Winter activities to warm the heart

Now that December is upon us, we can look forward to the beautiful winter festivals that will be taking place in Israel. The fourth annual Hiking in Boots event, a colorful winter festival in the Carmel, will be taking place on the weekends in December, as well as every day during Hanukka. The festival is organized by the Carmelim Tourism Association in conjunction with Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund. Although we haven't had a huge amount of rainfall so far this winter, there has been enough to make the flowers blossom and the streams and lakes fill with water. During the festival, visitors can participate in guided tours that will explore hiking trails, caves and museums in the Mount Carmel area. The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel will conduct bird-watching tours near the fishponds, and during Hanukka there will be day trips to Ramat Hanadiv. One of the highlights of the festival will be the Race in Boots, which will take place on December 8 and 9, with different tracks for professional and beginner runners. One of my favorite places to hike this time of year is Nahal Sfunim, which flows through a beautiful grove on the Carmel Ridge. If you go there when the ground is dry, there is no danger of slipping or flooding. There are caves along the way you can enter where you'll see ancient drawings of animals that were hunted by local inhabitants. The most interesting cave is the Sfunim Cave, a stalactite cave with an arched opening. The Carmel region also offers a number of fun and cultural attractions in addition to nature hikes. If you are traveling with kids, I recommend spending the day at Ma'abadada, a workshop/ laboratory located in the Janco Dada Museum in Ein Hod. At Ma'abadada, everyone can have fun being an artist for a few hours; sail away to exotic locations in their imagination, create, play and become different characters. There are no rules there, and children and adults can be whoever they want to be and create whatever artwork they desire. Kids aged four to 100 can learn how animated movies were created before the age of computers. There's a stage where they can perform skits, and a corner where they can dress up in costumes. There will be lots of Hanukka activities from December 14 to 19, including shows, workshops and activities for the whole family. Ma'abadada will be holding two 90-minute sessions daily, at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. On Friday, a single session will take place at 12:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. Location: Janco Dada Museum in Ein Hod Tel: (04) 984-2350 Zera'im Mitzion In Moshav Kerem Maharal, you'll find Zera'im Mitzion, a charming nursery run by Zion Siman-Tov that specializes in rehabilitating wild plants native to Israel. Siman-Tov's parents, Haim and Hila, established the farm back in 1952 when they planted a variety of flowers. They even won a gold medal in 1958 at an international exhibition in New York. Currently, hundreds of types of flowers are grown in Kerem Maharal, and Siman-Tov sells seeds and flower bulbs of Israeli wildflowers such as cyclamens, drimia, anemones and narcissi. In addition to growing flowers, the Siman-Tov family also rehabilitates wild plants. With the support of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, they identify areas where the flora has been damaged and they work to rejuvenate it. One of their biggest projects has focused on wild plants that were destroyed by tractors when Highway 6 was being built. They transfer some of the flowers to their nursery and then bring them back to health. Eventually, when the plants are stronger, they transplant them back to their original location. There is also a visitors' center that organizes three types of guided tours. In the basic tour, visitors can learn about wild plants and see cyclamens in different stages of development, from a bulb to a hundred-year-old flower. In the second tour, guests become familiar with medicinal plants by going out into the field, picking samples, and making a meal of them. In the third tour, participants approach an ecological pool where beautiful flowers grow nearby and learn about what function the pool plays in their development. During the festival, only the first tour will be taking place. At the end of the tour, participants will be offered a taste of Druse pita and herbal tea. Directions: Drive north on Road 4. Turn right onto Road 7021 toward Kerem Maharal. At the roundabout, continue straight and then turn right when you reach a T intersection. The nursery is located at the end of the road. Details: (04) 984-1499, 052-504-8899 Ruach Shtut You'll be happy to know that winter time means we're once again in strawberry season. One of the best places to enjoy the wonderful opportunity to pick this sweet and juicy fruit is at Ruach Shtut in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel. The strawberry field was planted in 2011 by Allen Shimoni, a third-generation farmer. The strawberries grown at Ruach Shtut are free of any chemicals and so can be eaten directly from the plants. At Ruach Shtut, visitors will watch a six-minute film about the different varieties of strawberries, in which they will learn how they are treated with biological pest control, and how beehives are employed for pollination needs. Afterwards, guests are brought out into the field where they can pick fruit and eat as many strawberries as they desire from the six different species grown in greenhouses (some of which are wheelchair accessible). You'll even find a big barrel of melted chocolate there, which fondue lovers can dip their strawberries into. All visitors receive a basket they can fill to the brim with strawberries to take home. Also, every Saturday, there are lots of children's activities, including an arts and crafts table, dancing with a DJ, and a graffiti corner. Price: NIS 35 to 40. Pre-registration at www.ruachshtut.co.il. Directions: Drive north on Route 2 or Route 4 towards Road 65. At Granot Intersection, turn towards the Gan Shmuel Commercial Center and then make an immediate right turn into the Ruach Shtut parking area. Where to eat: It's not easy to run a successful restaurant far from the bustle of central Israel. So if a restaurant has survived the 10-year mark, then that's a pretty good indication that it's a success story. Palogi in Binyamina, which was opened in 2009 by the Paloga family, sits in the middle of the woods and has a courtyard where you can dine on warm days. Palogi is situated on the road that runs between Pardess Hanna and Binyamina / Zichron Ya'acov. Run by chef Shaul Paloga, the restaurant offers Italian cuisine mixed with a touch of Middle Eastern flavor, including of course pasta, pizza, meat and fish dishes. Paloga uses only local fresh ingredients to make their focaccia, appetizers such as Tzatziki with artichokes, and Caprese salad. On Mondays, there's a 15% discount. Open all week long. Location: 16 Hagiborim Street, Binyamina Details: 077-230-6299 Translated by Hannah Hochner.

Winter activities to warm the heart

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Winter activities to warm the heart

It’s not easy to run a successful restaurant far from the bustle of central Israel.

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