Tal’s family lives in the North of Israel in a small village called Binyamina. He and Dina were going to visit this past weekend and they invited me along to see the country and meet the rest of their family.
Once Tal picked me up from the bus station, we went to a parade in his village that was in honor of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, which is in celebration of the harvest. Children and their families were driving in tractors and running along side the street. Everyone met up at the town schoolyard and there was a potluck waiting. One of the traditions of this holiday is the consumption of dairy products so most of the food was made with milk or cheese.
The next day, Tal and I packed lunch and we went riding on his quad (a small four wheel vehicle made for going off road). We went all over the countryside and saw some beautiful sites. The scenery is very different from the south; very wooded and agricultural. Tal taught me how to drive the quad (so much fun) and we went over some jumps and rocky landscape so I felt like I was on a ride the whole time. I also got a lesson in navigation from Tal as we made our way from one place to another.
We went to a few springs, an army training camp in the hills, many different orchards and a few spots Tal and his friends use to frequent when they were growing up.
Upon our return Tal’s mother, Anat, and little brother, Guy, had an incredible meal waiting. One thing I’ve noticed is that meals here (both Arab and Israeli) consist of multiple dishes (multiple fruits, salad, humus, cheeses, bread, spreads, olives, pickles, a meat dish, another main dish of some kind, and dessert) so getting to the table is both exciting and overwhelming. Tal’s family was very welcoming and hospitable. Tal’s mother tried to make it clear that I was invited back with or without Tal. It was refreshing to get a different set of scenery and be with a family for a while.
Once Tal picked me up from the bus station, we went to a parade in his village that was in honor of Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, which is in celebration of the harvest. Children and their families were driving in tractors and running along side the street. Everyone met up at the town schoolyard and there was a potluck waiting. One of the traditions of this holiday is the consumption of dairy products so most of the food was made with milk or cheese.
The next day, Tal and I packed lunch and we went riding on his quad (a small four wheel vehicle made for going off road). We went all over the countryside and saw some beautiful sites. The scenery is very different from the south; very wooded and agricultural. Tal taught me how to drive the quad (so much fun) and we went over some jumps and rocky landscape so I felt like I was on a ride the whole time. I also got a lesson in navigation from Tal as we made our way from one place to another.
We went to a few springs, an army training camp in the hills, many different orchards and a few spots Tal and his friends use to frequent when they were growing up.
Upon our return Tal’s mother, Anat, and little brother, Guy, had an incredible meal waiting. One thing I’ve noticed is that meals here (both Arab and Israeli) consist of multiple dishes (multiple fruits, salad, humus, cheeses, bread, spreads, olives, pickles, a meat dish, another main dish of some kind, and dessert) so getting to the table is both exciting and overwhelming. Tal’s family was very welcoming and hospitable. Tal’s mother tried to make it clear that I was invited back with or without Tal. It was refreshing to get a different set of scenery and be with a family for a while.
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