We took a little drive today outside of Jerusalem–Beit Shemesh–to a kibbutz with a winery and restaurant. They also have a country store, comprised of spices, dried fruit and nuts, teas, grains, etc., some of which they grow on their land. Unfortunately, I couldn’t buy anything because we are loaded to the max and still have one more country to visit before we head back to the states.

This is Chinese green tea, 17 shekels for 100 grams. I am so happy that I can still read that in Hebrew after all these years!

The restaurant had shelves and shelves of wine which looked pretty with the sun shining through the bottles.

As we pulled out of the parking lot after a great lunch, I noticed my very first poppies. In the very early spring, Israel is dotted with these simple, bright red flowers. They grow wild and are sprinkled across the entire land. Everyone always looks forward to seeing them.

And of course, I can never resist a wayside thistle… I just think they are so pretty… spikes and all.

We also enjoyed a coffee at the YMCA in Jerusalem. They have a little cafe which is much prettier in the summer than winter, because they load the porch with tables and chairs and potted plants. I love the old building but what caught my eye was the defused lighting streaming through the wall sconces and the Stars of David in the ceiling.

You may be wondering why we would be in the Holy City and doing such mundane things, especially with all the wonderful sites there are here like the Western Wall, The Shrine of the Book, Yad VaShem, The Garden Tomb, the Via Dela Rosa, Mt. of Olives, Garden of Gethsemane, Mt. Zion… and I can go on an on…

Well, since we have been here dozens of times and seen all the sights that many times at least, we don’t usually see the “tourist” things on our trips here, with a few exceptions. 

But this truth, written on the door of  “Gan HaKever” we carry in our hearts no matter where we are in the world. And we don’t need to see an empty tomb to know that it is true!