Northern delight

Amirey Hagalil offers views of the amazing Galilee landscape, seen in all its glory, from every room.

By ASI GAL
amirey 248.88 (photo credit: )
amirey 248.88
(photo credit: )
Usually, when going up north, I would spend hours on-line, searching for the perfect bed and breakfast. My checklist includes: great views, privacy and of course, wood paneling. Amirey Hagalil, just two minutes from the vegetarian community of Amirim, had one out of three. Yet, it's still amazing. Located on a beautiful, mountainside location, the hotel offers views of the amazing Galilee landscape, seen in all its glory, from every room. But, even before arriving at the rooms, one passes through the astonishing garden, complete with a variety of fruitbearing trees, such as grapefruit, lemon and pomegranate, as well as meandering grapevines. The lobby is beautifully designed in the style of a Spanish veranda. The room itself was beautiful - heavy wood furniture, a well-stocked coffee corner, a Jacuzzi in the living room and the incredible scenic view from the porch. First things first though, we left our luggage behind for a full body massage at the spa, an obvious pleasure complete with hot stones. Following this we spent some time relaxing between the spa's sauna and Jacuzzi with a book taken from lobby's small library. Our personal nirvanas were made that much more accessible with a hot mug of herbal tea. Though, not before long, we decided to enjoy the warm bubbles back in our room in front of the cable TV. No pampering experience is replete without great food. So, it is of little coincidence that the B&B has its own chef's restaurant, Gili. Located in the same room where breakfast is served, it has the general appearance of a dining room. Perhaps this is most fitting considering that the food was of mixed reception. Salads were great, accompanied by an equally worthy homemade bread. We also very much enjoyed the tasty mushroom and coconut cream soup, as well as a scrumptious tehina parfait for dessert. On the other hand, the vegetable quiche was soggy, reminiscent of those served at mass-market wedding halls and the mushroom ravioli was troublingly plain, tasting as though it was storebought. Breakfast, that all-important meal of legend and title, was much more impressive, consisting of a great variety of homemade jams, Galilee cheeses (though yellow cheeses were conspicuously absent), homemade rolls, omelet cooked to order and fresh fruits and vegetables. And, following the blessing of a rainy night, the view the following morning was even more spectacular then from when we arrived. To make reservations call (04) 698-9815 or visit amirey-hagalil.com. It must be noted that only children over the age of 12 are welcome.