70s.” Small world, hmm?

It was our second week in a row for winery tours. Last Sunday, Cathy and I went with Wendy and Colin, along with our co-workers Steph, Abram and Jason, to the Judean Hills. We had a wonderful tasting at Clos de Gat, one of the more picturesque of the wineries, and also stops at Tzora and Flam. We had a picnic together at a little spot on the side of the road filled with wildflowers.

Thursday night was book club at our house. Like he did in Juarez, John has started a book club here, focusing on diplomacy. We had a nice group to discuss Kai Bird’s “Crossing Mandelbaum’s Gate.”

Friday we had another in-house happy hour at the office, with Cathy as our guest. Afterwards, Cathy treated me, John, Wendy and Colin to dinner at Whitehall. (I have fallen in love with their pork ribs!)

We had another special treat this week when Dave E. from our A-100 class, who is posted in Jerusalem, came over Sunday night. We had a great dinner at Manta Ray on the beach, then Dave took Cathy to Jerusalem for a couple of days.

As we were walking home in the dark and rain, we saw a man fall on the sidewalk in front of us. He was a businessman from Baltimore and had a terrible bloody nose from the fall. I ended up taking him in a taxi to the nearest ER and stayed with him for a few hours until I felt he was stable enough to leave (he ended up with a nose broken in five places and 14 stitches!). It was a good experience for me to get familiar with the ER system in Tel Aviv, and the U.S. traveler was happy to have some help navigating the ER.

With Cathy and Dave at Manta Ray

Picnic in the Judean Hills

Our good friend Cathy from A-100 flew in Thursday night to spend a couple of weeks for R&R. It’s so fun to have her here – we’ve been talking pretty much non-stop since she arrived!

We walked down to Jaffa today – it’s a beautiful sunny day outside and perfect day to be outside walking along the sea. We walked around the old port city, then found a good Arab restaurant for lunch. Unfortunately, the flea market and most of the stores were closed for Shabat.

Yesterday I went in late to work so I could have breakfast with Cathy on her first morning in town. She came to the office at the close of business and joined the officers for a bottle of wine before we went home for the day. It was a good to have some relaxing time with my co-workers at the end of the week. Although we have only been taking emergency visa cases while our office is being remodeled, we’ve kept busy getting caught up on desk work. We’ve also done a “mini-management school,” where we read and discuss books and articles on management.

Last Saturday night, John and I met several friends at a good restaurant to celebrate Ben’s birthday. It was fun to go to a new part of town.

Sunday we went back to Hertzliyya for an appointment, then went to brunch overlooking the marina. We hit the grocery store, then made our way back to Tel Aviv. I had a nice manicure and finished reading Hurting Distance, by Sophie Hannah.

Thursday, I went with some co-workers to represent the Embassy at a career fair for young Israeli soldiers who are about to leave their mandatory army service. We were there to talk to them about the danger of working illegally in the US. Lots of young Israelis have gotten in trouble by selling Dead Sea products in mall kiosks, while they are in the US on a tourist visa (you’re not allowed to work on a tourist visa). It was a fun day, seeing these young kids in their uniforms.

With Colin and Wendy at Galil Mountain Winery

This was a fun and busy week. We had a three-day weekend last weekend, so Sunday morning, we headed north to Israeli wine country with our friends Wendy and Colin. It was pretty overcast and rainy, but it was still great to get out in the countryside.

We went to a couple of wineries in the Golan Heights on Sunday before getting to our lodging for the night. Driving through the Golan was interesting – signs warning of land mines, crossing the Jordan River, and feeling like you were on the top of the world.

We booked cottages at Vered Hagalil, overlooking the Sea of Galilee (or the Kinneret, as the Israelis call it). It’s a very rustic, laid back place. We went out for a nice dinner at Muscat, where I had a delicious pumpkin soup.

