Day 6 - from 1200 m down to 0

My friend Esra (an old Siemens colleague) picked me up in Safed and we went to the starting point of our track - the Nahal Amud. Esra promised me that we would have a great day and he was more than right, even though it was a very exhausting hike.
Amud means "Pillar" in Hebrew. The place was named after a tall pillar at the end of the Nahal Amud showing different faces.
At the beginning of the trail passed some houses and old mills. Jews from Spain after the Edict of Expulsion in 1492 had set up those mills and machinery for the wool industry. We were now walking and climbing along a Canyon and it was quite challenging especially towards the middle where the canyon became very steep. After six days of hiking I did feel my heavy backpack and was looking forward to my break in Tiberias.
Esra is a very educated man who gave me a lot of background information on different historical and Biblical events in Israel. We also recalled the time when we first met in 2007 at a Siemens meeting in Nürnberg which I led and in 2008 when I came to support a fair event in Israel. I really enjoyed this day with my old friend and Esra took very nice pictures...
At the end of the day we were on sea level again, so within two days I went from 1.200 m down to 0 - really amazing! I reached Tiberias where I want to stay for a day to relax from an outstanding but demanding first week on the Shvil. I am very pleased to have finished the first stage from the far north of Israel to the Kinnereth (Sea of Galilee). Halleluja! 

My friend Esra

Joyfully we ate the sandwiches that Esra had brought

around the main mill buildings

walking underneath a street - the Israeli way

beautiful spring nature

Nahal Amud

first view of the Kinereth

Oooh, I needed and deserved it!