A magical day

1. After a spin around Haifa we go to Acre and its Crusader fortresses, winding alleys and authentic street life (and crazy Arabs and Jews who think there is a parking spot reserved just for them right at the entrance). Unlike Jaffa and Ceasarea, Acre has been luckily spared of touristy development, and it is fantastic, with a fantastic real market and fantastic real people living real lives among the millenary stones. A wonderful meal right on the sea, of the tenderest fried calamari ever, at Abu Christos.
2. Then a quick jump into the sea in Nahariya. Park the car, change into the bathing suit. Quickly jump into the gorgeous sea as if it was our own private spa, massage therapy and all. Jump out of the sea just as quickly, pursued by a jellyfish.
3. Make it into Tzfat, the center of Jewish mysticism, in time for the Sabbath. We watch the sun go down behind the hills as we hear spirited Hassidic singing, the people of Tsfat dressed in white or their Sabbath best to welcome the day of rest.  I, the atheist, am overcome by feeling I don't even know where it comes from.
4. Find a hotel in Tiberias overlooking the Sea of Galilee, away from the horror of the main drag. We have a terrace in front of the lake. It is quiet.  We can see the dippers and the half moon shining over the water, crickets chirping, fishies splashing around.
5. We even get to watch the Ghana-Uruguay game.
As I said, a magical day.