2022 Resolution: Shopping my own bag and SLG collection. Anyone else?

[Katinahat]

2 Aug - brand showcase: A-F
4 Sept - brand showcase: G-L
11 Sept - brand showcase: M-R
18 Sept - brand showcase: S-Z
25 Sept - totes
2 Oct - satchels
9 Oct - crossbodies inc WOCS
16 Oct - shoulder bags
23 Oct - bucket bags
30 Oct - clutches
6 Nov - backpacks
13 Nov - bags that don’t count
20 Nov - pairing bags with shoes
27 Nov - pairing bags with other accessories
4 Dec - bag storage
11 Dec - SLGs
18 Dec - charms

Challenges:
Sept - bags in different locations
Oct - Halloween: wear orange or black bags
Nov - International Merlot Day: wear wine coloured bags or pair bags with wine.
Dec - use the bag.

 

[papertiger]

I admire your approach. Like some others, I’m not wired for flexiblity . When I was 18, I interrailed round Europe by train with a friend. Most people are very flexible about this but I planned the route, found the train times and pre booked every hostel we stayed in including a convent in Pisa. My friends mum hugged her as she set off and told her she’d been fine as long as she didn’t lose me as I’d get her home from anywhere. Reputation for being super sensible and practical even then! I love the planning and reading reviews almost as much as the trip itself.

I’m in a similar position as my DH is older than me as well. He’s just retired. I’ll probably take early retirement once the DDs are through University so we can travel more but that won’t be for 7/8 years. That’s when I plan to travel to the US. We are both healthy for now but I feel for @whateve with scary health issues while travelling. That sounds awful. Hope everything is better now.

Parents of my best friends thought I was the sensible one too

Maybe in comparison with my friends, I had some full-on friends, but even though I can tell the difference between adventure and danger, calm when everyone else is panicking (obviously I'm denial of the gravitas of the situation) and quite resourceful, I would never describe myself as sensible. I love taking the first bus to nowhere in particular, did it in the Canary Islands all the time, DH thought it was the craziest thing ever. I used to set-off in Paris without a map just to make sure I got lost, finding my way back was the task of the day. Perhaps not in a desert though.

Edited: my autocorrect thought I shouldn't get lost in an ice-cream waffle fruit salad (dessert).

 

[Cordeliere]

I love the planning and reading reviews almost as much as the trip itself.

I enjoy the memories more than the actual trip.

The DDs see me at work every day. DD1 says her friends say I’m a serious girl boss!

That is the ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT! Coming from that source, you could not get anything better!

 

[Cordeliere]

Crepe Suzettes on Israel’s roof.

From Eilat, which is the far southeastern corner of the country, we drove to Haifa, which is the far northwestern corner on the country. It is only 267 miles or 430 kilometers. Google maps told us it would be a 5 hour drive. Waze told us 4.5 hours. Both lied. It was an 8 hour drive. I learned a new lesson. Check time estimates during the same time of day that you will be driving. 10 pm Google estimates are worthless.



Northern Israel is as lush and green as Southern Israel is bare. Because it is spring, there are fields with yellow flowers on the weeds and a surprising number of hollyhocks along the road. Haifa is a major port city on the Mediterranean with big booms and container ships milling around. The city is built on a hillside sloping up from the port and it is quite beautiful. The buildings are modern apartment buildings (1950s?), but the streets are winding and narrow. The Bahia temple in Haifa was the founding one, so it is the worldwide center of the religion. The temple owns an enormous plot of land which stretches across 10 levels on the hillside.




At the foot of the Temple is the area known as the German Colony which was settled by the Templers (Protestant sect) of Germany in 1868. They believed that settling in the Holy Land would hasten the return of Christ. They were very advanced in urban planning and farming. A third of them were Nazis, so they were all rounded up and sent to internment camps in 1941. Currently this area is the happening place in the city, with a lot of Arab owned bars, cafes, and restaurants that are centers of cultural discussions. With the Mediterranean climate, the restaurants all have outdoor seating covered with leafy trellises and lights.


My favorite thing about Haifa was all parking is free. On the narrow side streets, there are marked spaces on one side of the street. Those are all filled up? No problem. Just pull ¾ of the way up on the sidewalk on the other side. Not illegal. I loved the free-spirted attitude toward parking. My least favorite thing about Haifa is also the parking. It is all parallel parking. I suck at the that. It was nerve wracking in a rental car that I was not that familiar with. Back, forward, back, approaching infinity. I was not willing to try sidewalk parking for fearing of leaving the rental car bumper in Haifa.

In this picture, the cars on the left are in spaces and the cars on the right are on the sidewalk.



