According to my trusty Red Guide the first sight today after leaving Natanya Poleg should be the iris reserve. After a large earth carpark I walked into the reserve. Some men asking after my progress on the Shvil Israel (the Israel National Trail) told me there were hundreds of Iris to be seen, but I was having trouble seeing any. I headed off left towards the centre of the reserve but although there were many other lovely flowers, no iris. Then I spotted one under a white broom (i.e. a broom bush with small white flowers). Having spotted one I was soon seeing them everywhere. They were a dark, deep purple quite different from the usual blue and yellow ones. Some had attracted small snails.
Much of today was along the beach, either on the sand or on concrete paths above it. Through the large town of Netanya, the paths above the beach were in a manicured setting, among carefully tended grass and palm trees. On the beach, the width of sand in places was so thin that I was paddling through water as the small waves washed in. The soft cliffs were unstable, and there were landslips in places, large blocks of rock were sometimes used to protect the base of the cliff from further erosion.
I made a diversion up the cliffs to Independence square in the centre of Netanya for a coffee. French was very much in evidence for some reason and it had a proper French croissant with my coffee (i.e. no sugary stuff on top).
Later on two students sun bathing on the beach asked after my progress on the Shvil Israel and gave me a glass of tea they had just brewed on a small camping stove (very refreshing as the day was hot). I am often asked when I started and why I decided to walk this trail. They were on the beach as it was Purim today, a celebration of Esther saving the Jews, so it was a holiday. The celebration started a few days ago. It can involve dressing up, and I have seen a few frilly frocks in bright colours on men as well as women.
On reaching a river the trail turns inland following it upstream for a few kilometres. I passed the ruin of an Ottoman customs post and then noticed a man painting an Israel National Trail waymark. He was adding an orange dot to indicate that this was also on the Sharon trail which went inland from this point. I thanked him for his work which makes it a lot easier to find the way.
At the point where the trail leaves the river, there was a picnic site on the other bank with an ice cream van requiring a visit from myself (also an observation tower). While enjoying my ice cream I was looking at the large catfish in the muddy river, for some reason many had collected at this spot and were circling around. Then a small turtle surfaced, and as I looked closer I saw a much larger one, a metre and a half or so long, which slowly rose to the surface then dived deeper as it swam along.
After crossing some fields, avoiding a flooded section of track, and then walking through a half built industrial estate and some rough ground I reached Hadera woods. I had considered camping here but decided against as it was not so far from built up areas. However, the mature Eucalyptus trees, without too much undergrowth, would have made a good place to pitch a tent. Having already booked a room at the Ramada beachfront hotel, I headed there. I was upgraded to a suite on the 19th floor, from which I watched the round, red sun set below the distant haze covering the sea.
Dinner was at Benny the fisherman, by the beach. I ate too much, I should not have ordered the chocolate souffle for dessert or ate the chocolates left by the hotel in my room.
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