Gastronomic success!

In short, that's how I'd describe the weekend up north. The weather and the social complexities of 4 people sharing a car and the same room kind of dampened the fun a little, but the food did the business...

You remember I told you that we were going 4x4ing? Well, the trip did start in a 4x4, but we only got as far as Herzliya (15 minutes drive from Tel Aviv)...leaking brake fluid and trying to get it fixed on a Friday lunchtime meant that we spent an hour waiting in a garage before giving up (with no pressure from the female side of our fearless foursome...ahem...). We then continued in my car, but unfortunately, its 4x4 capabilities are the equivalent of wearing high heels on an ice rink (not that I would personally know, of course...), so the male side of the fearless foursome was feeling a little down. Out popped the first beer.

The drive up north is always a pleasure, especially when you start hitting the Lower, then Upper Galilee. There are numerous villages, even towns, that you come across and fantasize about living in, especially when you live and work in Tel Aviv. The contrast is just amazing, the pace of life seems so much more relaxed while the fresh air and fields of anemones take you momentarily 'abroad' - this surely can't be Israel? But it is. And all just over an hour away from the mad central hub that is Tel Aviv...

Anyway, our target was Bet Ja'an, a small Druize town near Karmiel. We'd booked a room for the four of us - this trip was strictly economy class - at Rami Hamud's - he is apparently recommended in some Hebrew tourist guide, otherwise I'd never have thought of going there...We eventually arrived around 7 and were soon rubbing our hands around the fuel stove that was in the room:



After a piping hot shower and some more alcohol (for medicinal purposes) we drove up to Amirim, a moshav that is totally vegetarian, but according to our restaurant expert, holds one of the best restaurants in Israel - I'll be darned if I can remember the name, but our expert knows her onions, so we weren't worried. The restaurant was cute, nice open fire burning away in the middle if the room, and no pissed Englishmen rolling about on the floor, not yet anyway...The food was great, though the fixed menu kind of limits your choice - soup, starter salads, a main course and then dessert. And more alcohol of course...we were the last to leave, at something around 1...I don't remember ever eating so much and not feeling indigestion, guess that must say something for the vegetarian way of life...but time for some zzzzzzzzzz...

Saturday morning back in Bet Ja'an. Recovering from the banging steel drum band marching around in my head, there probably was an authentic Druize breakfast - all home produce, including the paper-thin Druize bread - I'm glad mrs anglosaxy took a picture, otherwise this might have slipped my memory (too much alcohol = limited memory capacity the morning after):



I then took mrs. anglosaxy for some picture posing - it's always recommended to bring your own sexy model - around Bet Ja'an. This is about the best of the lot (any references to Gaza have been deleted from this post...):



We then checked out and were on our way. We basically drove around the Maalot area and sought out anything that looked like a surging, raging river, as most of the other Israeli 'tourists' in the area seemed to be doing (strange what a few centimetres of rain can do to the people in this country...). After a successful river-hunt, in which we also came across what seemed to be the same herd of goats at least 5 times - including the 'on the knees' goat who'd obviously been in a long relationship with a female Israeli goat, see below - we were getting hungry and a little homesick (not me, the other half...).



So, after driving for what seemed hours amidst the various pitstops along the way, we stopped at Ramat Yishai, a smallish town near Yokneam. The restaurant: Limousine. Our restaurant expert insisted that this be our final port of call before heading home.

Now this restaurant, despite not being too fancy, is one of those places where you need to make a reservation, or end up waiting half an hour for a table to clear...we called in advance when we were on our way, but still waited half an hour...< clenched teeth > If there's something that makes my blood boil it's waiting in line for food or alcohol. I'd rather go to MacDonalds than sit and wait, however delicious the food. It always amazes me when I see Israelis queuing outside a coffee shop or a fancy restaurant - these people are legendary for their impatience, yet are prepared to wait half an hour for a cup of coffee?? What, the coffee is so much better than the coffee shop two doors down? Yeh, right...it's all about being seen in the 'right' places...excuse me, but that is such utter f**king bollocks...< /clenched teeth >

But here I was with 3 Israelis, 2 of whom were hungry females. If there's something that I've learned in my time in this country, you don't mess with a hungry Israeli female. So, much like the goat in the picture above, I had to behave myself and shut the f**k up like the good husband I am..."On your knees, Ashley, on your knees!!"

The food itself was great, the meat fantastically tender - apparently the restaurant raises their own livestock - though if a little tight portion-wise...but good enough to chill out everybody and even raise a guttural snore from the back seat (sorry Rino!) during the drive home.

Not a bad trip, though the food will be remembered more fondly than anything else...

UPDATE: The restaurant in Amirim was HaSauda Aharona - loosely translated as The Last Meal.