We took a day trip to the Golan Heights which is the far northeastern corner of the country, bordering Syria and Lebanon. That was another Google Maps lie on time involved. The Golan Heights reach an elevation of 4,000 feet. We went to Mt. Bental which was the scene of a major battle in the Yom Kipper War of 1973. Because of the elevation, the Syrians thought it would be a good spot for dropping missiles on Israel. Syria brought in 1,500 tanks and 1,000 pieces of artillery. (Honestly, I can’t imagine how the Syrians got 1,500 tanks up 4,000 feet. The squirrels powering our rental Corolla were really working.) The Israelis countered with a much smaller force of 160 tanks. The Israelis destroyed 900 of the Syrian tanks and won. They won just in time, as they were down to their last 7 tanks!

Israel took control of the Golan Heights, so no one else could use that high ground to bomb them. There seems to be a recurring theme. Neighboring countries attack Israel and the result is they lose some of their land. I was told that Israel is the only country without official borders because it is surrounded by disputed territories that it controls for security reasons but does not really own.

Who expected the views of Syria and Lebanon to be so green?




I knew there were old army tanks and bunkers at Mt. Bental, but there turned out to be much more. The path to the top is lined with whimsical metal statutes. The characters look like the creatures in the bar scene from Star Wars. I initially thought they were made from debris from the war, but then I saw that they were for sale and concluded they are probably made from old car parts.




At the top is a famous coffee shop named Coffee Anon, which is a dual pun on the name of the former Secretary General of the UN (Kofi Annan) and the Hebrew words for coffee in the clouds. It had a surprisingly sophisticated menu. We had yummy crepe suzettes, which was our best meal to date in Israel. See those little brown squares. They had ICE CREAM inside!




On the trip back to Haifa, we went to the Sea of Galilee with the intent of going to the town of Caperium. Jesus performed several healing miracles there. Caperium was super tiny, and the road in looked scary, so we blew that off, opting to go to the very run down Caperium National Park next door.


Here is a fun fact. The Sea of Galilee is not salt water: it is fresh water and therefore, technically is a lake. I keep imagining that there were realtors in 200 bc who decided that it would attract more residents if they called it a sea, but that really can’t be the reason for the misnomer. I also imagine those realtors said to plant palm trees.

Our vacation comes to an end later this week. I have two more topics to cover. Driving in Israel and the café lifestyle of Tel Aviv. The café lifestyle is a fat topic as it will cover food, people, and fashion.

 

[papertiger]

Crepe Suzettes on Israel’s roof.

From Eilat, which is the far southeastern corner of the country, we drove to Haifa, which is the far northwestern corner on the country. It is only 267 miles or 430 kilometers. Google maps told us it would be a 5 hour drive. Waze told us 4.5 hours. Both lied. It was an 8 hour drive. I learned a new lesson. Check time estimates during the same time of day that you will be driving. 10 pm Google estimates are worthless.

View attachment 5387809

Northern Israel is as lush and green as Southern Israel is bare. Because it is spring, there are fields with yellow flowers on the weeds and a surprising number of hollyhocks along the road. Haifa is a major port city on the Mediterranean with big booms and container ships milling around. The city is built on a hillside sloping up from the port and it is quite beautiful. The buildings are modern apartment buildings (1950s?), but the streets are winding and narrow. The Bahia temple in Haifa was the founding one, so it is the worldwide center of the religion. The temple owns an enormous plot of land which stretches across 10 levels on the hillside.
View attachment 5387810

View attachment 5387811

At the foot of the Temple is the area known as the German Colony which was settled by the Templers (Protestant sect) of Germany in 1868. They believed that settling in the Holy Land would hasten the return of Christ. They were very advanced in urban planning and farming. A third of them were Nazis, so they were all rounded up and sent to internment camps in 1941. Currently this area is the happening place in the city, with a lot of Arab owned bars, cafes, and restaurants that are centers of cultural discussions. With the Mediterranean climate, the restaurants all have outdoor seating covered with leafy trellises and lights.
View attachment 5387812

My favorite thing about Haifa was all parking is free. On the narrow side streets, there are marked spaces on one side of the street. Those are all filled up? No problem. Just pull ¾ of the way up on the sidewalk on the other side. Not illegal. I loved the free-spirted attitude toward parking. My least favorite thing about Haifa is also the parking. It is all parallel parking. I suck at the that. It was nerve wracking in a rental car that I was not that familiar with. Back, forward, back, approaching infinity. I was not willing to try sidewalk parking for fearing of leaving the rental car bumper in Haifa.

In this picture, the cars on the left are in spaces and the cars on the right are on the sidewalk.
View attachment 5387814


We took a day trip to the Golan Heights which is the far northeastern corner of the country, bordering Syria and Lebanon. That was another Google Maps lie on time involved. The Golan Heights reach an elevation of 4,000 feet. We went to Mt. Bental which was the scene of a major battle in the Yom Kipper War of 1973. Because of the elevation, the Syrians thought it would be a good spot for dropping missiles on Israel. Syria brought in 1,500 tanks and 1,000 pieces of artillery. (Honestly, I can’t imagine how the Syrians got 1,500 tanks up 4,000 feet. The squirrels powering our rental Corolla were really working.) The Israelis countered with a much smaller force of 160 tanks. The Israelis destroyed 900 of the Syrian tanks and won. They won just in time, as they were down to only 7 tanks!

