Wine and Spirits Travel

It had been a long, full trip to Israel which was finally coming to an end. I managed to pack a lot into my final day in Israel , which actually stretched on for nearly two days. I woke up at the Dan Hotel Tel Aviv and lingered over my final Israeli breakfast. I was going to miss the fruit, salmon, cheese, and of course, the halvah and cheesecake. I could resist taking a final photo of the beach before heading off to the Carmel Market. I had loved this market on my first day in Tel Aviv and wanted to go back to pick up some items before I left. The halvah was at the top of my list, but I also picked up some of the Middle Eastern spice combinations I knew would be delicious over rice. Soon after I returned to the hotel my cousin Marge joined me. She had brought my mother to Tel Aviv as we were both flying home very early the next morning. Mom decided to stay and get organized for the trip while Marge and I headed to Nini Hachi, a top sushi restaurant

I woke up in Jerusalem , surrounded by every comfort imaginable. Everything about The King David validated that it was one of the most luxurious hotels in the world. My room was beautiful, with attention to every detail, and the service was just impeccable.  Every time we turned around, someone was waiting, anticipating our every need. I had been thoroughly enjoying the Israeli breakfast buffets throughout my stay in the country, but The King David took it one step further. In addition to a magnificent display, they offered made to order omelets and eggs benedicts – with ingredients such as truffles and salmon. I chose a fresh vegetable filled omelet, and filled a plate at the buffet with cheese, fruit, and salmon, adding a small pastry and some halvah to satisfy my sweet tooth. Before I packed up to leave, I walked around the hotel a little to check it out.  I also ventured out to the courtyard and took note that it would be another pleasantly warm d

I had been in Israel for just about a week. There was a lot to see, but we had been given a pretty set schedule. Fortunately, my fellow writers and I were able to convince our tour guide to go off the plan a bit and it turned out to be our best day of exploring. I woke up at the Dan Accadia Hotel in Herzeliya to another sunny day. The scenery here was beautiful and even though I didn’t have time to fully enjoy it, I did walk around the property a bit, taking in the views of the pool and beach. After another delicious Israeli breakfast, we headed onto the bus and toward the desert. We were off to the lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea . Despite the fact that it is extremely hot, and the drop below sea level had our ears popping, the distance of the sun kept the rays from burning as much as you’d expect. The drive took us through Jericho, though we only made one stop, for a pose with a camel that was much more likely to be a tourist attraction than a wor

Some days of travel are amazing and some are not. Then there are the ones which are a little of both. This was the case for my fifth day in Israel . The day certainly started out right as I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast from my balcony at the Dan Acadia Hotel in Herzeliya, a suburb of Tel Aviv. I was getting spoiled by these Israeli breakfasts, which were filled with fruit, cheese, and sweet treats. It looked to be another beautifully sunny day and I wished I had time to check out the pool and the beach, but I had to get ready to meet the group. We were heading for a tour of Old Jaffa. I had discovered my passport and glasses missing and thought they might have been left at the previous hotel so I asked our tour guide to have the bus make a stop at the Dan Hotel Tel Aviv. Unfortunately, despite the urging from my fellow journalists to stay, Carmela felt they were running late to get to the Jaffa tour and wouldn’t wait for me to check at the hotel. What