While woefully missing out on bloggable adventures as of late, this past week I was off from work due to the Christmas holiday and did a bit of adventuring on my lonesome. It started with a drive down to Matash Ayalon for some convenient, and guaranteed, quality birding – a known hotspot for wintering duck species, which never fails. I was pleased that I chose this site, as I was able to tick off another new bird species – a reed bunting, an uncommon bird which appeared before me on a bare tree for a good minute or so. But, this post is not about my short birding trip, nor the bit of shopping that I did afterwards, but rather the meagre remains of an old Crusader castle that I happened to visit.

Casel des Plains

I had just finished shopping in Holon when I had a look at Google Maps to see what interesting places I had bookmarked for later perusal. Much to my surprise, there was a Crusader castle just a few minutes away in Azor, a site that I had plumb forgotten about in recent years. Truthfully, I had to do a bit of research before writing this post as my knowledge was lacking. Parking just outside of the municipal archaeological park, which contains Casel des Plains’ ruins and more, I made my way up to explore the tiny urban oasis.

The fortress’ enclosure walls

From my understanding of the site, I passed some overgrown castle enclosure walls as I climbed Tel Azor before laying eyes on the fortress tower. Modern flags waved at me as I sized up the stout structure, taking a few pictures before encircling the remains. Casel des Plains (also referred to as Chateau du Plains and Casellum Balneorum) was built alongside the village of Yazur seemingly sometime during the 1100s by Crusaders, following their success and establishment of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In 1191, the fortress was destroyed by the Ayyubid emir Saladin and subsequently refortified by the Templars later that year. In 1192, the castle was believed to have been the base of operations for Richard the Lion-hearted, one of the leaders of the Third Crusade, who abandoned the site when Saladin reappeared. Orders were then given by the emir to dismantle the fortress and that was the end of that.

The Ottoman mosque building and displayed Byzantine mosaic

I admired the sturdy masonry and made my way to what looked like another part of the Crusader fortress. Yet, this structure was erected only in the Ottoman period, and served as a mosque. Today, it houses a local archaeological museum, which, unfortunately, is only open on Friday mornings. Eking out all that I could of my impromptu visit, I had a cheeky peek-in through the grated side door, and took a few pictures of the displayed artefacts. I sure would have liked to have had a bit of a closer look, but had to make due with my poor timing.

Inside Azor’s archaeology museum

The mosque structure also featured a sizable Byzantine mosaic, which was discovered just a bit further south on Tel Azor during salvage excavations in 2011-2012. The preliminary excavation report, published by the archaeologists on behalf of Israel’s Antiquities Authority, suggests that the mosaic may have belonged to a Byzantine church. Perhaps unconnected, a beautifully constructed church was periodically reported at Azor/Yazor by travelers and clergymen in the centuries following the fall of the Crusader fortress.

The archaeological garden

Looping back around, I admired a display of agricultural artefacts that make up the tel’s archaeological garden (created in 2008). A variety of stone presses, used to crush olives and grapes for their valuable juices – some of which were found in the region – posed plainly in a simple sequential layout. I gave them each a moment or two, and headed for Casel des Plains tower’s arched doorway. Inside, looking through the locked barrier, I found cases of soft drinks and construction materials. Surely, a better place could be sourced for so banal an existence.

Looking at the entrance of Casel des Plains

While looking more closely, I noticed that there is what looks to be a marble column serving as a doorstep, as well as a drainage system within the wall to the left of the thick doorway. So, unable to enter the tower and explore more, I began my way back down the small tel. I passed a small patio area with a burnt-out coffee cart, which looked like it had been permanently abandoned there following the fiery incident.

We musn’t forget the reed bunting

Great ficus trees shaded me as I had one last look at the fortress’s enclosure walls, and then I was off. I made a short detour to a highly-recommended hummus joint in Petach Tikva, where I enjoyed a dish of roasted chestnut-topped hummus, and headed homeward-bound.

It was the final day of August last year and I had taken the day off from work. Coordinating with Bracha’s plans to go shopping for Amir’s first birthday, which was to take place in one week’s time, I decided on a spontaneous trip with the little boy. We were to visit the newly opened Lod Mosaic Centre, built to house none other than the famous Lod mosaic which was painstakingly unearthed starting in 1996.