The next morning, we saw a very modern, funky building across the road from us and decided to explore. Next thing we knew, we were on a tour with a Catholic monk. I’m no expert in monasteries, but this one was very odd. I’ve posted a photo of their library below – it looks like the intergalactic chamber in a science fiction show!

After that, we went to two wineries that we really liked a lot: Galil Mountain and Dalton. The folks at these places were super-friendly and I think we tasted every wine they had. On the way back to Tel Aviv, we stopped at a little Arab restaurant for a schwarma plate. I don’t think they get gringos there often! Click here for all of our photos from the trip.

It was back to work on Tuesday. We’re in the middle of remodeling our offices at work, so everything is topsy-turvy. We had only a few hundred clients at the beginning of the week, and, other than emergency cases, we’ll be closed until week after next.

Aside from being our 15th wedding anniversary, Thursday was Consular Leadership Day. It’s a day for teambuilding, learning, etc. We spent the morning at a local animal shelter where we painted some of the walls to help brighten up  the place, and we played with the dogs. It was a great experience. This is a private shelter, and pretty primitive; they were very happy to have our help. In the afternoon, we gathered at an Arab-Israeli community center for a laughter workshop and some other activities. It was a fun day. Click to see photos from the animal shelter.

That night, we had a New Professionals Association happy hour where we had a chance to unwind and visit with friends and co-workers.

During the week, I worked on several emergency visa cases. Some of them were cases where the US government has a special interest, while others are for emergency medical treatment in the US. While it’s not always fun to stay late or come in on a holiday to get these done, there is a great degree of satisfaction it in.

Last night, John took me out for a nice anniversary dinner at Whitehall. Hard to believe it has been 15 years already. Time flies when you’re having fun!

Monastery Library with blue plastic dome

With my friend Erika at the animal shelter

Last Sunday afternoon, my friend from work, Issa, took me to a center here in Tel Aviv for Sudanese and Eritrean refugees. It was like walking into a different world. I see some Africans on the streets of Tel Aviv and in the Embassy occasionally, but the refugee center is in a part of town dominated by them. I had no idea that there are around 30,000 refugees in Israel.

Their status here is largely undefined. The Israeli government doesn’t want to give them true refugee status. They are not really supposed to work, but the government generally turns a blind eye.

My friend Issa has volunteered with that community since high school, and I appreciate him introducing me to the people at the center and showing me the neighborhood.

Thursday night, I went to book club here for the first time. It’s a women’s group, and we discussed “The Good Earth,” by Pearl Buck. It was a good discussion and a fun evening.

John took me out to dinner one night, to our favorite restaurant, Whitehall. It’s nice to have  a place where they know you and treat you well.

Speaking of that, we heard last night that there was a shooting at our favorite restaurant in Juarez, very near our old house there. We immediately thought of the manager and waiters there who were always so nice to us, and we hope they are OK. It seems that the violence there just keeps getting worse.

Today is Mom’s birthday! I’ll call her later tonight – we are 8 hours ahead of Arkansas, so I’ll have to wait. From what I hear, she has probably been snowed in since last Thursday.

It’s sunny and cool today here in Tel Aviv.  John and I went back to Hertzliyya this morning for an appointment, with an obligatory breakfast at Benedict’s up there. I had a delicious spinach omelette.

Last Monday night after work, we went to our DCM’s home for an NPA meeting; we had a guest speaker, Barry Rubin. He is a fairly well known author and Middle East expert. It was interesting to hear his take on the events in Egypt.

The week was pretty quiet around here – just work as usual. I was very happy last Sunday afternoon to find an excellent nail salon. I had let my nails go and they were in terrible shape. I’ve been intimidated about going to a salon here – silly, I know. But this place is great and I will definitely be back there this week.

We stayed in on Saturday, which was nice. I needed to get organized with our taxes, so I spent several hours with that. I finished reading an excellent book, “A Simple Plan” (you may remember the movie with Billy Bob Thornton), and we watched “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.”