Hula Valley

Assorted Israel Photos in Celebration of 68th Birthday

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Last week on May 12 Israel celebrated its 68th birthday. And since I was working, I missed our local celebration (here’s a local Edison parade from a few years ago). Well, now I have a little time; I can share with you a few more photos from our January/February trip to Israel.

We went to visit my niece who teaches high school English in an international school north of Tel Aviv. The high school is in a youth village called HaKfar HaYarok – literally, the Green Village. Above is a picnic table with a pot of flowers. Wouldn’t you like to study math or social studies in February while sitting at a sunny picnic table?

Old City of Jerusalem, inside Jaffa Gate entrance

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Here’s my daughter inside the Old City of Jerusalem, right near the Jaffa Gate.

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And here’s a similar photo inside the Old City of Jerusalem – how is this different from the one above?

Hula Valley, Galil, Israel Views

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Ah, birds in flight – probably cranes – at the Hula Valley nature reserve (previous post on this blog).

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Even more birds in flight – how they fill the Hula Valley skies.

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In many spots in the Hula Valley you can see the Golan Heights off to the east. Here’s a dramatic photo of the Heights rising over the farms below. Before 1967 when Israel captured the Golan Heights in a defensive war, Syrian soldiers used to fire shots from the mountains down on the farmers below.

Back to Jerusalem

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These two photos (above and below) are both Jerusalem shots. The carnation in a pot is located in the quaint neighborhood of Yemin Moshe, a “suburb” of the Old City of Jerusalem. It was built in the late 19th century. I understand buying a home there now would cost you quite a pretty penny (can you afford a yacht?).

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Finally, this is a cute bird diving into a little fountain with Jerusalem lions. It was near our hotel (the Inbal), north of the old train station that was renovated (and we did not get a chance to see – lots to do for our next visit).

Because there is some nature in this post (can you spot some?), I am including this post in Nature Notes:
Nature Notes