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24 hours in Tiberias By Ronit Vered Tags: Tiberias, Israel travel  Kebab both disappointing and faith-restoring; a fascinating tour of the Old City; whiskey at the Scots Hotel and German-Israeli olive oil. In his 1902 Zionist novel "Altneuland," Theodor Herzl predicted a glorious future for it: Wide boulevards leading to elegant Swiss hotels, and a cosmopolitan community, dressed in white, playing tennis and listening to concerts in the European-style parks. He even prophesied that Tiberias would replace Sicily and Egypt as the preferred destination for international tourism. In contrast to Herzl and his romantic utopian vision, Avraham Moshe Lunz, the author of the first Hebrew travel guide, tried to describe the cities and villages of the Holy Land dryly and concisely, following the example of the famous Baedeker guide, and only when it came to Tiberias did this diligent writer abandon restraint to add: "Its streets are narrow and crooked, and recently have all been paved with smooth stones. But those who see it will not be at all impressed." The kebab Advertisement A moment after arriving we discovered an earthquake in Tiberian terms, a surprise almost as dramatic as the earthquake that struck the city in 1837: After 41 years in the shuk, Shimshon and his kebabs have moved to a new and respectable location, next to the Giovanni Cafe. Shimshon's steak place opened in the 1960s in a lively (restaurant-critic jargon for neglected and dirty) hole in the wall, among the improvised falafel booths. There were two or three formica tables and a line that extended to the shoe stall. We were there, too, at 9 A.M., with all the hardworking Tiberian fishermen who had been casting nets all night, and were delighted with the authentic location and the taste of the thin meat patties. Now, when the municipality is about to bulldoze this junkyard, one must contend with the real taste of the legendary kebab when it is served against the backdrop of an ordinary Mizrahi restaurant (serving Jewish Middle Eastern food). Was the kebab ever really tasty, or did the halo of authenticity enhance our fond memories of it? The sight of the tomatoes from the freezer and the tired salads on the table of four full-bodied women did not bode well. Shimshon's son, the second generation of a proud dynasty of kebab makers, waxed poetic about the importance of "the hand" in preparing kebab and spoke in praise of garlic-free Iraqi kebab. And we, who were dying to have the privilege of eating the legendary kebab of this nice family, tried to swallow the bitter meatball. Had we not seen the hand shaking the bunches of parsley, we would have sworn the kebab had come from the frozen food aisle of some supermarket. Shimshon and Sons steak restaurant Hagalil St., 050-5422498 Old City tour In 1896, six years before the publication of "Altneuland," the Grossman Hotel was built in Tiberias. Richard Grossman of Haifa's Templer colony built this elegant hotel, with the latest modern conveniences including hot and cold running water in the bathrooms. Among the personages who stayed there over time were Lord Balfour, Herbert Samuel and Chaim Weizmann. In 1929 it seemed as though Herzl's vision was about to come true. The Dutch and British airlines developed air routes to India, which made stops in various locations in the Middle East. Tourists who touched down at the Tzemah airstrip sailed across Lake Kinneret to Tiberias and traveled by carriage to the hotel until 1934, when the route was moved to Gaza. No one can breathe life into the ruined houses of Tiberias - a 2000-year-old city with no museum of the city's history - like tour guide Maurice Tzemah. And few sense as he does the pain of the city that never recovered from the shock of 1948, from the departure of the Arabs and the deliberate and methodical destruction of the homes of both Arabs and Jews. Tiberians who were alive during the British Mandate all know Maurice, who diligently gathers their stories and combines them with descriptions from Crusaders, scholars, adventurers and drunkards who passed through the Holy Land in previous centuries. His fascinating tour of the Old City includes the dungeon directly under the gallows in the governor's residence. Maurice Tzemah, 052-8499217 The Scots Hotel This week a Scottish festival was held at the Scots Hotel. In January the birth of Scottish poet Robert Burns was celebrated in this lovely boutique hotel owned by the Church of Scotland, which was originally established as a hospital and guesthouse. Kibbutz Kinneret nearby held a celebration in honor of Shulke, a kibbutz member who wore shorts and high boots all year 'round, who partied with the Tiberias fishermen and who, like Burns, knew that keeping a bottle of whiskey within reach is the only way to go through life. You have to drink more than a dram of whiskey to think that haggis, a grayish sheep stomach ("pluck") stuffed with its internal organs, is tasty. You have to drink quite a lot, too, to listen to distorted translations of Scottish poetry in guttural Hebrew. A Scot can read the phone book out loud and make it sound like a magnificent Celtic curse, whereas Israelis, even when they read in praise of drinking, sound as