12/9 | Return to Gush Etzion

Today, Ariel, Matt, and I decided to take a small day trip to Gush Etzion, a "settlement bloc" south of Jerusalem near the edge of the West Bank.  For anybody keeping track, I was last there on a hike and winery tour in mid-September and it was one of the best experiences I have had in Israel.  Since we had no other plans for the weekend, we decided to head down to see if we could find something to do.

After getting up early in the morning, we rode the Jerusalem Light Rail to the Central Bus Station, where we proceeded to take a (bulletproof) bus to the Gush Etzion Junction.  As luck would have it, the bus dropped us off right across from the Gush Etzion Winery, where I visited last time.  Unfortunately, because it is December, the grapes of the vineyards have long since died and, even worse, there was a bris taking place, so the place was closed until 11:30 AM.  Instead of being discouraged, though, we decided to walk to a nearby grocery store to ask someone about hiking trails in the area.  Instead, we found an amazing bakery handing out samples.  Soon after, Matt realized he had a friend who studies at the yeshiva in Gush Etzion, so we met up with him for a little before the winery opened to the public.  After spending some time shopping and tasting, we headed back to Jerusalem before the onset of shabbat.  Thrill-wise, it wasn't much of a trip; however, it was very pleasant and it was nice to be back in one of the most beautiful parts of Israel.

 A view of the vineyard at the Gush Etzion Winery.

Beautiful views surround Gush Etzion.

 More pastoral views in Gush Etzion.

 An IDF outpost is a reminder of Gush Etzion's precarious security situation.

Matt pointed out that the Star of David on this Israeli flag is crooked.  It displays the star with two points facing the blue stripes instead of one.