staircase with colored stones and the "evil eye"
schoolgirls walking in Akko
interior of Uri Buri fish restaurant - Akko
boys playing near water - Akko
mosque - Old Akko
headscarves for sale - Akko marketplace
horse and carriage - through Akko
I decided to venture outside of Tel Aviv and drive north to the city of
Acre (Akko). It has been a long time since I drove that far north but today's a beautiful day to take that drive. After an early breakfast, Fage yogurt with fruit, I decided to take the beautiful coast road, driving alongside the sea most of the way -- through
Caesarea,
Netanya and other coastal resorts. Old Akko is genuine -- it hasn't been gentrified or reborn as an artist's colony. Akko was built in the 18th century on top of the Crusaders' city. The underground corridors were once the home of knights and inhabitants. Mosaic-adorned mosques, minarets, and Turkish baths reflect the influence of the
Ottoman empire. The town isn't filled with tourists; instead there is real life here -- marketplaces selling spices, shoes, clothing and necessities for those who reside there. Akko has been a principal port for 2,000 years. Watching horses riding through the streets, watching residents atop staircases just looking out to the horizon, seeing teenage boys playing on the cliffs hanging over the water are just a few of the scenes that I encountered here. Particularly noticeable was a staircase with embedded rocks, including the blue "
evil eye" so common in the Middle East. There are several restaurants from which to choose along the coast, but I chose to go to the fish restaurant,
Uri Buri. I ordered delicious grilled fish along with the usual
mezze of appetizers, including eggplant, hummus and tehina. What struck me most about Akko was its authenticity, certainly refreshingly uncommon in travel these days.
staircase with colored stones and the "evil eye"
schoolgirls walking in Akko
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