Day 8

Happy One week anniversary for our first full week in Israel…geeze it seems like its been 4 already. Today we started with breakfast with our house mom Sosha. She said what would you like for breakfast, I said “ Oh a piece of toast and coffee is fine.” “You want some cheese too?” she asked.  “Sure.” Out comes the cheese and she begins to make…toast….well more like a grilled cheese. Her idea of cheese toast and my idea of cheese toast are two different things, but nonetheless hers was tasty!

To the train station she took us! Did I mention before her apartment was up 5 flights of stairs, and with 50lbs of luggage it was interesting. We met Yodi  at the train station and off to Naharyia we went with a couple of stops in between.

Our first stop was the Weizmann Institution of science. We watched a movie there and toured Weizmann’s home. He started that institution for scientific research. Henry Ford Gave Dr. Weizmann a  Ford  Lincoln Cosmopaliton one of only 18 ever made. It was specially designed for Weizmann himself. It was used in all of the inaugurations of Israel’s Presidents, but now it’s too expensive to run it that one time every so often. They keep in on display now in front of his home. (http://www.weizmann.ac.il/)

Next stop was The Faculty of Agriculture of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We ate lunch there. The cafeteria was completely different from ECU’s. First off, no fried food, there weren’t 390000 different kinds of food either, you couldn’t make a pizza, and they didn’t have a soda fountain. It was one main course and then a buffet of sides that included, roasted potatoes, bell pepper pasta, rice, green beans, French fries and some other casserole type dishes. There was also a salad bar, but not a salad bar where you make your own salad, like the hospital it was all sorts of vegetable salads. Don’t forget the hummus and pita bread! Also, like the hospital no one really went back for seconds.

A tour of the campus was next. We got to see a plant pathology lab where farmers and students test new crops in a controlled environment. So they don’t have to waste farmland or money planting a whole crop that won’t work. There were climate-controlled rooms where different climates could be tested on different types of plants. This is the place where they “created” the “Naked Chicken,” you know, the chicken with no hair. It was created for those who are in hot countries where chickens end up dieing because of the heat. (http://www.agri.huji.ac.il/index-eng.html) Very interesting.

A train took us from Rehovet to Naharyia. When we got to the train station in Naharyia some of our hosts were waiting on us. Mine was Rafi Heumann a retired mechanical engineer. He was kind enough to roll one of my bags, and as he was rolling it a wheel rolled off! Great ice breaker. I had to give him a hard time about it! HA!

We got to his house and we walked in to his yard, which is beautiful! All of my favorite flowers grow here!! Petunias, Geraniums, Pansies, you know, the flowers that love heat! Did I mention he lives only 200 feet from the ocean!!! The view was pretty amazing of the Mediterranean Sea.

Rafi’s parents were among the first Germans to settle in Nahariya, they helped establish the city. You could see how proud he was of the town he lives in.

My room was in their basement, my own bungalow with a kitchen. It was my first host family to have all to myself. I got settled in and Rafi’s wife Soshsauna got home! She was so sweet, she gave me house slippers! Rafi then asked “have you talked to your family?” I told him I hadn’t, and he insisted that I call home, I said to him “ you can call my dad!” …jokingly ….he said “ok, what is the number.” I gave it to him, when dad answered he said something like, “ Hi Billy, this is Rafi Heumann from Israel, you miss your daughter?” Ha! Dad said he was a bit thrown off at first, but then figured it out. Mom and dad both thought is was funny. Mom told me that that was something she could see my dad doing!

It was the first time in a week and 2 days that I had gotten to speak to my parents. It was rejuvenating to hear their voices!

Rafi had researched the Krause website so he had a few questions so I talked with him and Sosh over coffee before we had to get ready for the Rotary meeting.

Our presentations went over with flying colors! We rocked yet again!

The club was welcoming and yes, they enjoy their dessert like the Rotary does here. This was our first time to present at an official Rotary meeting since we’ve been here. It definitely helped our energy.

The day was long so after the meeting and catching up on some journal entries…im turning in for the night. Big day tomorrow, Ba’hai Gardens, and Rosh Henrikon; Lebinon boarder!

 

 

Love to you all!

 

Katt

 

Ps..still missing camera will post some soon!

Sorry it’s been so long…