Steinbergs in Israel - Amirim Pt3

I meant to add on Sun22nd that after we got back from dinner in RP, Talia, Gaby & I went with Peter to pick up the olive oil (from the olives we helped to pick on Friday morning) that had been processed at a local farm. In a shed about 300sqm (not that big) we got to see the entire olive oil process - a real education: The olives get dumped in a hopper, then up a conveyor belt and as they fall into a washer the leaves/rubbish gets blown away by a fan, olives sieved out then into the 1st crusher which is basically like a 2000y.o. stone wheel, then that mush is sent into a 2nd modern st.steel crusher, then the liquid is decanted away from all the solids, and then finally into a centrifuge which separates the oil from the water... Simple!

Mon 23rd - Kfar Nachum (Capernaum) & Ani'am & Agamon Hachula: Bit of driving around, went first to Capernaum to see the 'white' synagogue. I actually didn't realise how big a 'yoshka' tourist site it is, which was a bit of an experience for all the girls (another form of education). Our time there ended with a game of searching the stone works to find reliefs of magen-davids, menorahs, rimonim, etc. We then drove to a new moshav called Ani'Am which has setup a very cute little artists village, almost like a pedestrian mall, but in the middle of the country-side. Each merchant is is their own modern house/hut. It was nice for a little break and some quiet window shopping.
In the last hour before sunset we organised to meet the Peterson family at Agamon Hachula - a bird reserve. This is a big wetlands in which migrating birds on their way from Russia to Africa make a stopover. At first it was a little unimpressive, but then....... In the last 10mins before the sky went dark (about 15mins after sunset), all of a sudden SWARMS (not flocks) of birds descended around us. Truly extraordinary. Check out the video on the Picasa link below. Alpaim al alpaim al alpaim al alpaim. Thousands upon thousands. Wow.
We all then went to dinner at some crappy Arab road diner. It was a lot of fun, and a good feed, and great company with all the kids there.

........................
More tomorrow... Just have to quickly write about how nice a shabbos we've just had in Gedera with Rochelle's family - Dudu&Irit. Such nice people, a wonderful family and they treated us with the best hospitality. Our greatest appreciation and gratitude to them all.
........................

Tues 24th - Horse-ride & Qatsrin
Wed 25th - Tzfat walk & Rosh Pina & Dinner
Thurs 26th - Teverya (Tiberias) & Hamat Gader
Fri 27th - Goodbye Amirim, too long a drive with stopover (a brief relief) in Kibbutz NirDavid, hello Gedera for Shabbos
Sat 28th - Shabbos - yay!
Sun 29th - Drive to EinGedi (via J'lem)

Latest update from the Steinbergs In Israel...
Web photo album: http://picasaweb.google.com/steinbergpicasa
Blog online: http://steinbergsinisrael.blogspot.com
GoogleMaps Steinberg Israel Tour: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=101845790702321945414.00046ae3bb9b8c8d66f12
Skype Paul username: 'paulsteinberg'
Skype Steinberg Family username: 'prsteinberg'
Jerusalem address: 27 Narkis, Nahlaot.
Telephone: (03) 9015-9718 (local call in Australia)
Telephone: +972-(0)52-3396805 (in Israel)
Time: Melbourne Aust (AEST) minus -9 hours (e.g. Melb 10am=J'lem 1am)
------------------------------------------------------