Thanks given to the Forest Peony

We were ready to encounter a “lost City”, no further details were given.

The drive into the Upper Galilee was beautiful, as always, green and lush.

Once we passed the Druse town of Hurfeish the road leading north got rugged and uneven, and once we reached its destiantion – the peony greenhouse , it abruptly ended. If it wasn’t for the greenhouse, there would have been no road at all, and the lost city would be even more lost.

Sun, rocks and prickles – welcome to the Lost City

We took on by foot through the brambles, plentiful at this season in Israel. I came with shorts and sandals, not a great choice. 

The terrain was a bit rough for us, group of elderly Kibbutzniks, but would have been nothing for me even ten years ago. At any rate, it meant the pace was slow, and people helped each other without condescending.

Once in a while during our walk in the forest, our guide turned our attention to the vegetation and the fauna. The forest is mostly made of sturdy, well-established laurel bay trees. The leaves, of course, have multiple medicinal, culinary and traditional uses. At one point she stopped to show us a stick insect slowly vibrating on a leaf.. 

24 “lost cities”

Our awesome tour guide told us that that in this area during Bizantian times there were 24 settlements, Jewish and Christian,.  

Christians settled the galilee since the fourth century when Constantine accepted the religion and declared it the new religion of the Roman empire, to now be called Bizantium. Islam wasn’t invented yet. There were churches and synagogues, Jews and early Christians living side by side in the land.

Which direction do you pray?

Which color are your water jugs?

Mrr

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