26.2.11 Gvaot Hakurkar

Orchis papilionacea (caspia) סחלב פרפרני

Iris atropurpurea אירוס הארגמן

It has now became a familial tradition of Omer and myself to visit this wonderful wild park in Ness-Ziona boarder, one of the very few wild places remained now in our country in the habitat areas. We are now in the short period of the year when these wonderful irises are blooming (26.2.11, 27.3.09, 29.2.08, 24.2.06, 27.2.06).

22.1.11 Yaar Haruvit & Tel Tzafit

Omer picking up Arum  palaestinum leaves

Some weevil Coleoptera

Delicious cooked Arum palaestinum salad  (לוף ארץ - ישראלי) with lemon, onion and olive oil.
Careful:  uncooked Arum palaestinum leaves are poisonous unless well treated  to become edible (see explanation in the link above)

20.11.10 Yaar Bnei Brit, Harei Yeuda

Doesn't this trunk look like tasty golden toffee sweet?

This is a gall on a sage bush. I see an elegant queen.

and this is what we saw when we cut it.

24-25.9.10 Weekend in Revivim

Edna, Omer's aunt, kindly invited us for what became a wonderful and unforgettable weekend in the Kibbutz where she lives and know so well.

We had a warm reception in her modest apartment, full of books and interesting objects from distant places where she traveled to around the world.

We kept on to the shared dining room of the Kibbutz, for Friday evening supper. From there, we had a visit to the local dairy followed by a private guided tour in different parts of the Kibbutz.

Early morning on Saturday, Edna took us to the olive nursery where she is working during weekdays. It was incredible to discover how many different occupations she was involved in during her stay in the kibbutz. It makes her life so various and interesting! This is really to admire when you see such knowledgeable people. For example, you can show her any plant you wish to and she will know to tell you what it is and how it is called.

From the nursery, we then arrived to some olive orchards where the lilies (חבצלות) were blooming.

Omer caught me chasing after a small praying mantis :-)

There are a variety of Ficus planted near the nursery and we could see also some abandoned greenhouses of the kibbutz that primarily served for lilies (שושנים) hydroponics.

The breakfast menu was: fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, Zaatar herb, excellent local olive oil, omelette with onions and Yami local "Hana Cheese" with olives and chives or with nigella seeds!

There are several parcs in the Kibbuts. One is the fruit trees parc with a small lilies hill. The other, is the parc of the intersecting trees (גן העצים המשתלבים) of Aharon Nave. The following pictures are only a small sample of this interesting art.

After fascinating talks about some of Edna's trips around the worls, we saw some pictures she took there. I was especially amazed of the Bolivian Uyuni white desert and the nice photo montage you can play with there.

Finally, at sunset, Edna took us to the Cactus and succulent parc to see a vast array of nature wonder with the artistic intervention of a member of the kibbutz, which I forgot the name.

We had to come back home, but I really wish to go back again to Revivim and see in more depth this cactus parc and the whole kibbutz.

In such a small place, it is amazing how many things there are to see and enjoy, no wonder Edna is so much connected to this place.

6-10.6.10 Brussels & Bruges

As mom told me, indeed the Brussels' "Manneken Pis" is very small and disappointing:
The big chocolate one is much more impressing...
This time I was especially interested in the famous Bruges' Lace, or "La dentelle de Bruge". The following picture was from a shop in Brussels:

After several working days in Brussels, I was lucky to be able to take a half day off in Bruges to better explore "La dentelle de Bruges".
Bruges is AMAZING!!! I really want to come back with Omer. It is a beautiful beautiful city with plenty of nice places and elegant shops.



and the Belgian chocolate, how can we resist it?
The "market square" at downfall:

the small bridges:










The calm and beautiful Beguinage:
some lace work demonstration from the Beguinage tiny museum:

I also visited the Lace centre/kantcentrum (at Peperstraat 3 St, near the "Eglise de Jerusalem") and must admit it was very disappointing. The lace creations are very poorly exposed and this is ashame. I also expected to see live demonstration and discovered it was only in very specific timings.
Finally, I did some craft shopping at the beautiful scharlaeken store, near the market square. They hold such amazing threads colors and variety, that I have never seen as such till now.

13-16.5.10 Fontenay aux Roses and the "Tarte au pommes Normandaise"

During the "Shiva" on grandma, Ariane, my cousin's partner, was just our great guardian angel.

She took care of us for the stay, the food and all that we needed.
She is full of beans and taught me how to make the "Tarte au pommes Normandaise"!

and yes, it WAS a success!
so here is the recipe:

Ariane's Normandy apple tart

The ratio should be of about 200g "liquid" slim white flour : 100 g butter

Ingredients for dough
• 315 g white flour
• 40 g white sugar
• 125 g soft butter cut into small pieces approximately of 2 cm
• carefully and gradually add a quarter cup of cold water - to harden the soft butter

- Add the ingredients and mix well with your hands to create a bloc. Add water if necessary. The dough should not be too crumbs, but more consistent.
- Leave to rest between half an hour for two hours
- Roll a circle out of the dough on a map with some flour, in order to reach a thickness of about 4 or 5 mm
- To fix the holes if there are any, take some water and use it to add external dough parts to merge to the circle
- Fold the circle into 4
- Move to a round baking dish, by putting the circle on a cookie sheet and deploy again when inside the dish. You can move the sheet a little better to put the circle nicely in the middle.
- Cut the excess and use them for decoration over, such as for tart bands

Ingredients for the filling
• About 8 small apples, peeled, pitted and sliced to segments
• a packet of vanilla sugar
• white sugar
• bleached sliced almonds

- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius degrees
- Add the apple slices from the outside towards the inside,very dense, almost standing on each other. Depending on the size of the baking dish, you can reach up to 3 circles plus/minus
- Scatter over the apples the packet of vanilla sugar and the sugar (about 3 or 4 tablespoons)
- Decorate the tart
- Add butter pieces on top of the tart

- Put in the oven at 180 Celsius degrees about 20 minutes or until the apples soften when you prick them with a toothpick
- In a pan, fry the sliced almonds in butter. When dropped from the fire, scatter some sugar and mix.
- Disperse the roasted almonds on top of the tart before serving

Bon Appetit!

Some pictures of the inspiring apartment of my aunt with a beautiful view on the surrounding.

The bag above is apparently a Dutch Knitted bag with tiny vintage beads (I think even smaller than 18/0), that my aunt bought in some Antique shop. It is just beautiful!
My aunt gave me as a present a superb antique German lace-crochet book ""Irische Spitzen" from 1900!
When will I have the time to explore all its content?