7/26 and 7/27: Good bye to Israel

Hila napping with the ducks

It has been a very nice and slow last two days in Israel. Yesterday Hila and I went for a walk to the park near her house.

Then dinner with my Israeli friends who I had met in India. We all met at an Indian restaurant that serves South Indian food on Monday night - idlis and massala dosas - yum!

Me with Shmuel, Neta, Liat and Hila at the Indian restaurant.

I met Neta, Liat and Hila in Pushkar, and Shmuel in Hampi. When Neta walked up to the table, she recognized Hila, but not from Pushkar. They were childhood friends, but haven't seen each other for many, many years. Interestingly, they were both in Pushkar at the same time. I had met Neta at the guest house where I was staying, and Hila at a cooking class.

Tel Aviv beach

This afternoon I ate that delicious eggplant, egg, tahina pita dish called manai sabeech, then I took a bus to Tel Aviv and went for a walk on the beach, then had a delicious pear and wine sorbet, a little more walking to Old Jaffa, then a pita with Zahatar.

The end of my sabbatical is quickly approaching. I am leaving Israel tomorrow for Greece to visit my friends who I met in Indonesia who run a restaurant on the island of Paros. After a couple of weeks there, I will move on to Paris and then London and then Home. So, I realized as I was walking on the beach today that I am full of fears - fears of going home, fears of falling back into old pattterns, fears of losing who I am, fears of not knowing who I am. It's just about time to meet my fears. It would be nice if we could just introduce ourselves, shake hands, and maybe even be friends.