Tuesdays in Teverya (Tiberias)

Now that I don’t live in Teverya, I do find that the occasional full day of errand running and taking care of business there can be great. Exhausting, but great.

Not only do I get things done that I need to do (like see a medical specialist and buy shoes for my kids), I also get to bump into random people.

Last time, I bumped into other NBN olim, and some old friends, this time I bumped into a cousin from Jerusalem.

I also get to talk to shopkeepers – I spoke with the owner of a bakery who lamented the fact that Teverya is being underdeveloped and overlooked and that all of his children have chosen to go live closer to the center of the country. This made me sad, but I was so glad to get to hear the perspective of some of the "real people of Teverya".

Today I wanted to shop at the mall. The air conditioning lured me in. Plus the promise of so many stores in one place...

But it wasn’t to be. We had a really hard time finding what we needed, and in the end, the shopkeeper at the last shoe store I went to listened to my complaints about not being able to find suitable shoes for my teenage son, and she told me to go to her branch in the lower city of Teverya. But she didn’t tell me WHEN to go.

Now, I have noted with frustration in the past that it seems that some stores in Teverya just randomly neglect to open again after the 2-4 siesta break. I marveled at their ability to not worry about losing business by not bothering to reopen... So I wasn’t completely surprised to discover that the shoe store we were headed for was closed.

And then, while I was talking with my son about it, we passed store after store in the lower city of Teverya that had not bothered to reopen after the 2-4 siesta! It seemed like they thought it was Friday afternoon!

And it turns out, there is actually an historical reason the stores don’t reopen. My son had heard about it from a tour guide one day...

We found out that for a period of time beginning in 1931, stores in Teverya all closed on Tuesday afternoons because there were planes coming from Athens and Cyprus landing on the Kinneret to deliver mail and passengers (who would reboard in Tzemach for other destinations), and refuel on the way to Bagdhad! How utterly fantastic that all of these shopkeepers keep alive the memory of this spectacle by not doing business on Tuesday afternoons! I wonder how many of their grandparents and great-grandparents actually remember going down to the watch the planes?

And when I say it's fantastic, I mean, it's somewhat exasperating and annoying. And a little bit cool too.

So - you have been warned - Tuesday afternoons in Teverya are for hanging out at the lake. NOT for shopping!

Archaeological explorations

The apple of Teverya's eye right now seems to be Park Barko, located south of the city right near the Kinneret (right near the Holiday Inn and Malon Hof Gai). It is a wonderful park, still partly under construction. It boasts open green spaces (where my hubby and kids tossed a ball around), a large ampitheater (to be used for concerts?), a nice playground for younger children (swings, slides, climbing structures, etc), a “park etgari” - obstacle course style playground – for older children (this costs 5 NIS per child for Teverya residents, 25 NIS per child for non-residents), and our favorite part: the ruins of the Ancient City of Teverya dating back to the 1^st century C.E.

Oh, and ample free parking is available.

We really love the new park, and my kids love “time traveling” - with my youngest yelling “time tunnel!” whenever we enter the ruins. It's really a great way to spend the day, living in a land steeped in history...

My only question is, if this is Teverya's new pearl, WHY is the playground locked until 4 pm (sunset is about 4:35 this week)?!

Natural Bliss, part 1

Those of you who know me may think I am kind of obsessive about living a “natural” lifestyle (yes, I even bought chemical free mattresses – they are made out of cotton and wool, and covered in organic cotton!). I figured the Northern part of the country would be a really good fit, since there is less pollution, less congestion, and a much greater emphasis on nature. All of this is true, but the one thing I really miss is a good natural foods store (depending on the day, this might mean Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, the Buford Farmer's Market, or even SuperTarget!).

So, to put it mildly, I have been searching for the best way to find all the staples I like to keep in the house. First, I asked around and discovered that there are three health food stores in Teverya. This sounds so encouraging – I mean, a relatively small city, and enough people eat healthy to support 3 separate health food stores! Yay! What more could I ask for?

I found my way to the first one I heard about – a store across the street from Kever HaRambam (Maimonides' gravesite). (This store has some generic name like Chanut Teva.) I walked in, and discovered a store about the size of my walk-in closet in Florida. I seriously have more shelf space in my kitchen than this store has in its entirety. The proprietor smiled, and asked if I needed help; I told her I just wanted to look around first. I was disappointed in the selection and even more disappointed in the prices. I walked out without filling up my reusable grocery bags...

p.s. for those of you who are looking for an online health food store option check out the Organic Wholesale Club! They are based in the U.S.A., but they do offer international shipping! (Just watch out for customs limits...)

A Brand New Day

Gorgeous vistas greet me each morning outside my new home (in Teverya - Tiberias). I cannot deny the beauty of the city and the Kinneret down below, and the mountains to my North and East. We can see Tsfat, another holy city, from our Mirpeset (balcony). We can see the Hermon, at the border of this tiny, wondrous country.

Unfortunately, I haven't made the most of these morning views – generally I take it in while I hang up the laundry. But I have made a decision to make a concerted effort to allow the view to elevate my mundane morning tasks, and help me start the day with a feeling of wonder and awe. Tomorrow morning, I hope to start anew.