Friday 18 March 2011

Such Stuff As Dreams Are Made Of …

Not L.A., USA – but Nahariya, Israel!

‘All the leaves are green

And the sky is blue

Just strummin’ on the beach

On a late winter's day …’

Hands Up! Don’t hate me for bastardising universally loved lyrics, just read on and you’ll understand why.

On Tuesday we moseyed up to Nahariya, about 27 kilometres north-west of our home in Karmiel, Galilee to find a lone guitarist playing his heart out on a poetically deserted beach.

Loath to disturb his reverie, we did not intrude. ‘Who is he?’ we mused. ‘Where’s he from?’ ‘What is he playing so intensely?’

If anyone can name him and celebrate the musical mystery I’d love to hear from you.

Meanwhile we saw relatively few people at this popular, 30s-built resort as March is the end of the closed season with many shore-front attractions still shuttered and few hardy tourists bothering to brave the brisk winds.

Although aware of Nahariya’s more serious industries, the town reminded us of British resorts like Southport and Brighton where many locals have little to do aside from shopping and sitting sipping coffee while life passes them by …

But Spring is about to burst in the Northern Galilee, with profusions of wild flowers starting to show their faces to the sudden warmth of the renewing sun.

Even as winter ‘s end trails off in fits and starts, Nahariya’s holiday-air continues year-round with pretty parks, swaying palms and white-clad buildings, even if many now show signs of sad neglect.