The plan was to travel north, to the Hula Nature Reserve, and watch the cranes migrate as the sun set on the lake. We were told that the best hours to watch the birds are at sunrise or at sunset because during these hours there are streams of warm air that make it easier for soaring large birds. From there we decided that it might be better to stay to sleep in the Galilee area and not drive back to the coastal plain in the evening … So it turned out that we booked cabins in ‘Vered Hagalil’ for a long weekend, three cabins for the whole family.
After a long period of gathering in houses due to the corona virus, closures and isolations, we found that there is nothing like traveling to the north, to the landscape of the Galilee and to spending time in a beautiful nature reserve.
We set off with a stop for a short walk on Founders Street of Zichron Yaacov and for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We continued driving, the urban landscape was replaced by an open rural landscape, with lots of green fields, trees and spaces. Being city people we are used to seeing buildings and streets, the reality of roads laden with cars, sidewalks with scooters and cyclists. It was an important reminder to the ‘city mice’ that it was worth going out to the village from time to time.
We have reached the ‘Galilee Rose’!
The farm established by Yehuda Avni, may he rest in peace, in 1961 is located on a hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, the Galilee and the Golan Heights. The farm has undergone a major renovation and has been upgraded to a whole country hotel with Chef Tibis’ restaurant. The horse stables remained and so did the manege for riding training, for Western-style riding lessons as well as riding tours in the area. The place has about 30 cabins built of wood combined with basalt stones, the cabins differ from each other in their interior design and give a warm homey feeling.
The cabins are scattered among rocks, wrapped in green grass and enjoy views of the fields and the Sea of Galilee. Here and there we find a huge cactus that gives the place the country look of the western United States. The combination of scenery, nature, tranquility and horses made us very happy and if you add to that a delicious dinner at the chef’s restaurant – the result is one happy and satisfied family.
We were reminded of our visits to ‘Rose of the Galilee’ in previous years, where guests at the restaurant were served typical American food ‘chicken in the basket’ and for dessert an excellent lemon pie.
The next morning, December 17, 2021, we received a text message from Agmon Hahula, they found several dead cranes in the reserve and feared that the cause of their death is the bird flu, so they cancelled the tour in the wagon tours in the reserve to avoid a situation where visitors come in close contact with the birds:
Two or three years dead cranes cancel the tour ?
At this point the Agmon reserve was still open to hikers and the day could be spent there but we decided to visit the Hula Reserve which is in the south of the Hula Valley and is the first nature reserve declared in Israel.
The Hula Reserve was established during the Hula Valley draining, in order to preserve unique plants and animals in the environment of the lake and the swamps that have been drained. It has plants and animals unique to the place like papyrus gum, branch iris and white nymph. This is the only growing area of the Black-throated Dipper. We were privileged to see a herd of Jamuses – a buffalo – crossing the water and standing to rest by the lake – a sight that would not have embarrassed a safari trip in Kenya!
The walking route in the reserve is a kilometer and a half long, the route includes walking on a wooden bridge that has observation points hidden in the reeds so as not to scare the waterfowl and birds. There is a tower that allows a view of the area from a high place and there is a visitor center at the entrance to the reserve with a movie and a display of stuffed animals
We really enjoyed the day and learned many things, things we once knew but managed to forget, about the drying up of the swamps in Israel and the struggle to prepare the land for suitable areas for agriculture, we remembered the Anopheles mosquito that caused malaria among Galilee settlers and more.
Another night at the Vered Hagalil farm, a long bath in a double Jacuzzi overlooking the Sea of Galilee, a meal and chasers at the Tibis restaurant. It was raining outside but inside the cabin it was warm and cozy with a wood burning fireplace for a perfect winter atmosphere. We also remembered the word Vacation.
The next day, on the way back south, we stopped at Kibbutz Degania B. to visit Galita’s chocolate farm. We participated in a workshop in chocolate, for adults and children, which includes making items from chocolate and decorating them, while snacking on chocolate and decorations … The workshop is well organized, the walls are painted, in the adjacent shop you can buy great chocolates and pralines and drink coffee or cocoa, everything is very tasty 🙂
And so between the horse farm and the chocolate farm we had a long and relaxing weekend, trying not to get wet from the rain and walking between the drops, between the bird flu and the corona virus that threatens our world
The Hula Agmon Reserve has not reopened until the day this blog was written, three weeks have passed, over 5,000 cranes have died and many chicken coops have been destroyed in the Galilee.