though they are declaiming Natan Alterman's canonical poem "Magash Hakesef" ("The Silver Platter"). Next year we're celebrating with Shulke. In the morning the situation improved when we discovered the joys of the buffet; the joy of balls of labaneh yogurt cheese in olive oil and chunks of ripe, golden cheeses; the joy of the bread table and the miniature pastries, the jams and the jellies; the song of the pancakes, the made-to-order omelets and the warm apple cakes. If we could only remain all day closed up between the thick basalt walls of the Scots Hotel, a bubble through whose windows even Tiberias looks like the most beautiful of cities. The Scots Hotel, 1 G'dud Barak St., Tiberias, 04-6710710; www.scotshotels.co.il Germans in Migdal Mother, as Gunther Gottschalk calls his wife, stands in the kitchen kneading the dough for whole wheat bread. Once it is baked it will be dipped in olive oil from their small olive orchard and spread with the simple labaneh they make. A stew is simmering on the range, composed mainly of vegetables from the organic garden and wine prepared by the community. For Gunther, the essence of life is living by the bread, wine and olive oil that you have produced, and he observes this biblical injunction to the full. The women of Migdal's small German community bring to mind those of the Amish, wearing severe dresses and headscarves. The community's guiding principles dictate a simple life and working the land. The group arrived in the early 1970s as emissaries of the German Christian organization Tzedaka, which after the Holocaust felt a need to help Jews. Members of the small community, which Gunther heads, still work at the town's hostel for the mentally disabled, building beautiful, heavy wooden furniture with them. Gunther, who has been deliberating over theological questions and meditating about the nature of man his whole life, left Tzedaka because he felt that the philosophy of the fathers of the Christian Church, beginning with Paul, is tainted by anti-Semitism, although he continues to admire Jesus' basic philosophy. We came to Gunther in order to buy his good olive oil, which we remembered from previous years, and discovered that this year it was not for sale. "The Yekkes [Germans] want a schlafstunde [afternoon nap], and the oil press does not allow for a schlafstunde," he says with a shy smile. The nap is not the whole story. Twice Gunther has been taken out from the press on a stretcher, after putting his nose to the heavy grindstones and carrying heavy baskets until midnight at the traditional oil press, which he bought from Arabs in Acre. While he is a happy man who feels that he has come home, he is no longer young. It is nevertheless worth checking occasionally whether there is oil for sale, because Gunther loves to produce olive oil. Gunter's oil press, Migdal (next to the museum), 04-6791040 Kebab redux On the way home, tired of searching for vestiges of the famous Tiberian cuisine, a poor man's cuisine with much inspiration, whose recipes the Muslim, Jewish and Christian women once exchanged in the crowded common courtyards of the Old City, we stop at Katzeh Hanahal. In spite of its monstrous size and its location in a gas station, this restaurant offers a selection of good, fresh dishes from the traditional Arab cuisine of the region: A fresh salad of labaneh balls, tomatoes and za'atar [hyssop] or of watercress; fatayer: baked pastry filled with spinach and herbs; shishbarak meat pastries in goat's milk yogurt and homemade kebab with warm tehina. Katzeh Hanahal, gas station at the entrance to Kibbutz Ginosar, 04-6717776 Grimod de la Reyniere, considered the first restaurant critic in history, was more successful than his unfortunate Hebrew colleague. Born in 1758 with the impossible name of Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de la Reyniere, he was rejected by his aristocratic mother because of his seriously deformed hands. In 1803 he published "L'Almanach des gourmands," a restaurant guide that mapped the best eateries in Paris. The book, the timing of which was perfect, documented the flourishing of Parisian restaurants and predicted the growth of modern cuisine from the ruins of the Ancien regime. Tremendously successful, it was followed by seven editions that were updated annually as well as the creation of a legendary jury of tasters headed by Grimod and surrounded by a halo of mystery. The first restaurant critic in history was also the first to encounter complaints of favoritism and receiving bribes. In 1812 he was forced to leave Paris after infuriating a host of chefs and restaurateurs. He issued an announcement of his premature death and welcomed his guests to a banquet against a macabre backdrop of coffins and funeral prayers. Bookmark to del.icio.us   The Chancellor's visit Angela Merkel arrives in Israel to 'open new chapter' in bilateral ties. London paying Netanyahu says PR trip to U.K. wasn't funded by Israeli taxpayer.   1.   My visit 05:58  |  MichaelF 27/05/07   2.   So glad you missed 08:15  |  English Resident 27/05/07   3.   So glad you missed ... 08:22  |  English Resident 27/05/07   4.   Lunch in Tiberias was wonderful... 15:29  |  R. Parker 27/05/07

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