Father-son outing

I had visited neighbouring Ramla back in 2017 with Adam Ota, and we had attempted to see all the main sites of interest, but the city of Lod had always escaped me. This was to be my first real visit to Lod, strangely enough, and I noted that there was even a playground just outside the centre – perfect for entertaining Amir even more.

Inside the museum

We arrived at the museum, entered and began our self-guided tour. At first, I was surprised at how small the place was (reminiscent of Beit Alpha national park), but it made perfect sense. The building was simply covering the site of the famous mosaic, which had been removed, restored, internationally displayed on tour, and finally replaced to the very earth it called home since the late Roman period some 1,750 years prior. There is really no need for a bigger building.

Gazing out at the spectacular work of art

Passing some fragmented mosaics on display, we made our way through the tastefully-lit central room (or atrium, in this case) where the main mosaic is located. The museum structure mimics a typical upper class Roman villa, a recreation of sorts of the house that once existed on site. We gazed out at the vast central floor, covered in an intricate collection of mosaic motifs and patterns, and tried to take it all in.

DIY mosaic tables

Amir was at that transitional age between crawling and cruising, so I let him down to explore as I took pictures and read the display signs. The focal point of the giant mosaic intrigued me most, being a montage of exotic and mostly African mammals posed together in a manner somewhat reminiscent of The Lion King. I pointed out the tiger to Amir, who was overall quite familiar with the striped beast, but I don’t think he quite caught on to my helpful intentions.

Amir playing with the mock mosaic tiles

Perhaps what was more relevant for him was the DIY mosaic tables where trayfuls of small colourful tiles were to be placed in efforts to create mock mosaics. This was geared towards children and had innumerous choking hazards, so, naturally, Amir wanted to give it a try. Carefully, and under my supervision, he had a try at making his own mosaic as well.

A closer look at the magnificent handiwork

Returning to the ancient masterpiece at our feet, we looped around to the far end of the floor mosaic and completed our circumnavigation with an appropriate amount of approving nods and low murmurs of admiration at the magnificent handiwork seen before us. We then popped outside into a small courtyard where another floor mosaic awaited us. While this one was far less preserved, it was only to be expected as this courtyard was identified as the original Roman villa’s peristyle courtyard. Albeit damaged, we were still able to make out some of the scenes described in the medallion-patterned layout.

The outer courtyard

Also featured outdoors was a chronological overview of Lod overall, ranging from the prehistoric Neolithic period until modern times. Naturally, I took particular interest in the Crusader period, which unfortunately was the only time period listed not to feature any artefacts on display. I settled for a collection of ancient ceramic vessels of other time periods and a neat Scottish military beret pin from the British Mandate period. One final exhibit caught my eye, and that was an interesting cabinet of drawers tucked into the far corner. Within, each drawer represented a different layer (or stratum, as it is known in archaeology) in the sample soil. This gave a very hands-on representation of archaeological work, and the expected results as one digs deeper and deeper into the past. Even with my hands-on knowledge of archaeology, I felt that this exhibition really hit the nail on the proverbial head and applauded the designers.

Outside the Lod Mosaic Centre

We finished our educational trip in the small playground outside, where Amir played a bit and enjoyed a sandwich for lunch. There was of course still more to see nearby, and I was fortunate enough to pick up a map and some tourist literature, but those sites will simply have to wait for another day.

Recently, in the middle of May, I was invited to take my family to the Ramat Gan Safari, free of charge. This was an initiative spearheaded by some bureaucratic branch of the IDF, aiming to “give back” to civilians like myself who partake in active reserve duty. Since I had served a 16-day stint in the previous calendar year, I qualified for some quality time with the safari animals, free of charge and complete with free food and activities for the children.

Idyllic safari scene

Aiming to align our visit with our son Amir’s nap schedule, we only headed over in the mid-afternoon – but thankfully, we only live a few kilometres away, so the drive was decidedly quick. Arriving in our new-to-us Honda Civic, soldiers ushered us in and we began to drive through the safari segment of the park. I had been wanting to visit the safari for quite some years, and couldn’t wait to see what lay in store for us.

A cute Thomson’s gazelle

The first of the animals to be seen were a variety of herbivores, primarily giant elands and Thomson’s gazelles – a scene straight out of Africa. Some plains zebras and local spur-winged lapwings dotted the landscape too, keeping with the strict colour scheme of black, brown and white. A white rhinoceros or two added some grey to the mix, although the real colour was yet to come.

