Galilee

This was only a quick trip, but so enjoyable it really refreshed those of us who weren't preparing for 7 field trips in 11 days.  Frank and the students had spent nearly a week in Galilee by the time we joined him, and lingered for 4 days after we returned home, but we drove up to join him for three days and 2 nights.  After school on Friday Nov 19th, we drove north through the Jordan Valley road, which twists and turns from one "dangerous curves" sign to the next.  The road dips down below sea level and follows the Jordan River from the Dead Sea to the Sea of Galilee, or Kinneret.  Megan pored over the map as we caravanned with Julianne Muhlestein and her kids.

All went well until we reached the checkpoint heading out of the West Bank.  Right during my standard "just act natural and don't insult guards with automatic weapons" speech, Emily threw up and her sisters started screaming.  I tried to be calm as I showed my passport, but there was so much commotion in the back of the van that I don't recall what I was asked or what I answered.  Mercifully we were waved on, then I pulled over and ran a quick triage on the problem.   Luckily, depending on how you look at it, Emily's favorite blanket contained most of the biohazardous material, and we arrived at Ein Gev ready for a buffet dinner and a comfortable room. 

We were located only meters from a sandy beach on the east side of the lake.  On the far side, we could see the lights of Tiberias, where the meetinghouse was located.  We woke up early Sabbath morning for our turn at the buffet, then boarded a bus for a 45-minute drive around the lake.  The meetinghouse is in a converted home, and the view is breathtaking.