I cannot possibly describe how delicious dinner was this afternoon. I could try, and I’d use words like “holy shit you don’t even know,” and “oh my god,” “most amazing,” and maybe “it was fucked up.” And still, after my eyes lit up and I talked for 10 minutes straight about it, you wouldn’t know. It was SO DELICIOUS. There was no menu, they just said “you want salad?” The answer was yes, and what came was like 10 plates with hummus, salads, tahina, this crazy garlic/yogurt/cheese yumminess, and more. Then it was “you want something from the grill” and the answer for those lucky few of us was “yup.” Lamb was their specialty, and that’s where the madness really started. The salads and dips were good, but the lamb was Cloud 9 Dank Shit. Kebobs, meatballs and roasted varieties, each taking each other to the next level.
Okay I’m done – you get the idea. This was in Nazareth, a predominantly arab town, at a restaurant called Diana. If you’re near, go. Dave Morgenroth had had this recommended on the plane a year before. Mission accomplished.
This morning we were hiking in Yehudia National Park, where the wildflowers were all abloom with beauty, and despite the throngs of people, the pools and waterfall were magical.
Yesterday we went hiking up in the hills, less crowded, great views, good word games between us. Then we went to Akko on the coast, one of only a few “mixed” towns in Israel. Arabs mostly in the old town, jews around other parts…we ate a pretty good meal just after watching the sunset, had yummy desert and shared a hookah (flavored tobacco not pay-for-sex kind). T’was nice.
The day before yesterday (last yesterday in Sudan-speak) we started the day on the Kibbutz, where I ate 4 amazing meals in lazy succession, at my friend Hannah’s family’s place where we joined their Passover seder. It was awesome, delicious, comfortable, beautiful. Life is good.
Tomorrow I will check out the market in Jaffa (pretty much within Tel Aviv but its own town officially) after brunch, and kick it for one more day before heading off to NYC Monday morning. The trip has been amazing thus far, and I think we’re about to head off to a party, if not to actually hang with a bunch of Israelis, at least to pick up our bags from Toby, who had to flee our company in the North to pick up her cat.
Seriously, the lamb was so fucking good…