Israel took control of the Golan Heights, so no one else could use that high ground to bomb them. There seems to be a recurring theme. Neighboring countries attack Israel and lose some of their land. I was told that Israel is the only country without official borders because it is surrounded by disputed territories that it controls for security reasons but does not really own.

Who expected the views of Syria and Lebanon to be so green?
View attachment 5387815

View attachment 5387816

I knew there were old army tanks and bunkers at Mt. Bental, but there turned out to be much more. The path to the top is lined with whimsical metal statutes. The characters look like the creatures in the bar scene from Star Wars. I initially thought they were made from debris from the war, but then I saw that they were for sale and concluded they are probably made from old car parts.
View attachment 5387817

View attachment 5387818

At the top is a famous coffee shop named Coffee Anon, which is a dual pun on the name of the former Secretary General of the UN (Kofi Annan) and the Hebrew words for coffee in the clouds. It had a surprisingly sophisticated menu. We had yummy crepe suzettes, which was our best meal to date in Israel. See those little brown squares. They had ICE CREAM inside!
View attachment 5387822
View attachment 5387823


On the trip back to Haifa, we went to the Sea of Galilee with the intent of going to the town of Caperium. Jesus performed several healing miracles there. Caperium was super tiny, and the road in looked scary, so we blew that off opting to go to the very run down Caperium National Park next door.
View attachment 5387824

Here is a fun fact. The Sea of Galilee is not salt water: it is fresh water and therefore, technically is a lake. I keep imagining that there were realtors in 200 bc who decided that it would attract more residents if they called it a sea, but that really can’t be the reason for the misnomer. I also imagine those realtors said to plant palm trees.

Our vacation comes to an end later this week. I have two more topics to cover. Driving in Israel and the café lifestyle of Tel Aviv. The café lifestyle is a fat topic as it will cover food, people, and fashion.

I'm living vicariously through you and your travels

 

[VintageAndVino]

Crepe Suzettes on Israel’s roof.

I loved traveling in Israel (although I didn’t make it to Haifa or Eilat). Thank you for letting us live vicariously! Beautiful!!

 

[880]

Crepe Suzettes on Israel’s roof.

From Eilat, which is the far southeastern corner of the country, we drove to Haifa, which is the far northwestern corner on the country. It is only 267 miles or 430 kilometers. Google maps told us it would be a 5 hour drive. Waze told us 4.5 hours. Both lied. It was an 8 hour drive. I learned a new lesson. Check time estimates during the same time of day that you will be driving. 10 pm Google estimates are worthless.

View attachment 5387809

Northern Israel is as lush and green as Southern Israel is bare. Because it is spring, there are fields with yellow flowers on the weeds and a surprising number of hollyhocks along the road. Haifa is a major port city on the Mediterranean with big booms and container ships milling around. The city is built on a hillside sloping up from the port and it is quite beautiful. The buildings are modern apartment buildings (1950s?), but the streets are winding and narrow. The Bahia temple in Haifa was the founding one, so it is the worldwide center of the religion. The temple owns an enormous plot of land which stretches across 10 levels on the hillside.
View attachment 5387810

View attachment 5387811

At the foot of the Temple is the area known as the German Colony which was settled by the Templers (Protestant sect) of Germany in 1868. They believed that settling in the Holy Land would hasten the return of Christ. They were very advanced in urban planning and farming. A third of them were Nazis, so they were all rounded up and sent to internment camps in 1941. Currently this area is the happening place in the city, with a lot of Arab owned bars, cafes, and restaurants that are centers of cultural discussions. With the Mediterranean climate, the restaurants all have outdoor seating covered with leafy trellises and lights.
View attachment 5387812

My favorite thing about Haifa was all parking is free. On the narrow side streets, there are marked spaces on one side of the street. Those are all filled up? No problem. Just pull ¾ of the way up on the sidewalk on the other side. Not illegal. I loved the free-spirted attitude toward parking. My least favorite thing about Haifa is also the parking. It is all parallel parking. I suck at the that. It was nerve wracking in a rental car that I was not that familiar with. Back, forward, back, approaching infinity. I was not willing to try sidewalk parking for fearing of leaving the rental car bumper in Haifa.

