Scenic veiws, kabbalah, cheese and whining...

On Shabbat we went on a short road trip in the Galilee together with the kids and Yoram's mother. We picked her up in Karmiel where she lives, and took off. Yoram rarely tells me where we are going before departure, which both creates a pleasant sensation of surprise, and a slight frustration for not being able to prepare for getting as much possible out of the destinations.

First we went to the Druze village Peki'in were we visited Savta Gamila. Savta (grandmother in Hebrew) Gamila began as a woman started making soaps and other beauty products from pure olive oil and medicinal herbs. Today the business is commercialised, but coming to the small store in Peki'in must be as close to the original as possible. We brought some massage oils, moisturising creams and scents from there which turned out to please us more than expected.

Statue on Peki'in town square,

holding the Druze flag

Peki'in is a village that since centuries back have had Druze and Jews living peacefully together. In Peki'in you find the cave where according to tradition Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, aka Rashbi, hid from the Romans for 13 years and in the meantime wrote the famous book of Zohar, which is one of the most important scriptures in the Jewish mysticism, the Kabbalah. I consider myself being a spiritual being, but not religious. Religion, for me, is a frame-set of rules and rituals, mainly created to exercise power over the people. However, the true intention behind the actions is lost. People say their prayers and perform their ceremonies more out of fear than out of appropriate knowledge why. Mystical traditions, on the other hand, seems to focus more on the actual development of the individual soul. Kabbalah for example, provides a clear and logical terminology to describe us as human beings, our different components, and what drives them, and besides that, practical exercises to make you blossom. If you study a tradition like this, you will develop into a reasoning, balanced and sound human spirit, who is not easily duped by the religious clergy. No wonder why mystical traditions have always been banned and rubbished by the religious establishment.

The sign at the Rashbi cave

View from Peki'in

After Peki'in we drove up to another Druze village, Beit Jann. Beit Jann is situated on Mount Meron, 940 m above sea level, which makes it one of the highest points in Israel. We were driving through the narrow streets, and soon lost direction, as we often do driving through Arab villages. They have no road signs, and seem to build with no logic at all. At last we found the highest point, from where you could look out over the land below. Quite magnificent! On the way out we turned on the gps.

View from Beit Jann

On the way down we stopped by Ein Camonim, the goat farm/dairy/restaurant that I have mentioned previously. At that time Yoram was there alone with his mother and the boys, and only brought cheese back home to me. After that I promised myself that we would go there just the two of us. That was not really the case this time either. Alas, we did not sit down for a meal, but merely bought a few cheeses. This time I made Yoram promise me a day there without children and in-laws.

Goat cheese in Ein Camonim

Except for the fact that everybody but me and Yoram was complaining and whining all day long about walking too much, too much heat, and generally a too far distance to TV and computers, the day was pretty successful. Yoram promised the kids that we will never bring them on a road trip never again. Unfortunately, I do not think that he will stick to it.