Haifa and Housekeeping

A certain amount of housekeeping is required even on holidays. Clothes need washing, plans need finalizing, water bottles need refilling. Downtime helps us recharge as we rest our weary feet, reflect on our time here and prepare for the next thing. After a traditional Israeli breakfast of salad, fruit, breads and various forms of dairy we caught the 23 bus to the shrine at the Ba’hai Gardens. From the base of Mount Carmel to its crest the terraced grounds are commanding. Symmetry is key and so every flower, every shrub, every stone path has its mirror image. The perfection of petal and leaf left me wanting something more natural. The shrine opens until noon so we left shoes at the door and silently stepped in. A woman knelt on a fringed corner of a Persian carpet while whispering recitations from a holy book. The prayer of the prophet B’ab hung framed on the wall and a number of ornate candelabras stood in the centre of the room. We took a quick look and stepped back outside. We were told that Jews are forbidden to join the Ba’hai faith and to further prevent the temptation, there are no lectures or teaching of any kind on the site. Lunch time found us at the Kosher Israeli chain, Cafe Cafe. Truth be known, I am smitten with Middle Eastern salads. Every ingredient is chopped to a quarter of an inch and the lemon and olive oil dressing, with a touch of sea salt is simply scrumptious! The lemon mint grenadine, a blend of fresh squeezed lemon juice, mint leaves, honey and shaved ice, does wonders to refresh after a hot morning climb up Carmel. The sun is low, our clothes are drying around the hotel room and we are off to find an Aroma coffee shop to close this day.