Taste of Israel: Day 3

It’s day 3 of the Taste of Israel culinary tour! Today we started the day bright and early. We headed from our hotel in Tiberias to the Tabor Winery. Stretching along the foot of Mt. Tabor is a beautiful region of land known as “God’s Little Acre.” Patches of green, blue, brown and black are blended together on the vista similar to an artist’s palette. In the 19th century, the French baron, Edmond de Rothschild, was taken by the unique setting of Mt. Tabor as an ideal place to grow grapes. Since then, for over 120 years, the village’s residents have grown top grade grapes for the wine industry and marketed their produce to other wineries. Mt Tabor’s summit stands at 562 meters above sea level and rises to a height of 400 meters about its surroundings. The summit stands out and can even be seen from remote places like the Galil and the Golan. Mt. Tabor has a nice history and tradition important to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths. For one, it is believed by many Christians that is where the Transfiguration of Jesus took place.

Tabor Winery is considered a quality producer of wines. Its wines were enthusiastically received by the public and by 2005, they produced 300,000 bottles of wine a year, of which 40,000 were exported. Its Kosher Cabernet- Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz wines are all produced from the best vineyards of Kfar Tabor.

After visiting the vineyards and the kosher winery where the grapes were crushed, juiced, and barreled, we had a wine tasting of 4 of Tabor Winery wines and a pomegranate sparkling wine. Paired with the wine were some delicious cheeses, crudités and breads. It was pretty early in the morning {before 10am I believe} so I didn’t drink very much. However, what I did taste was some wine that had some good potential. Who knew the climate of Israel could make wine making feasible?!

After our wine tasting, we were back on the road to head to our next destination – Jerusalem. The ride was just under 2 hours and it gave us a chance to get some sleep and rest a bit. Millions of people turn towards this city in prayer every day. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, though not internationally recognized as such, and one of the oldest cities in the world. It is located in the Judean Mountains, between the Mediterranean sea and the northern edge of the Dead Sea. If the area and population of east Jerusalem is included, it is Israel’s largest city in both population and area, with a population of 801,000 residents sprawled over an area of nearly 49 miles. Jerusalem is also a holy city to the three major Abrahamic religions – Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times. The oldest part of the city was settled in the 4th millennium  BC. In 1538, walls were built around Jerusalem and Suleiman the Magnificent. Today those walls define the Old City, which has been traditionally divided into four quarters – known since the early 19th century as the Armenian, Christian, Jewish, and Muslim Quarters. All branches of the Israeli government are located in Jerusalem, including the Knesset (Israel’s parliament), the residences of the Prime Minister and President, and the Supreme Court. Jerusalem is home to the Hebrew University and to the Israel Museum with its Shrine of the Book.

Once we arrived, we made our first stop at the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is the hill facing the old city of Jerusalem, on the eastern side of Kidron valley.  Its name came from the olive trees that once grew on its hillside from ancient times. According to Jewish tradition, the Messiah will appear here and bring the dead back to life. Therefore, the hillside became the most holiest cemetery, and the hillside is covered by thousands of grave stones, as seen in the lower right corner of the collage. The camel ride has been a famous landmark of this spot for many years, hence why he is so photogenic lol. On the left of the collage is a view of the Basilica of Agony or the Garden of Gethsemane. According to the new testament, this place was the site where Jesus had his last prayer before he was betrayed and arrested by the Romans.

After our panoramic view of Old Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, it was time to head inside the walls of Old Jerusalem. We entered through the Lions Gate, which is part of the Christian quarter. Here marks the beginning of the Via Dolorosa. Via Dolorosa (“Way of Grief” in Latin) is a road in the old city of Jerusalem, a path where Jesus was lead in agony, carrying the crucifixion cross. There are a total of 14 stations along this path, based on events that occurred on the way to the Golgotha hill, the site of crucifixion, which is located at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Eight stations are marked along the old city road, while 6 additional stations are places in the compound of the church.

After learning more about Via Dolorosa, we got down to business and had a snack. A hidden gem within the Old Jerusalem walls is the Austrian Hospice where they make authentic apple strudel and ice coffee frappés. It was good to sit, take in the moment in the beautiful courtyard and enjoy the company.

I’m not sure why I’m laughing in the above pic, but then again, it doesn’t take much to get me smiling or laughing….

Now that we had some iced coffee frappés to give us a boost, we headed into the Muslim quarter. There, we hit up a falafel stand that included fries inside your pita. Genius! I personally liked this falafel sandwich (sans pita) because it was more filling and who can say no to french fries?!

And I was impressed with this pyramid of spices, so beautifully done. Definitely picture worthy…

The market within the Muslim quarter was full of sights, smells and sounds. But then, we made our way to a dessert shop for Kanafeh.