ONE OF OUR FAVORITES: ZIPPORI VILLAGE

I hope I will always be able to recapture the wonderful sense of peace and well-being I felt in Zippori Village. I loved sitting on the back porch in the morning looking through the morning glory blossoms that drape over the trellis. The scene before me seemed to be in lovely layers. The wind rustled through the palm trees and past the olive orchard to the peaceful valley below. Laughing doves crooned, tiny frogs in the pond greeted the morning with their deep chirrups, while the shy yellow vented bulbuls flew softly through the lemon trees. In the early morning mist, I could imagine Jesus and his disciples making their way up the hill. I think they would be laughing and talking or maybe singing one of the Psalms of praise.

Tradition says that Jesus’ grandparents lived in Zippori which is only four miles from Nazareth. Surely, as a young boy, He came many times to Zippori to visit them. There must have been pomegranate and fig trees, grape vines, and bee hives such as Mitch has today. Maybe a goat farm like the one up the road from Zippori Village. That’s where Mitch and his wife Suzy get tasty cheeses and yogurts to put in our breakfast basket every morning, along with tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, bread, and butter. There’s a box right beside the front door just for the basket filled with all the goodies. Fresh eggs are always available from the hen house.

The owner and overseer of this little corner of paradise, Mitch Pilcer, was enigmatically present whenever we stepped outside and yet never intrusive. He has the incredible ability to let you know he’s looking out for you without seeming to hover. Mitch and Suzy have developed their part of Zippori Moshav with loving care and respect for the land. They have built, decorated, and furnished four cottages for guests. More are under construction along with a nearly finished swimming pool.

We have been blessed to have stayed there several times this trip, taking all of our friends who came from Pensacola. Each time, the visit was a little longer than the last because they were reluctant to leave. We used it as a base to explore the sites around the Sea of Galilee. It’s only 25 minutes to Tiberias. How good it felt after a long day of sightseeing to “go back home” to Zippori.

We had supper several times at the Goat Farm. Yoav, whose parents own the goat farm, was our chef. Every dish - most of them featuring the delicious mild goat cheese - was better than the one before.

We always visit the wonderful ruins at Zippori National Park just over the hill. The ruins include an amphitheatre, an ancient Jewish section with micvahs, and the Cardo with many intact mosaics. My favorite is still the fancy Roman villa with the floor of detailed mosaic featuring the beautiful “Mona Lisa of the Galilee”. What other wonders await discovery by the archaeologists still at work in the Park today.

What else do I love about Zippori Village? Lying in the hammock in the shade of the palm trees, watching the birds flying overhead and listening to “The Garden Scene” from “Much Ado About Nothing”, on my I-Pod. An amazing experience. I had a feeling of nostalgia when we left Zippori for the last time. But, I will still be able to call it back to memory every time I listen to “The Garden Scene”.