In this picture, the cars on the left are in spaces and the cars on the right are on the sidewalk.
View attachment 5387814


We took a day trip to the Golan Heights which is the far northeastern corner of the country, bordering Syria and Lebanon. That was another Google Maps lie on time involved. The Golan Heights reach an elevation of 4,000 feet. We went to Mt. Bental which was the scene of a major battle in the Yom Kipper War of 1973. Because of the elevation, the Syrians thought it would be a good spot for dropping missiles on Israel. Syria brought in 1,500 tanks and 1,000 pieces of artillery. (Honestly, I can’t imagine how the Syrians got 1,500 tanks up 4,000 feet. The squirrels powering our rental Corolla were really working.) The Israelis countered with a much smaller force of 160 tanks. The Israelis destroyed 900 of the Syrian tanks and won. They won just in time, as they were down to their last 7 tanks!

Israel took control of the Golan Heights, so no one else could use that high ground to bomb them. There seems to be a recurring theme. Neighboring countries attack Israel and the result is they lose some of their land. I was told that Israel is the only country without official borders because it is surrounded by disputed territories that it controls for security reasons but does not really own.

Who expected the views of Syria and Lebanon to be so green?
View attachment 5387815

View attachment 5387816

I knew there were old army tanks and bunkers at Mt. Bental, but there turned out to be much more. The path to the top is lined with whimsical metal statutes. The characters look like the creatures in the bar scene from Star Wars. I initially thought they were made from debris from the war, but then I saw that they were for sale and concluded they are probably made from old car parts.
View attachment 5387817

View attachment 5387818

At the top is a famous coffee shop named Coffee Anon, which is a dual pun on the name of the former Secretary General of the UN (Kofi Annan) and the Hebrew words for coffee in the clouds. It had a surprisingly sophisticated menu. We had yummy crepe suzettes, which was our best meal to date in Israel. See those little brown squares. They had ICE CREAM inside!
View attachment 5387822
View attachment 5387823


On the trip back to Haifa, we went to the Sea of Galilee with the intent of going to the town of Caperium. Jesus performed several healing miracles there. Caperium was super tiny, and the road in looked scary, so we blew that off, opting to go to the very run down Caperium National Park next door.
View attachment 5387824

Here is a fun fact. The Sea of Galilee is not salt water: it is fresh water and therefore, technically is a lake. I keep imagining that there were realtors in 200 bc who decided that it would attract more residents if they called it a sea, but that really can’t be the reason for the misnomer. I also imagine those realtors said to plant palm trees.

Our vacation comes to an end later this week. I have two more topics to cover. Driving in Israel and the café lifestyle of Tel Aviv. The café lifestyle is a fat topic as it will cover food, people, and fashion.

came back to your pics and travelogue. I don’t recall if DH and I made it to capernaum, but somehow you reminded me of Josephus Flavius The Jewish War. thank you for jogging some wonderful memories !

 

[DME]

I went out Thurs on a (posh) site-visit and had the opportunity to wear my new Gucci all-black BTH along with my practical, ever-faithful Evie. Looked great in the evening when I went to see an exhibition/dinner at the Mandrake hotel (think luxe contemporary-gothic).

In the middle of the day I tried some jewellery at Asprey, although they didn't have the bracelet or earrings I really wanted to try on (my fault - it was an impromptu visit). I also looked at work bags (such pretty colours). Asprey made the famous red case that our (UK) Chancellor carries on budget day, and they are mostly famed for bags and boxes besides jewellery. They had more casual laptop cases, I looked at cranberry, light-grey and lapis, or this proper red briefcase, one of the nicest briefcases I've ever seen. No strap though.

I have always had a thing for nice briefcases and work bags, even more than handbags. I guess because I spend most my 'out' going to and from work. I was going to buy an Hermes Box Sac Depeche 'one day' new or preloved, but I think I prefer this. The question is, would I get enough use out of it. Recently, my favourite baggage combo for work is my Evie, laptop sleeve in a tote, usually handheld because my work laptop is old and heavy.

What are your feelings/requirements towards work bags? Do they count? Do you care about the appearance of the bag as much as your handbags? Do you care about the appearance as mush as the practicality.

Other pics are on my phone which is being charged but here's a couple I already uploaded to my laptop. Old one of my BTH. I think it's a lucky bag for me, I certainly feel great carrying it.

View attachment 5386721

View attachment 5386694

Work bags count for me. I spend four very long days at work (I flex my schedule to have Friday off) and I hate carrying too many separate things, so one well-organized tote and one smaller food tote it is. My main bag is always something designer, such as a Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM, Celine Cabas, or Goyard St. Louis PM. (The food “tote” is a small lululemon shopping bag.) Given my work totes get more use than my regular bags, you would think I would have more of those, but I don’t. Maybe I need to fix that?

The Asprey bag is gorgeous! I know not everyone agrees, but I find red to be a neutral color, so it would go with a lot.

And thanks for the fun pics of your event!

 

[BowieFan1971]

Work bags count for me. I spend four very long days at work (I flex my schedule to have Friday off) and I hate carrying too many separate things, so one well-organized tote and one smaller food tote it is. My main bag is always something designer, such as a Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM, Celine Cabas, or Goyard St. Louis PM. (The food “tote” is a small lululemon shopping bag.) Given my work totes get more use than my regular bags, you would think I would have more of those, but I don’t. Maybe I need to fix that?

