Haifa and Akko

 In Haifa, north of Tel Aviv, we enjoyed the terraced Baha'i Gardens overlooking the Mediterranean and the best AirBnB digs of the trip (thanks, Eli!) You can see why Haifa unanimously won the "if we could live anyplace we've been to on this trip" game.    Then we drove to Akko (Acre) to check out the restored Crusader-turned-Ottoman citadel in the pouring rain. (We also enjoyed the first of many lunches of hummus and Arabic coffee, which I will blog about separately.) The hummus joint is located inside the old suq, or marketplace, where we picked up some spices, including za'atar (a mix of thyme, sesame seeds, and salt, commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine) and a few packets of saffron Kate later convinced herself were phony. (We'll cook with it and let you know.)      Despite the heavy rain, I really enjoyed walking through the narrow streets of the old city. Very atmospheric.   Next post: Zippori and the Sea of Galilee!