Day 1 in Akko

Greetings from Akko everyone! Saving The Stones has finally begun, and I am with the group. The day began early as I set off on the 7:08 train from Beit Shemesh. The travel was uneventful, the view beautiful. The train from Tel Aviv to Akko passes right along the coast for a good while, and the view of the Mediterranean Sea was perfect. It turned out that one of the other participants was sitting across the isle on the train from Tel Aviv, but we didn't find out until we arrived. Meeting up with the rest of the group was easy, and they took us to Western Galilee University in Akko for the introduction to the program.

The beginning of the program this year is different from what they had scheduled. Some of you may have heard, but a gas line exploded in Old Akko and a building collapsed, and the authorities locked down the entire Old City. The Old City is small, so the entire area was affected. This meant that no one could enter or leave, and we are unable to go to the Conservation Center or our apartment. That is why we were beginning in Western Galilee University.

We started off by introducing ourselves, who we were and why we were interested in archaeology and/or conservation, and then we talked about the program itself. After all the formalities were through and we got to know everyone a little more, it was time for lunch. Oh boy, what a lunch! A full falafel spread, complete with different salads, pita, hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, chips (french fries) and other vegetables. It was delicious! I definitely ate more than I should. Akko is famous for their different types of hummus, and the program staff advised us to try as many different types as we could and decide on our favorite. I look forward to this challenge!

After lunch we set off for the bed and breakfast where we are staying tonight (and possibly tomorrow) while everything gets settled and back to normal in Old Akko. It is nice, the rooms and beds are big and well kept. The only downside so far is we can't find a light in the bathroom, but enough light comes in from the window so we aren't too worried. We had some time to rest before dinner, and I took a nap. Dinner began at 6, which seemed early. I still hadn't completely digested all my food from lunch! The spread was just as big as it had been for lunch, but this time we had our choice of meats. I ordered the pargiot (cornish hen). Other options were fried tilapia or codfish fillets, kebab, shwarma, or chicken breast. It was too much food, but I tried my best to finish. Delicious, as was expected! Now I'm off to bed, looking forward to the next five months. The schedule looks like it is going to be very entertaining, educational, and beneficial!

Leilah Tov!