Typical safari moment

I snapped pictures here and there as we drove through the safari’s paved network of roads, hoping to spot something interesting. Some of the animals ventured relatively close by, some dashed out in front of the cars and some avoided us altogether. We kept hoping for something to be right up alongside the car, like one sees from Kruger and other parks, so that Amir would really get a good look with his little eyes. That animal was a plains zebra of sorts, can’t be too sure of the subspecies without more intensive research, and Amir got a good look as it ambled off.

Amir getting a closer look at the kudu

An upcoming watering hole held promise as I spotted both crowned cranes and marabou storks at the water’s edge. I’ve always been amused by marabou storks and it was so nice to finally see one semi-free, standing ominously with the grim appearance of a plague doctor-cum-undertaker. Some great white pelicans on the road seized our attention next, and suddenly one of the nondescript dirty lumps in the pond’s centre began to move – hippos!

Hippo emerging from the water

Greater flamingos danced in the background, flashing their rosy pink accents and brightening up the scene, a scene that was becoming more and more African. A handful of wildebeests and scimitar oryxes were seen next, mingling with the plains zebras and Thomson’s gazelles. As we progressed towards the lion enclosure, we began to see other species such as kudus and an undetermined species of giraffe.

A greater flamingo showing off

At last we reached the lion enclosure, protected by a double gate and manned watchtowers. We rolled up our windows and entered, peering about here and there in search of the yellow-furred predators. It was a relatively small enclosure so it didn’t take long before we found a pride of African lions lounging about the grassy hillock that was flanked by the paved road. A maned male was making some moves on one of the females, but it was atrociously difficult to take decent pictures through the glass.

Photographing the lions through the window

With the rest of the lions in late afternoon stupor, we rolled on out with the rest of the cars and headed for the zoo section of the safari. Parking and entering by foot, we saw that the IDF reservist day event had practically taken over the park. We were handed water bottles and found tables of pastries just begging to be eaten. Amir chewed on a croissant as we headed for the animal enclosures, starting with the distinctly Australian kangaroos.

Bracha enjoying the grooming baboons

We moved on to African wild dogs and a variety of different primate species, including mandrills and baboons with their delightful seat cushions. In between the animal enclosures we found the time to get some popcorn and cotton candy (Bracha’s favourite), and then introduced Amir to some peacocks for educational and amusement purposes. We posed here and there, but for some reason Amir wasn’t having as much fun as we were, as the photos showed.

Capturing the moment as a family

A quick stop at the playground, and some rejuvenating minutes on the swing, pumped new energy into Amir and Bracha alike. We moved on to the meerkats – such fun little creatures, an absolute joy to be around. One final stop at the Nile crocodile enclosure, where a behemoth of a lizard laid placid at the edge of a small murky pool, and we felt like we had seen enough.

The ever-watchful meerkat

It wasn’t that the zoo wasn’t nice – I was rather pleased by the leafy abundance all over, something that lended to a more natural feeling, despite the fences and cages. Certainly, it was more impressive than the Haifa Educational Zoo which Bracha and I had visited a year prior, but in the end it is still just a zoo.

Bracha and her cotton candy

For nature lovers, there feels to be something lacking when seeing the animals cooped up as such, even if these same animals can’t be reintroduced to the wild for many valid reasons. Nonetheless, I’m happy that I finally had the chance to visit the local safari, but with the same breath, I’m happy it was free.

Taking a hiatus from a string of BIU field trips, the day after my trip to Doq and the Good Samaritan Museum I went on a nice little adventure with Adam Ota to the relatively nearby Shoham Park. It was the very beginning of January and a fair amount of rain had fallen as of late, resulting in renewed growth throughout the country. The seam between the coastal plains and the Shomron was no different, and we found ourselves getting off our bus at Nablat Junction with intentions to explore as far north as we had time for.

Looking down at the field beside Nachal Beit Arif (photo Adam Ota)

Once we had successfully navigated the busy roads and entered the so-called natural land just north of Nachal Beit Arif, we were amazed at how lush and green everything was. There was a cool crispness in the air as we slowly made our way up the cactus-dotted hill, having passed through a defunct military shooting range where we chanced upon our first of many wild asparagus shoots of the day.

