Travel group Haifa😉

After having a very packed itinerary for the last three days of our trip, we are taking it easy today. We pack up our last things in the morning and say goodbye to Dan and our amazing home around 10:30 am. Since there are no trains due to maintenance work, we have decided to take the bus to Haifa, which seems uncomplicated and the buses run every 10 minutes with a travel time of about 1 hour. By the way, bus and train travel in Israel is incredibly cheap - unlike the prices for groceries. We have informed our landlord Eitan in Haifa that we will arrive at 3 pm, so we have plenty of time.

Compared to the train stations, the bus station is quite adventurous. First, we have to find the right entrance - there are many, but only one where you can pass the common security check in Israel with a suitcase (entrance 42😉). Inside, it is loud and partially dirty with many small shops, and the buses themselves depart on 7 floors. We know that our bus departs from floor 7 (we think) and we have time, so we have breakfast first (baguette with shakshuka) and then look for our bus... and can't find it. Information counters are closed. We are approached by a female soldier who is also looking for the bus to Haifa and so we search together until finally a passerby can help us. Once on the bus, the rest of the journey is relaxed.

Our apartment with Eitan is incredibly beautiful. We have a direct view of the sea from the windows and the balcony. The floors are decorated in an oriental style, with old furniture everywhere. After a short rest, we set off on foot to find something to eat.

Haifa is very different from Tel Aviv, much quieter and more organized with colorful gardens and olive trees along the streets, very European. At first, we miss the vibrant Tel Aviv, but a little peace and relaxation are also necessary. Haifa is very hilly with many stairs.

We head to a falafel stand and have a late lunch there before going to Camel Beach. The beach is really beautiful with a nice promenade. We swim first, then do some sports and continue playing frisbee until long after sunset. Now we have to walk up the stairs that we walked down in the afternoon, but at least we have a great view of the city. For dinner, we get a huge watermelon.