The Asprey bag is gorgeous! I know not everyone agrees, but I find red to be a neutral color, so it would go with a lot.

And thanks for the fun pics of your event!

I think red is a neutral too. And speaking of red, seeing the red vernis key holder @cowgirlsboots has, here is my rouge Reade PM…

 

[DME]

I think red is a neutral too. And speaking of red, seeing the red vernis key holder @cowgirlsboots has, here is my rouge Reade PM…View attachment 5388156

I loved this bag! You’re so lucky to have one!

 

[JenJBS]

Crepe Suzettes on Israel’s roof.

From Eilat, which is the far southeastern corner of the country, we drove to Haifa, which is the far northwestern corner on the country. It is only 267 miles or 430 kilometers. Google maps told us it would be a 5 hour drive. Waze told us 4.5 hours. Both lied. It was an 8 hour drive. I learned a new lesson. Check time estimates during the same time of day that you will be driving. 10 pm Google estimates are worthless.

View attachment 5387809

Northern Israel is as lush and green as Southern Israel is bare. Because it is spring, there are fields with yellow flowers on the weeds and a surprising number of hollyhocks along the road. Haifa is a major port city on the Mediterranean with big booms and container ships milling around. The city is built on a hillside sloping up from the port and it is quite beautiful. The buildings are modern apartment buildings (1950s?), but the streets are winding and narrow. The Bahia temple in Haifa was the founding one, so it is the worldwide center of the religion. The temple owns an enormous plot of land which stretches across 10 levels on the hillside.
View attachment 5387810

View attachment 5387811

At the foot of the Temple is the area known as the German Colony which was settled by the Templers (Protestant sect) of Germany in 1868. They believed that settling in the Holy Land would hasten the return of Christ. They were very advanced in urban planning and farming. A third of them were Nazis, so they were all rounded up and sent to internment camps in 1941. Currently this area is the happening place in the city, with a lot of Arab owned bars, cafes, and restaurants that are centers of cultural discussions. With the Mediterranean climate, the restaurants all have outdoor seating covered with leafy trellises and lights.
View attachment 5387812

My favorite thing about Haifa was all parking is free. On the narrow side streets, there are marked spaces on one side of the street. Those are all filled up? No problem. Just pull ¾ of the way up on the sidewalk on the other side. Not illegal. I loved the free-spirted attitude toward parking. My least favorite thing about Haifa is also the parking. It is all parallel parking. I suck at the that. It was nerve wracking in a rental car that I was not that familiar with. Back, forward, back, approaching infinity. I was not willing to try sidewalk parking for fearing of leaving the rental car bumper in Haifa.

In this picture, the cars on the left are in spaces and the cars on the right are on the sidewalk.
View attachment 5387814


We took a day trip to the Golan Heights which is the far northeastern corner of the country, bordering Syria and Lebanon. That was another Google Maps lie on time involved. The Golan Heights reach an elevation of 4,000 feet. We went to Mt. Bental which was the scene of a major battle in the Yom Kipper War of 1973. Because of the elevation, the Syrians thought it would be a good spot for dropping missiles on Israel. Syria brought in 1,500 tanks and 1,000 pieces of artillery. (Honestly, I can’t imagine how the Syrians got 1,500 tanks up 4,000 feet. The squirrels powering our rental Corolla were really working.) The Israelis countered with a much smaller force of 160 tanks. The Israelis destroyed 900 of the Syrian tanks and won. They won just in time, as they were down to only 7 tanks!

Israel took control of the Golan Heights, so no one else could use that high ground to bomb them. There seems to be a recurring theme. Neighboring countries attack Israel and lose some of their land. I was told that Israel is the only country without official borders because it is surrounded by disputed territories that it controls for security reasons but does not really own.

Who expected the views of Syria and Lebanon to be so green?
View attachment 5387815

View attachment 5387816

I knew there were old army tanks and bunkers at Mt. Bental, but there turned out to be much more. The path to the top is lined with whimsical metal statutes. The characters look like the creatures in the bar scene from Star Wars. I initially thought they were made from debris from the war, but then I saw that they were for sale and concluded they are probably made from old car parts.
View attachment 5387817

View attachment 5387818

At the top is a famous coffee shop named Coffee Anon, which is a dual pun on the name of the former Secretary General of the UN (Kofi Annan) and the Hebrew words for coffee in the clouds. It had a surprisingly sophisticated menu. We had yummy crepe suzettes, which was our best meal to date in Israel. See those little brown squares. They had ICE CREAM inside!
View attachment 5387822
View attachment 5387823


On the trip back to Haifa, we went to the Sea of Galilee with the intent of going to the town of Caperium. Jesus performed several healing miracles there. Caperium was super tiny, and the road in looked scary, so we blew that off opting to go to the very run down Caperium National Park next door.
View attachment 5387824

Here is a fun fact. The Sea of Galilee is not salt water: it is fresh water and therefore, technically is a lake. I keep imagining that there were realtors in 200 bc who decided that it would attach more residents if they called it a sea, but that really can’t be the reason for the misnomer. I also imagine those realtors said to plant palm trees.