In pursuit of wild asparagus shoots

The vibrant green around us was complemented by dying leaves in multiple shades of orange, yellow and lavender blossoms, and of course the rich brown mud. We followed the marked trail up the hill, merging onto the Israel National Trail and seeing a nice amount of chaffinches and meadow pipits along with the flora. Adam paused here and there to look for stick insects, something that has eluded him for a great number of years here.

Photographing the lush nature (photo Adam Ota)

We spotted some tiny caves among the hewn bedrock, but nothing of any particular interest, except for copious amounts of wild asparagus. It wasn’t until we reached the top of the hill that we saw something of note. Carved into the bedroom were a series of cup marks and larger indentations. According to the sign there, this was part of a cultic site where a small idol was placed and then tiny sacrifices were offered in these tiny hewn cups. The larger depressions served as mortars for grinding the sacrifice prior to offering. There also seemed to be a small olive oil press similarly hewn into the bedrock, perhaps related to the cultic affairs.

Cultic cupmarks from a time long past

Heading down the northern slope, we left the rocky garrigue habitat and entered a small pine tree forest. In a clearing, we found a much larger agricultural installation – this time a winepress, also hewn into the grey bedrock. It was full of water after the rains, and no matter how much Adam peered into the murky depths, he couldn’t find any interesting lifeforms.

Peering into the watery winepress

Right beyond the winepress was the remains of an ancient lime kiln, hardly recognisable in its current state of affairs. But it was the next site in the clearing that really excited me – the ornate ruins of the Church of St Bacchus with its stunning mosaic floor. Built sometime in the 400s CE, during the Byzantine period, the church was only discovered in 1986, and later excavated in 1995. It was then that the mosaic floor, with an inscription dedicating it to St Bacchus (who was quite popular during that era), was revealed and restored.

The Church of St Bacchus

Built outside of the settlement confines, this is what is known as a field church – see an artistic reconstruction HERE. During the course of the excavations, a small broken marble medallion of goddess Tyche/Fortuna was found. According to the inscription encircling the figure, the medallion dates to the year 582-3 CE, during the reign of Byzantine emperors Tiberius II Constantine or Maurice.

Remains of the olive oil press beside the field church

Adjacent to the church is a large olive oil press, with some of its sections also featuring a modest mosaic floor. Just beyond the press is a large rock-cut pool which was used to store water, after having served as an on-site quarry for the construction projects there. All of these ruins, predominantly harkening back to the Byzantine period, are all affiliated with the nearby Horvat Tinshemet (or Khirbet Sheikh ‘Ali Malikina) which has been identified as Betomelgezis, a site that appears on the famous Madaba Map.

What appears to be part of Horvat Tinshemet

As we progressed to the vicinity of Horvat Tinshemet, we realised that this site – having never been excavated before – did not have much to look at, at surface value, of course. We found a series of low stone walls and what looks like a cairn of sorts, but nothing distinctly archaeological other than a few surface potsherds. Regardless, we enjoyed poking about in the company of some warblers and chaffinches, and a handful of flustered chukars.

Avoiding the forbidden zone

From there our next destination was the Bareket vernal pool, which was located on the far side of the Shoham industrial park that was sprawled out before us. Instead of simply walking down the convenient paved road, we decided to go the route less traveled and climbed up a steep hill to circumnavigate from the eastern side. It was a steep walk and required a short break at the peak, which allowed us to appreciate the views that we had of both the ongoing construction and Road 6 that was behind us.

Looking back from whence we came

Heading back down the northern slope, we found an usual little orchard and then an insurmountable construction site which made us take the paved road afterall. Looping around, we found the Bareket vernal pool looking rather neglected, yet brimming with water and tiny lifeforms. Adam immediately squatted at the water’s edge, trying to find some interesting waterbugs – and, of course, triops.

The Bareket vernal pool

The Bareket vernal pool is the result of ancient quarrying, similar to what we had seen throughout the day, forming a nice body of water quite like a swimming pool with the hewn steps. Despite the searches, it was simply too early in the rainy season to find anything too interesting and we were consigned to just enjoying the deep pool for what it was.

Using the hewn steps to get closer to the water

There are a number of interesting sites located just north of the vernal pool, but it was getting a wee bit late and we were tired from the long hike, so we called it a day. We had successfully explored most of what Shoham Park has to offer, and each of us had a bountiful wild asparagus harvest – perhaps the best we’d ever had. The rest of the attractions will simply wait for another day, whenever that may be.

