If you read my last post, you'd know that for the month of October, Israel was in a pretty strict lockdown. We weren't even able to go to the beach, let alone take advantage of the incredible cities all throughout the country which stood just a bus ride away. All of us were getting fairly stir-crazy, so when the opportunity to get an Airbnb for the weekend of my birthday came up, I think we were all pretty pumped for a weekend adventure, even if not much would be open.
My roommates planned the entire weekend perfectly, telling me nothing beyond what sort of attire I'd need to pack for each activity and how long we'd be gone! On Friday morning, we got up and headed for the bus! The mystery destination turned out to be Haifa, a city I have very few memories of so I was fairly stoked to get out and explore as soon as we arrived. But first, somehow my roommates managed to find an Airbnb located directly above a used bookstore, (which if you know me, you know is pretty perfect), so I had to buy a book.
Once I got over the excitement of being back in a physical bookstore, we spent the rest of the afternoon/evening exploring Haifa. Despite its steep hills, Haifa is an awesome city. Every corner exposes a new beautiful view and it was a welcome change in scenery from the Tel Aviv suburbs where I live now. One of my favorite parts about Israel is the fact that it's so multicultural; I loved walking down the streets of Haifa hearing Arabic, Hebrew, English, and Russian, sometimes coming from the same stand in the shuk. There's so much to do and I seriously can't wait to go back when more stores and restaurants are open! We explored for a few hours, discovered a tiny little Mexican restaurant where I ate my first taco in months (which you can see me enjoying below), and then eventually made our way home for a beautiful and delicious vegan and gluten-free meal! Those of you with dietary restrictions know just how special it feels to have your non-food restricted friends go the extra mile to cook for you and eat the same food you do. It was the perfect way to end my last day as a 21-year-old!
Since most places in Israel are closed on Saturday for Shabbat, my roommates had to get pretty creative with their planning since they knew I wouldn't want to just sit around the Airbnb, (despite how incredible the actual apartment was). I was told to be dressed in hiking clothes and ready to go by 9 am so naturally, around 9:20, we headed for the bus!
The hike itself was incredible. The constant decline felt slightly treacherous given the recent rain and slippery rocks but otherwise, we had a blast sliding around on our butts, climbing trees, and chatting with fellow hikers! The whole hike took about 3 or 4 hours but was totally worth it to see the most fantastic views of the water from above.
After the hike we were all exhausted, so we headed home to shower, eat, and chill before the second mystery activity of the day. A three-hour hike and an hour to read was such an amazing way to spend the first part of my birthday; I seriously couldn't have asked for anything more. Around 4ish, we headed for the next surprise, which turned out to be the opportunity to watch the sunset and drink wine at the Ba'hai Gardens! Even though the actual garden was closed, we sat above the steps and went through my favorite Ben Eli birthday tradition: everyone goes around and says their favorite things about the birthday girl. I'm not a crier but I swear I was close to tears after hearing some of my favorite people say the most wonderful things about me. It was such a special day that turned into the most magical evening. I am so incredibly lucky to have these girls in my life.
Once the sun had set we explored some of what had opened up post-Shabbat in downtown Haifa and discovered Leggenda, which had both regular and vegan froyo! It had been over a year since I last had froyo so, as you can see, I got pretty excited. Once we ate, a few of us continued our unofficial walking tour of Haifa as we slowly made our way home and only got a little bit lost! Whenever I'm in a new city I love to meander slightly aimlessly; I feel as though it's in those moments that the best hidden discoveries are made.
Even though my birthday was technically over, apparently that didn't mean the celebration had to end. I thought I was lucky to wake up to a gorgeous breakfast setup, but it only got better from there because our first stop was A GLUTEN-FREE BAKERY. Seriously, my people outdid themselves. I stocked up on so many things and honestly, I think my roommates were happier than I was to see me take my first bite of falafel in an actual pita rather than on top of a salad. In case you were wondering, yes, pita is in fact a gamechanger.
As unreal as the first stop was, the day got even better because, unbeknownst to me, my mom and roommates had colluded behind my back to book a wine tasting at a winery in the mountains outside the city! We went to Tulip Winery, which I would 1000% recommend to anyone ever looking to go wine tasting near Haifa. The wine was delicious and the winery itself is on a kibbutz-style living community that employs people with special needs and PTSD! Overall, it was an awesome experience.
I think my heart might explode as I write this and look back on the pictures and videos from this weekend. I just feel overwhelmingly lucky to call these girls I met three months ago my family. That's all for now, off to celebrate another Ben Eli birthday!
xx, lindz
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