Our vacation comes to an end later this week. I have two more topics to cover. Driving in Israel and the café lifestyle of Tel Aviv. The café lifestyle is a fat topic as it will cover food, people, and fashion.

Loving all your pictures and stories!

 

[BowieFan1971]

I loved this bag! You’re so lucky to have one!

Thanks! Picked it up on eBay from a Japanese reseller for $150. Needed a little TLC but not much.

 

[More bags]

Crepe Suzettes on Israel’s roof.

From Eilat, which is the far southeastern corner of the country, we drove to Haifa, which is the far northwestern corner on the country. It is only 267 miles or 430 kilometers. Google maps told us it would be a 5 hour drive. Waze told us 4.5 hours. Both lied. It was an 8 hour drive. I learned a new lesson. Check time estimates during the same time of day that you will be driving. 10 pm Google estimates are worthless.

View attachment 5387809

Northern Israel is as lush and green as Southern Israel is bare. Because it is spring, there are fields with yellow flowers on the weeds and a surprising number of hollyhocks along the road. Haifa is a major port city on the Mediterranean with big booms and container ships milling around. The city is built on a hillside sloping up from the port and it is quite beautiful. The buildings are modern apartment buildings (1950s?), but the streets are winding and narrow. The Bahia temple in Haifa was the founding one, so it is the worldwide center of the religion. The temple owns an enormous plot of land which stretches across 10 levels on the hillside.
View attachment 5387810

View attachment 5387811

At the foot of the Temple is the area known as the German Colony which was settled by the Templers (Protestant sect) of Germany in 1868. They believed that settling in the Holy Land would hasten the return of Christ. They were very advanced in urban planning and farming. A third of them were Nazis, so they were all rounded up and sent to internment camps in 1941. Currently this area is the happening place in the city, with a lot of Arab owned bars, cafes, and restaurants that are centers of cultural discussions. With the Mediterranean climate, the restaurants all have outdoor seating covered with leafy trellises and lights.
View attachment 5387812

My favorite thing about Haifa was all parking is free. On the narrow side streets, there are marked spaces on one side of the street. Those are all filled up? No problem. Just pull ¾ of the way up on the sidewalk on the other side. Not illegal. I loved the free-spirted attitude toward parking. My least favorite thing about Haifa is also the parking. It is all parallel parking. I suck at the that. It was nerve wracking in a rental car that I was not that familiar with. Back, forward, back, approaching infinity. I was not willing to try sidewalk parking for fearing of leaving the rental car bumper in Haifa.

In this picture, the cars on the left are in spaces and the cars on the right are on the sidewalk.
View attachment 5387814


We took a day trip to the Golan Heights which is the far northeastern corner of the country, bordering Syria and Lebanon. That was another Google Maps lie on time involved. The Golan Heights reach an elevation of 4,000 feet. We went to Mt. Bental which was the scene of a major battle in the Yom Kipper War of 1973. Because of the elevation, the Syrians thought it would be a good spot for dropping missiles on Israel. Syria brought in 1,500 tanks and 1,000 pieces of artillery. (Honestly, I can’t imagine how the Syrians got 1,500 tanks up 4,000 feet. The squirrels powering our rental Corolla were really working.) The Israelis countered with a much smaller force of 160 tanks. The Israelis destroyed 900 of the Syrian tanks and won. They won just in time, as they were down to their last 7 tanks!

Israel took control of the Golan Heights, so no one else could use that high ground to bomb them. There seems to be a recurring theme. Neighboring countries attack Israel and the result is they lose some of their land. I was told that Israel is the only country without official borders because it is surrounded by disputed territories that it controls for security reasons but does not really own.

Who expected the views of Syria and Lebanon to be so green?
View attachment 5387815

View attachment 5387816

I knew there were old army tanks and bunkers at Mt. Bental, but there turned out to be much more. The path to the top is lined with whimsical metal statutes. The characters look like the creatures in the bar scene from Star Wars. I initially thought they were made from debris from the war, but then I saw that they were for sale and concluded they are probably made from old car parts.
View attachment 5387817

View attachment 5387818

At the top is a famous coffee shop named Coffee Anon, which is a dual pun on the name of the former Secretary General of the UN (Kofi Annan) and the Hebrew words for coffee in the clouds. It had a surprisingly sophisticated menu. We had yummy crepe suzettes, which was our best meal to date in Israel. See those little brown squares. They had ICE CREAM inside!
View attachment 5387822
View attachment 5387823


On the trip back to Haifa, we went to the Sea of Galilee with the intent of going to the town of Caperium. Jesus performed several healing miracles there. Caperium was super tiny, and the road in looked scary, so we blew that off, opting to go to the very run down Caperium National Park next door.
View attachment 5387824

Here is a fun fact. The Sea of Galilee is not salt water: it is fresh water and therefore, technically is a lake. I keep imagining that there were realtors in 200 bc who decided that it would attract more residents if they called it a sea, but that really can’t be the reason for the misnomer. I also imagine those realtors said to plant palm trees.