In mid-October, after a flurry of birding trips to the field of Givat HaShlosha and Nachal Rabah, I decided to change the pace a bit and to explore some rich wetlands not too far away from where I live. Incidentally, there were a few choice birds that I had previously seen reported on eBird, and since I was keen to snatch up a few potential “lifers”, I rose in the predawn hours and arrived at my destination – the artificial lake just outside of Rishon LeZion – not long after sunrise.

Early morning at Agamon Rishon LeZion

I had been to a nearby Lake Nakik in the summer of 2019, when Adam and I explored the neighbouring dunes for the first time (see HERE), but somehow the Agamon had slipped through our fingers. My expedition began at the eastern banks where I used my binoculars to scan the lengths of the shorelines around me, finding an expected assortment of egrets, herons and shorebirds. Kingfishers and barn swallows zipped back and forth over the placid lake, completing the serene scene with their controlled flights.

Grainy photo of the African swamphen (right)

My first exciting find came when I scanned the reeds a bit more carefully, and then noticed a bird that was bigger and more colourful than a common moorhen – it was an African swamphen! This was my first “lifer” of the day, and in retrospect I could confirm that there was a second one tucked back a bit further, and thus more obscured by the thick reeds. When it got a little brighter out, I was able to discern more species of waders in the muddy shallow section to the south, as well as a reed warbler that appeared in the reeds beside me.

Picturesque views from the deck

Eager to see more of the small lake, and from different angles, I continued on my semi-circuit, walking past the FlyBox building where an intriguing, if pricey, weightless flying experience can be had. The trail took me through a small overgrown area and I emerged at the northern side of the lake, where the observation decks have been installed. The sun was still coming up through the dense cloud cover as I took in my new view, seeing more herons and egrets fishing in the shallows.

Grainy photo of the whiskered tern in flight

Another “lifer” appeared in the form of a whiskered tern – a graceful white acrobat skimming over the water’s surface in search of small fish to catch. The tranquility of the lake scene with the muted early morning colours filled me with inner peace, and I sat there basking in the moment. When I had moved on down to the deck, sitting in the western lookout, large raindrops started falling out of the sky. I sheltered my camera and enjoyed the light shower, feeling refreshed from my first rains of the season.

One of the more unusual bird sightings I’ve ever had

The rains brought out the birds, interestingly enough, and I watched a particularly plucky sedge warbler bounce about in search of food. A bluethroat and some white wagtails joined in on the fun, racing about in between the raindrops. When the rain ended I went back to the first lookout in hopes of finding a little bittern, which was actually waiting for me at the base of the structure – our encounter catching both of us off guard. Reflexes kicked in, I tried snapping some pictures while it tried escaping through the thick reeds. The sun eventually broke through the clouds and I decided it was time to head to work, but not without telling others of my relaxing, yet exciting, visit.

Revisiting the lake (photo Adam Ota)

Sure enough, the following week I revisited the lake, but this time with company: Bracha, Adam and his girlfriend Vered. We retraced the steps that I had taken days before, seeing largely the same selection of birdy friends, minus the elusive swamphen. This time we popped into the large mall complex at the northern side of the lake to grab an iced coffee, and had a picnic as well.

Picnic at the lakeside (photo Adam Ota)

We feasted on cheesy pastas and rich French toast that Adam cooked on his portable burner – more exciting culinarily than my previous tour. Such a delightful place to visit, and relatively easy to get to with public transportation, that I foresee more visits in the future.

Just over a month ago, towards the end of May, I took a bus over to nearby Or Yehuda to meet up with my wife, Bracha. A soon-to-be graduate of social work, Bracha was doing her third year of fieldwork at the Welfare Centre of Or Yehuda, where she tended to the social needs of the city’s citizens. Having heard about her place of work throughout the academic year, it was finally time to visit – and to check out some of Or Yehuda’s star attractions together.

The Babylonian Heritage Centre

Bracha met me at the bus stop across from our first destination of the day, the titular Babylonian Jewry Museum. An impressive building, the Babylonian Heritage Centre commands the respect deservant of such an interesting topic and we were excited to see what was in store for us. Inside, we secured tickets and began our tour of the two-storied museum. But first, a few anecdotes which proved to make our experience all the more poignant. Or Yehuda began as a grouping of immigrant and refugee absorption camps, where mass immigration from countries such as Libya, Turkey and Iraq took place in the 1940-50s. As such, Bracha’s clients belonged largely to that very same demographic. Additionally, in the course of this academic year’s curriculum, she  took a class on the Ben Ish Hai, the famous rabbi of Baghdad from the turn of the last century. Now, the pieces can all fit together nicely.

