To Tzor'a

The penultimate day of cycling dawned with a lazy awakening and hot showers at the camp in the Negev. The camp was full of teenagers again, and sadly Martin heard them commenting on the large number of old people that there were in camp. We couldn't think who he meant.
We started off in the bus, as
Admiring the agriculture of Israel as we reached more fertile lands. Some trees were unidentified - we discussed their possible nature - pomegranates? Dates? Figs? A consultation with out resident agricultural expert Matthew woken up to give the definitive farmers view, was a great help. They were trees.
But soon we were back on bikes and the road was, once more, going on and on.
We struggled through the hills of Israel - well, some of us struggled. Veila not only didn't struggle but went back down and up several times as the last of us wheezed bronchitically up the gradients. We certainly met gradients today.
It was a day of instruction - with questions about the state of Israel, its origins and its sometimes uneasy relationships with its neighbours.
The day began particularly happily with news from Brian in Beer Sheba that he was feeling better. .
After a huge lunch - which rendered the initial after lunch cycling rather heavy duty - and some nightmare hills we found ourselves - for the first time - caught in the rain. The wisest of us hid in a bus shelter intrediply, thus demonstrating initiative and wisdom, whilst the rest got nobly and fortitudinously wet.
After stopping at the site where David slaughtered Goliath we slaughtered a couple more gargantuan hills before reaching Tzor'a.
Supper was at the kibbutz, preceded by a session on faith led by Ruth and followed by presentations to Jane, Victoria and Ann who are leaving early tomorrow. Ed had a great deal to say about them, all of it flattering. Honestly.
We then heard that Brian was on his way to Jerusalem and would be meeting us at the Western Wall. Merriment overtook us all as we finished supper and the kibbutz staff encouraged us to take as long as we liked (not).
And then.....
Peter took the stage with the world premiers of two songs, both of which were full of admiration and pride for the intellectual and physical capabilities of the group.
The first, What did you do in Sinai, was equalled only by the second, to which we all chorussed Get away Get away
It's a jolly fine song and we'll sing it all day.
Hopefully full words will appear on the blog.
So how do we sum up today?
Peter says it rained and people honked a lot which felt like England. Jane wrestled her bike up every hill, despite threatening to chuck it over the edge or sell it, and had an email from her son to say if he was her mother he'd be proud of her.
Paul says he is looking forward to the hills up to Jerusalem. Paul will be pushing me up them. Peter says we're at the place where Samson was born. Robert has Louise's trousers and nobody knows why. Ann and Peter remember the bats and doves most, despite the hills.
What was wonderful?
The view of the Ramon crater from its rim and the realisation that we didn't have to cycle out. Tom mashing avocados to make guacomole (can we take him home?). Martin telling Victoria he will miss her. Martin telling everyone he will miss them. The wine (not linking the previous two statements). Sharing the camp with two hundred schoolgirls. Not having to share the kibbutz with two hundred schoolchildren. Sunrise this morning. Two travellers walking into the sunrise. Toasted sandwiches with basil for breakfast. Peter singing. Everyone else singing Crocuses growing. Jane coming up a hill with a huge grin on her face. Sheltering in the bus stop. The caves at lunchtime. The British Park which did not exclude Glaswegians. The desert. The vineyards. The orange groves. The wine. Ruth's talk. The kibbutz staff driving off in a gold buggy. The full moon. The friendship. The group. Sitting together in the kibbutz courtyard under the moon talking, the sweet smell of agriculture drifting through our nostrils.
Everything.

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