Our vacation comes to an end later this week. I have two more topics to cover. Driving in Israel and the café lifestyle of Tel Aviv. The café lifestyle is a fat topic as it will cover food, people, and fashion.

Amazing photos and outstanding storytelling. Thank you for sharing your gifts.

 

[Bag peace]

Here´s the WOC as nice as it will get. I´m really happy with it.

Incedible rehab! As always .

or this proper red briefcase, one of the nicest briefcases I've ever seen. No strap though.

Love it! I would just attach my own strap- which I think you said in another post- sorry I've lost track as I was catching up.
Need to ask about that ring on your index finger! Is that a cow's head? Looks really gothic and cool, so I'd love to see another pic of it if you have one.

 

[Bag peace]

I have a little life update, but no bag news as I haven't used any this past week. Sorry if this is all too long and there are any typos. I'm quite tired and am pouring my heart out whilst I've got some courage left in me.

Spoiler: Work update

I met up with my former boss and it was lovely catching up. However, he did ask to see me without a mask (he knew my accident had changed my appearance) and his reaction was awful. He looked horrified. He said all the right things, was very polite, but he was clearly not expecting my new face.

I keep forgetting that other people don't see what I see. To me, one side of my face is wonky but it's still a normal face. I don't quite think it warrants such shocked reactions but, clearly it does because it keeps happening. Evidently, I'm desensitized.

He said he wouldn't be able to offer me my old job back because they're no longer masked up in the office and my appearance would make clients and staff uncomfortable. I should say, we are open and honest with each other and I was expecting him to be this direct. I appreciate it and was not offended.

I tried to explain that I wanted a remote position anyway as my mum is now living with me and we are both in the vulnerable category, and I'd prefer not to deal with clients but perhaps I could take on an admin role. He seemed unconvinced and remained hesitant. Eventually he admitted that he doesn't expect the rest of the team to be able to adapt and he thinks it would be an unhealthy environment for me if they couldn't see past my injuries.
In the end, we decided to head to the office together where he'd introduce me to everyone, show me all the new stuff the company is working on, and then we'd decide our next move based on how that initial trial went.

Introductions were awkward. Most of the people I'd worked previously with have moved on, so it was all these people I had never seen. They were staring, giggling, uncertain of where to look. I made normal conversation with them, took a tour, sat with the boss and gave him some input on something he was working on that I have some experience in. Figured that the shock would pass and it would all be fine later.
Then I went to the restrooms and as I walked in, I heard several of the women I'd been introduced to speaking about me. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I was frozen in fear. Suffice it to say, the comments about my appearance made me feel physically ill.
I had been friendly and, in my experience, people get over the initial shock and then can just engage with me normally. However, these people were not going to be adaptable. It was clear that I would always be mocked behind my back. The things they said were the cruelest I'd heard yet- and I've heard a lot.
My former boss had hinted at this but I didn't quite get it until I overheard their conversation. I had a misplaced confidence in myself, thinking I could get them to see me beyond the face.

So, now what? I've tired to return to work since the accident and have repeatedly found myself in this position. Some people are honest about my face not being a good representation of their brand. Others just say I won't fit in. Whichever approach is taken, I know the issue is that I look frightening to them. I'm glad I've not been hired to meet some disability quota or out of pity. Still, it leaves me feeling quite stuck.
Of course, there is the added problem of the length of time I've been unemployed now. Literally since the accident, 4.5 years ago. The longer I am not working, the less employable I become. The pandemic really didn't help with my entire industry shutting down for the past 2 years, as well.

I think being self-employed is the only way to proceed now. I'd like to think I'll return to a corporate job at some point, but it's clearly not happening at this time. Holding out for it is draining me and I need to focus on something else. My mental health can't keep taking these hits.
This is a challenge I'll have to rise to. Feeling quite deflated but I know I'll pick myself up and get on with it.

Spoiler: Surgeon update. TW details of injuries

I also met with the surgeon whom I was referred to for possibly reconstructing the disfigured section of my face. It was a brief meeting and examination as he'd already seen my file/photos/medical history from my doctor.

He examined me and explained that the only solution would be something called Scultpra. Basically one side of my face was crushed when the car hit me. The cheek and jaw bones were set in surgery afterwards, but didn't heal correctly due to complications I had. Then the skin of my face sort of adhered to the scar tissue that formed around the injury as I was healing in the months after the accident, so that side of my face has no cheek/facial fat. You can see bones, facial muscles, tendons, indents and such. I don't know how to explain it.