Model of a Babylonian yeshiva during the 7th-13th centuries

The museum’s layout began us on a chronological tour of the Babylonian community, with an exhibition on the first Jews who were exiled by Nebuchadnezzar. A beautifully animated video gave us a historically-based perspective of exiled Jews who had grown accustomed to life in Babylon, and were offered the idea of returning to the Holy Land – as was the case starting in 538 BCE. Alongside this video were artefacts and replicas to help illustrate life so long ago.

Antique Torah scroll cases

The exhibition then merged into more modern times, with artefacts and information about the Babylonian Jewish community in the 18th-20th centuries, which had spread to the nearby lands such as India and Singapore. The highlights were a handful of ornate Torah scroll boxes, as well as a transplanted aron (or ark, where the scrolls are kept in a synagogue). Naturally, life extended beyond the religious and the exhibition continued into the daily life of the community – full of interesting facts and artefacts alike.

A glimpse down the alley

The next bit was my favourite, a fine example of how to properly present historical still life. The museum painstakingly recreated an old Baghdad alley, complete with windows peering into the various stores and workshops that would have existed then. We walked down the dim alley, admiring the mannequin tailor and jeweler as they toiled away timelessly in their neat shops. I particularly enjoyed the intricate detail given to the setting beyond the exhibited shops and storefronts, such as the beautiful wooden dormers which poked ever so elegantly over the quiet street.

The jeweler hard at work

The end of the quaint alley led us into a recreated synagogue, with the grand wood teva (or, central platform from which the services were led) serving as a worthy centerpiece. This teva originally belonged in the Great Synagogue of Baghdad, where the famed and aforementioned Ben Ish Hai gave his cherished sermons. Encircling the teva were windows into the circle of Jewish life, and likewise the various annual holidays. We particularly enjoyed looking at the ethnic foods that were served at the different social events that took place in the synagogue.

The teva of the Great Synagogue

From there the subsequent exhibitions focused on the more modern, from the tragic Farhud pogroms in 1941, which served as a catalyst to the brave efforts that the Jewish community made to reach the Holy Land after the founding of the State of Israel. It was humbling to read about the many Jews who lost their lives both within Iraq and on their way to Jerusalem, so much senseless loss.

Fun Iraqi foods

Our tour continued on with a display of superstitious talismans, a tradition that somehow still clings to some community members to this very day. Next, we went upstairs and saw relics of the time when Or Yehuda consisted of immigrant and refugee absorption camps. Representations of that hard life filled a corner of the large room, including a temporary tent home for fresh immigrants, and a small shop of canned and dry goods to feed the newcomers. From there we took a jump back in time with the exhibition of traditional Iraqi homes, starting with a comfy sitting room overlooking the bustling Or Yehuda street outside. Next, a more upscale sitting room – the most ornate room in a traditional home, where guests would be entertained.

Incantation bowl against demons from Mesopotamia in the 5th-8th centuries

The final exhibits concerned marriage and the glamorous outfits that the bride and groom wore to their wedding ceremonies. We laughed as we imagined ourselves wearing such exciting brocade robes, being cheered on by an imaginary crowd of proud Iraqi Jews. A chronologically-arranged display of ketubot (traditional Jewish marriage contract), each of which was handwritten on a beautiful sheet of what appeared to be parchment. A quick look at the temporary photographic exhibit titled “Family and its Many Faces” and we finished our grand tour of the excellent museum. When we had left, having thanked the staff for our lovely visit, we explored the town a bit more. It was certainly fun to see where Bracha spent so many of her weekdays, getting a glimpse into the life that I had heard so much about throughout the year.

Dinner at Samarkand

Feeling a bit hungry, it was time for dinner and so we headed for a Libyan restaurant which we had pre-designated months prior. To our dismay, the restaurant was closed for the day, so we settled for an ethnic restaurant or another kind: Samarkand, a server of Uzbek and Bucharian food. It was enjoyable going out for dinner, but we both realised pretty quickly that this Central Asian cuisine wasn’t quite what we were looking for. Regardless, it was a nice ending to an exciting visit to the charming Or Yehuda. Perhaps another visit is in order…