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Rosh Pina and the ark of Noah

leaving Haifa, via inward towards the Galilee, Israel's green lung, historically the first and moshav agricultural kibboutz for a people who, having never been able to own land in the host countries, had never been a farmer. The earth is thirsty, a few green fields and lots of parched red soil, it does not rain here for several months, is a real and dramatic water emergency. The Israelis had become specialists in the bombing of the clouds and I'm not sure what to make them rain, but how do you do when even the shade of clouds? But you can never say, these parts are in "area miracles." In the distance Lake Tiberias increasingly poor water, the city of the same name, Mount of Beatitudes, Capharneum.

Gaston argues that you should never return to the places that you are loved and that we have a good memory, and perhaps he is right, review Safed (Zefat, Tzfat, discrediting) ten years later was disappointing. The highest mountain village, perched at 800 meters in the Upper Galilee, with the sight and thought that go out of its maze of stone alleys, the old scribes who, in their banquets on the verges of the road painted the letters of 'ancient Hebrew alphabet seeking the hidden meanings, the bohemian artists that modern reinterpretation of the sacred with the inspiration of the magical silence of the place, of that certain something mystical that hovered in the air, I did not find the flavor.

Sure, it's always very religious town, the blacks turn caftans in abundance, preposterous hats in the windows of Queen Elizabeth for the brides that practitioners must never appear at the head found in public, but unfortunately also an endless row of modern shops, business at the exhibition of the sacred. The Kabbalah, the mystical interpretation of Judaism is at home here, here in the '400 and '500 have come great masters and scholars fleeing persecution by the Inquisition in Spain and in the 700 and then another large influx of men from Russia. Many people, especially Americans, hungry for spirituality, they started studying the Kabbalah, but this leaves me puzzled. It 's like if I wanted to climb Everest without a sudden I've ever coached, Kabbalistic studies should eventually be a point of arrival and departure, to be tackled only after years and years devoted to the knowledge of the foundations of religion. In the famous quarter of those we visit ancient synagogues of Joseph Caro was born in Spain and Isaac Lourie, called Ha'ri, one of the greatest Masters, born in Jerusalem, both of Sixteenth century.

A magnificent carved olive wood tabernacle containing the sacred scrolls of the Torah, the window-glass representation of the Sephiroth, the ten emanations through which the Transcendent is manifested.

The sun sets very early, at four o'clock, we put ourselves in the car with the last rays of sunset because we are afraid to face the dark roads that we do not know, but all right, Rosh Pina to sleep at night is a few kilometers. I did not know the charm of this rural village founded by Romania at the end of '800, the first colony Jews in Galilee, but is a tip of my cousin and he Eldad they will be. A Rosh Pina hotels out there, but much better Zimmer, the rooms, so here they call them, the German way, coveted by the Israelis for the weekend in these parts is synonymous with mountain chalets, bungalows and very comfortable and trendy (We even have a room in a bath tub jacuzzi like an idiot not to use all those buttons disorient us). La Villa Tehila, recommended by the guide, as a farm in the forest Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is full of corners, crevices, courtyards, halls, lounges, rooms at all heights and never ceases to amaze with the tide of disparate objects, even a Sicilian cart, transships everywhere.

But above all we seem to embark in Noah's ark. Dozens of animals peacefully together in pens in common: parrots, a variety of birds, rabbits, raccoons, chinchillas, toponyms unidentified rates, a llama, chickens, guinea fowl, geese, two horses and so on.

owners fit perfectly into the landscape, they sound like prophets of '68, a past almost Archaeological idealism, pioneering, pacifism, spinels and guitar, long white hair with a ponytail (her husband) and last but significant detail, their dog, a mutt that is very petulant named Aaron, as the brother of Moses.

The country is tiny and beautiful, tranquil, there is almost nothing but room for the imagination, the old stone houses partially restored the rough country roads , luck still plays for real. There is an old synagogue, the old photos that show the history of the place and the early pioneers in selling some handicraft, honey, of cinnamon and homemade liqueurs limoncello.

To Nimrod: the end of the country, bumpy road and uncultivated land abandonment check suddenly the whole wall in a pitch well placed. Nimrod is written on a sign. A gentleman of a certain age tills, hoe, system, clean all around. I play from that point you should see Nimrod, the ruins of the fortified citadel in the direction of Mount Hermon and request confirmation to the ladies. No, Nimrod was his only child, a beautiful boy of 35 years died last war in Lebanon. To remember, to work and do not think he made this observation point over the valley. To Nimrod

Rosh Pina, a wonderful surprise, the Golan Heights in the distance.