Dalia Itzik, a dodgy clutch and the greatest story not yet told

So this is my final blog entry and I've been sat in front of my laptop for more than an hour trying to work out where to start and how to try and describe how I feel.

I am currently sitting here in on my balcony in Herzliya having just had the most unique few days of my life and looking ahead to my future in a country I can wholeheartedly call home. I've always thought that language, though often beautiful, can sometimes do little justice to convey a feeling or an emotion. Therefore, I'll give you a run through of all that has happened since we left Eilat on Tuesday morning and the experiences that will stay with me forever.

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The overwhelming arrival

This is my final blog entry of this 'Making Aliyah' series. Yaniv and I have written separate entries for this final blog posting, which may give you the chance to compare and contrast how we each describe the events of the past few days (for those who are that way inclined).

I wrote my previous blog entry from Eilat on Monday evening, on the eve of our planned journey north from Eilat to Hertzliya, via Sensana and Latrun.

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Here to stay

It's been a world-wind journey over the past few days.

The feeling of being an 'Oleh Chadash' is not going to sink in for a while, and certainly will not until the Rally is over in a few days time.  Having said that, there's an immediate affinity that I do feel to my surroundings and with the people we meet and talk to along the way. And even on the simplest level, following road signs written in Ivrit after travelling so far and seeing signs in so many other languages has a nice feeling.

I've been an Oleh for a little over 24 hours, and I'm not sure there are many Olim who have started off their stay in Israel as we have. We have a jam-packed schedule until the finale on Wednesday, so I'll just tell you a little about what we've done so far.

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On the brink of hagshama

I am writing this blog entry from my balcony from our hotel at the top of Mount Olympus on what will be my last day and indeed Shabbat in the galut. I have been thinking about this day for a very long time and how I would be feeling. Well, quite honestly I do not know what it is that I am feeling. I am neither happy or sad, anxious or excited, I am not emotional or numb. However I have this quiet contentment and feeling in the back of my mind that I am on the brink of one of the most important and defining days of my life and that I have absolutely no regrets at all. Israel is merely a coach ride and a quick flight across the Med; the rest of my life living out my Zionist ideals and becoming the man I know that I can be is literally right in front of my face and I am ready to embrace it.

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Watch the arrival video

The 7th JNF UK - Jerusalem car rally arrived in Israel on Sunday, June 1. In honor of Israel's 60th birthday, the rally set out from London on May 18th, making their way through Europe before boarding a plane to Israel.

Watch the arrival video here

Aly Singer and Yan Cohen, the drivers of the '48 Rolls Royce which participated in the rally, will officially be making their aliyah in the next few days. They will be detaling their arrival on this blog as soon as they get settled. Watch this space.

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Some inspiration

I write to you now on board our overnight ferry from Italy to Greece, the last country on our voyage before we arrive in Israel. On Monday we traveled from Siena to our evening stop-over in an amazing castle just north of Rome. Tuesday, we drove down to Naples driving through the winding hills of central Italy.

As promised, I'll take this opportunity to share with you some experiences that we have had with a particular individual on this trip.

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Decisions, decisions and a Shabbat to remember...

Hello dear readers.

I must apologise for the delay in writing another post, however it appears that central Italy has not yet heralded the arrival of the world wide web and this is the first time I have been able to sit down in front of my computer to let you know how our weekend in Italy went. I will of course inform you of our precise movements and of the people we have met along the way, but firstly let me tell you about a little dilemma we are currently experiencing...

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The end of the first week

Thursday 22 May 2008

Firstly, thanks to all the comments and words of encouragement that have been posted to the blog. Yaniv and I really appreciate your comments and we hope that you continue to enjoy our updates. Later on, I'll address some of the questions that have been asked so far.

But first, let me just fill you in on our past two days...

Its the 'Speckfest' (or, Pork Festival) here in Bolzano, our Thursday night stop-off point in northern Italy (the town is about half German half Italian), and as I write to you I can hear the band playing in the square close to our hotel. Needless to say, the 'fest' is hardly the main thrill of our stay here but the relaxing warm evening air is a welcome relief after two days tough driving through the mountains.

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It's all going along spiffingly old chap...

Day 3: It's all going along spiffingly old chap...

Let's be honest; mishaps, disasters and fallings out make for better reading. Otherwise newspapers wouldn't do the business they do without the constant flow of junkie celebrities having nervous breakdowns or natural disasters wiping out entire populations. Sadly dear readers (of which by now I am sure there are thousands ;) ) Day 3 did not contain any fallings out, near death experiences or mechanical disasters. In fact one could say (despite one of the roads on our route being closed) that day 3 of our mission to Jerusalem could not have been any more perfect.

Myself and Aly were on time for breakfast, the cars looked fantastic lined up along the front of Chateau de Gily

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Car trouble and the French countryside

Day II: Car troubles and the French countryside

Today was our first driving through mainland Europe. Our planned route was to guide us through a wonderful and picturesque journey through France from Chantilly (just north of Paris), to Chateau de Gilly (south east half-way to Switzerland). It was by no means the most direct, but was a brilliantly planned route through the French countryside.

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