Money Talks

20 shekels

So I couldn't get out of bed, but was still up and at it at 7 am, breakfast was fruit and yoghurt, I'm trying a new approach, cos I really don't like scrabbled eggs when they have been sitting for a while, or have a crust. After writing my daily blog I headed out for a walk around the streets again, luckily half way down towards Western Carmel I noticed the black cloud headings over, and made a quick detour to Greg's for coffee, thank goodness because the heavens opened.

10 shekels

I have finally got to grips with the money, if it's bronze it's an agorot and they come in 50, and 10, if it's silver it's a shekel, they come in 1, 2, 5's and if its silver and bronze, silver rules and it's a 10 shekel, then we start with notes, imagine my surprise when handing over a 20 shekel note and getting a 10 shekel coin back, I thought I had been robbed. I thought it was like a 20 pound note and I wanted a tenner note back, but seeing as 20 shekel is worth £3.42 it was highly unlikely.

I hopped out of Gregs and took myself to Habank for lunch, they make a lovely carpaccio and they have great staff and sky Tv, with pretty pictures - well I don't speak Hebrew remember. Just finished lunch and My Beloved called can I meet him at the hotel with his laptop security chain - so off I toddled back to the hotel, luckily for him I had packed it in my cases, especially as it's for his Mac and it could very well have been traveling sea freight just now, crisis over.

My afternoon was spent between having too much caffeine and not enough caffeine in my system, this is always a predicament I find myself in these days, the too much is because phooooor the Americanos are strong here, you have to ask for Americanos or you will get Arabic and that stuff will kill you, and the gritty bits take forever to sink, and if not sunk they get in your teeth.  The too little is when I take myself off for a walk and my levels deplete to such a degree that only intravenous Americanos will revive me, such is the life I lead.  People used to ask me what I did with My Beloved being away so much, well the answer is drink coffee, now instead of sitting in Celebrations with the possibility of meeting a friend, I sit in Haifa, with the possibility of meeting new friends, simples, but at least here I get to utilise the wifi for free.

No houses today, but I have one lined up to view tomorrow morning, again its just along from the hotel, on Yefe Nof Street. My Beloved has a friend, who knows a man, who is a Doctor, I now have antibiotics, I had to phone Turriff Medical centre to make sure I had the right stuff, so had a quick chat with Lisa Fraser who was on reception, it was lovely hearing the Scottish twang again. So now I'm killing that infection, and hopefully will stop listing to one side.  We were due to hit the gym last night, but here we are again the weekend is upon us, and it shut at 6 pm My Beloved didn't get back until 5.30 due to traffic and road closures, so instead of the gym we took ourselves of for a walk around the streets, its a great way to find your way around. There are so many roads that are connected by steps, or little paths, we were also checking out the housing round about.












After speaking with Natalie this afternoon I had three new restaurants to try out, so I mailed the link to My Beloved and we decided on Hamanal 24, we took a taxi to the port and in doing so went past the biggest cruise ship I have ever seen up close, it was huge and beautiful all lit up like a christmas tree. Our driver dropped us off and we walked through a paved area to the restaurant. After nearly gatecrashing a function that was being held downstairs we were directed upstairs to the restaurant, the setting was  beautiful, and the style was rustic italian and the food gourmet. We had a lovely waiter who kept us right, and can you believe, just for a change started talking football to My Beloved, you can take the man out of Newcastle but he will always find a friend to speak about Shearer to. Each course arrived and was met with excited eyes and dribbling lips, we shared each course, well almost!!! Red Drum fish for my Beloved, and Roast Veal for myself, then Goose Leg in Red Wine, and for myself Sea Bass with coquilles St. Jacques, it really was amazing, we finished the meal with a dessert each of which was to die for, if you can imagine a ball of chocolate bigger than my fist, with a vanilla cream and jasmine ganache which was poured over the Chocolate thus melting the top to reveal the fruit hidden inside. I was in chocolate heaven. My Beloved's was equally impressive a Chocolate and cherry trio over pistachio marzipan, strawberry ice-cream and sour cream, the ice-cream was stupendous, but with both dishes although we ate every last drop it was still a shame to make a mess of such a masterpiece, but we did it guilt free.

Our taxi driver was very quick witted and sharp and we were speaking about our meal, and I taught him my favourite saying, taught to me by a grippy Yorkshire man, who guarded every penny like his last, and it is this 'Buy Cheap Buy Twice' I have even taught this to the Little Princes, there is a time for cheap and there is a time for the best, and our meal was the best I have had in Haifa, and the best My Beloved has had in all the time he has been traveling to Israel.

Madhouse of Alvah facts for the Day

Elijahs Cave can be found at the bottom of Mt Carmel,

many important events in the life of the Prophet Elijah (9th Century BC) are said to have happened in this cave, Tradition has it that Mary, Joseph and Jesus found shelter in this cave for a night on their return from Egypt

MSC Magnifica