Tzfat, lunch in a Druze village, Golan Heights & Wine

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I didn't have many ideas about Kabbalah before going to Tzfat -- I did recall learning that its secrets were so shocking that it was dangerous to study it before age 40 and of course I remember Madonna wearing a red string tied around her wrist.  Tzfat is the birthplace of Kabbalah, and its synagogues and study centers attract people who are searching for meaning.  I couldn't resist the "lost and found" sign by a streetside mikvah (cleansing bath) where people could purify home goods and maybe you find meaning but lose a fork in the process.  

We went to two beautiful synagogues and walked up and down the streets of this hilltop town while I learned about the concepts of numerology, mysticism and the unifying themes that bring people who study Kabbalah to greater spiritual understanding.  Art galleries are everywhere, with works that specialize in spiritual or mystical concepts.  It's a lovely experience, even for a skeptic like me, to experience the town.

I did find one thing in Tzfat that I didn't even know I was looking for -- a perfect, warm, freshly baked sesame seed bagel purchased from a kid on a bike with bagels in the basket on the front. 

We left Tzfat to head to Al Sultan restaurant in Maasade, a Druze village in the Golan Heights.  We (and by "we" I mean my guide Bena, as he did all the talking!) ordered a "typical" Druze lunch, which included kubbeh (a spice-scented meat dish), eggplant stuffed with pine nuts, grape leaves and cabbage leaves with rice and then the ever-present hummus, labneh, baba ganoosh, pickles, carrots and salad.  It was all delicious and I was reminded that the pita needs to be used more like a fork than a food, unless you want to eat a lot of pita!

From there, we drove to the top of Mount Avital for a view of Syria (and, through the distant haze, Lebanon).  It was eye-opening to be on the ground, and see the borders and topography that determined military strategy in the battle over the Golan Heights.  Bena gave me a thorough and lengthy history of the region while we stood in a former military outpost.

On the lower elevation of Mount Avital, there's Pelter Winery and its kosher winery, Matar.  I was treated to a tasting of their excellent wines and I was really impressed.  Sadly, with my carry-on-only luggage, I couldn't buy any wine to bring home.