Hadera to Zikhron Ya'akov on Israel National Trail: Day 37

Main event of the day was visiting the extensive, ancient remains at Ceasarea.

Today's walk began by walking over undeveloped land to a Power station. First commissioned in 1981 its workings are not enclosed in walls, instead the girders holding the plant up are visible on the outside. A very different architectural style to the 1930's Power Station north of Tel Aviv (see day 35). A long jetty into the sea allows for unloading the coal required to fuel the boilers. Such coal burning power stations are now considered outdated and detrimental to the environment. With gas discoveries offshore Israel in recent years modern combined cycle power plants using gas are likely to replace the use of imported coal. Indeed it looked like there was a large offshore, gas production in the sea, vaguely visible through the haze from where I walked today. Just before the power station was a park area beside a river, several men with fishing rods were hoping for a catch. The white suspension bridge crossing the river seemed designed with a view to aesthetics as much as function.

After a section of road I reached the Sdot Yam Kibbutz. The trail seemed to be blocked off by a new fence enclosing some house construction. I tried to work my way around the fence but found no clear route, so instead I just walked straight through the village. There were barriers for vehicles, but not for pedestrians. I was checking this evening and there is a recent update to the route on the Tapatalk site, it was issued after I had started my walk. I should have headed east before reaching the kibbutz fence.

The entrance to the remains of ancient Caesarea was directly after Sdot Yam. Conceived and built by King Herod the ruins included an amphitheatre, a chariot racing track, villa and bathhouse. Later a Crusader castle occupied the site. There were a two short films describing the history. Tour groups of numerous nationalities were visiting the large site with me. A South African lady sang their National Anthem in the theatre, demonstrating its acoustics. 

Leaving the main archaeological campus I walked along the beach beside the aqueduct that once supplied the ancient city with water. The beach continued after I lost sight of the aqueduct, a period of slow progress for me as my boots sank into the sand. After passing a little harbour surrounded by fisherman's shacks I walked over some mosaic remains in the dunes and beyond the headland there were some surviving sections of a bridge built in 1898.

Aqueduct at Caesarea

I followed the trail inland to the Arab town of Jisr A-Zarka, where I enjoyed a humus and pita bread lunch, served with tomatoes, onions, olives, finely chopped green chilli and a expresso coffee to finish off.

The next section proved difficult as parts of the trail were flooded, overgrown or blocked by a herd of cows. I worked my way around the obstacles often beside more lengths of Roman aqueduct. The trail runs under a major railway line at a bridge intended for a river. At the same time it also crosses the river. On this occasion the river, swollen with recent rain, was filling the entire space beneath the bridge with fast moving grey water. I decided against removing my trousers and wading through but instead made a three kilometre detour to arrive on the other side of the bridge and river. On the way was an abandoned quarry, the trucks still standing on a rusted railway, waiting to be filled from the  silent, overhead gantries.

Limestone pavement on the cliff edge overlooking the coastal plain

The path climbed a hill to a limestone pavement extending to the edge of a cliff. On top of the hill there were more archaeological remains, mainly of a Byzantine villa, but with older and more recent structures at the same site. In addition there was a pretty good view down the coast.

A little later I reached the Ramat Hanadiv gardens where Baron Edmond de Rothschild and his wife are buried. He was instrumental in helping finance the early Jewish settlers in Israel. The memorial gardens were closed by the time I arrived, and I needed to move smartly to reach my hotel before dark. But on the way I was waylaid by more archaeological remains including a short, small Roman aqueduct that supplied a bathhouse from a spring in a tunnel. Water was still flowing along the aqueduct which was built some 2000 years ago. A little further down the hill there was a grey military looking boat, over 10 metres long, stranded miles away from any water, sitting by the roadside.

Finally reaching the hotel, myself and my passport was carefully scrutinised, page by page, by the serious looking receptionist, I assume to confirm I had not recently been to any countries affected by the recent Coronavirus outbreak.