The Scupltra is like a filler of some sort (?) that would be injected underneath the skin, and plump up that space so you don't see the bones underneath. My face wouldn't be symmetrical or totally normal, but it would be better.
However, after examining me, he said my skin is too thin for this option. It is also fully adhered to the scar tissue and he wouldn't be able to get in between the skin and underlying muscle to inject me. He would risk hitting muscle/bone with the needle.
He said even if he managed to successfully inject me, my medical history indicates that I'd have complications from the Sculptra and there's a very high probability that I would end up looking even more disfigured if I attempted it.

He sent me to another colleague of his for a second opinion (thankfully I got seen immediately right after this consult so it was all done in one day), and the other surgeon examined me and told me never to touch my face. He said any attempt to fix this would tear my facial skin as it's so thin and would permanently ruin my face.

I've had the same feedback from other doctors I've seen over the years, so it wasn't a complete surprise, but it remains disappointing. Sculptra is new to me and was interesting to hear about, but since it's not an option, I'll looking at this whole thing as an interesting masterclass where I learned something totally new.

This is not the update I wanted to post, but such is life. Time to lick these wounds and find another way forward. If anyone read all that; thank you for your patience! I'm sorry I go off-topic so often. I had said I'd stop doing that but this is kind of my only outlet. Hopefully less of this from now on. Thank you all for being here for me.

ETA: Funny how posting about what's happening gives me a clearer perspective. It has just hit me how much I've been handling since the pandemic started. I've either been in hospital or trying to create a "normal" life in the brief moments outside of hospital, applying for jobs whilst in quarantine. And somehow I also moved to another country.
I'm tired!
Taking some time off now, I think. Not going to think about working, or my health, or anything serious at all. I'm going to focus on being present. I'm easily the luckiest person on the planet and I'm losing sight of that. I just want to enjoy resting, get some sunshine, focus on all the good fortune I do have, and recharge my batteries. The obstacles will be overcome somehow, but not unless I'm starting from a place of gratitude.

 

[Cordeliere]

I have a little life update, but no bag news as I haven't used any this past week. Sorry if this is all too long and there are any typos. I'm quite tired and am pouring my heart out whilst I've got some courage left in me.

Spoiler: Work update

I met up with my former boss and it was lovely catching up. However, he did ask to see me without a mask (he knew my accident had changed my appearance) and his reaction was awful. He looked horrified. He said all the right things, was very polite, but he was clearly not expecting my new face.

I keep forgetting that other people don't see what I see. To me, one side of my face is wonky but it's still a normal face. I don't quite think it warrants such shocked reactions but, clearly it does because it keeps happening. Evidently, I'm desensitized.

He said he wouldn't be able to offer me my old job back because they're no longer masked up in the office and my appearance would make clients and staff uncomfortable. I should say, we are open and honest with each other and I was expecting him to be this direct. I appreciate it and was not offended.

I tried to explain that I wanted a remote position anyway as my mum is now living with me and we are both in the vulnerable category, and I'd prefer not to deal with clients but perhaps I could take on an admin role. He seemed unconvinced and remained hesitant. Eventually he admitted that he doesn't expect the rest of the team to be able to adapt and he thinks it would be an unhealthy environment for me if they couldn't see past my injuries.
In the end, we decided to head to the office together where he'd introduce me to everyone, show me all the new stuff the company is working on, and then we'd decide our next move based on how that initial trial went.

Introductions were awkward. Most of the people I'd worked previously with have moved on, so it was all these people I had never seen. They were staring, giggling, uncertain of where to look. I made normal conversation with them, took a tour, sat with the boss and gave him some input on something he was working on that I have some experience in. Figured that the shock would pass and it would all be fine later.
Then I went to the restrooms and as I walked in, I heard several of the women I'd been introduced to speaking about me. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I was frozen in fear. Suffice it to say, the comments about my appearance made me feel physically ill.
I had been friendly and, in my experience, people get over the initial shock and then can just engage with me normally. However, these people were not going to be adaptable. It was clear that I would always be mocked behind my back. The things they said were the cruelest I'd heard yet- and I've heard a lot.
My former boss had hinted at this but I didn't quite get it until I overheard their conversation. I had a misplaced confidence in myself, thinking I could get them to see me beyond the face.

So, now what? I've tired to return to work since the accident and have repeatedly found myself in this position. Some people are honest about my face not being a good representation of their brand. Others just say I won't fit in. Whichever approach is taken, I know the issue is that I look frightening to them. I'm glad I've not been hired to meet some disability quota or out of pity. Still, it leaves me feeling quite stuck.
Of course, there is the added problem of the length of time I've been unemployed now. Literally since the accident, 4.5 years ago. The longer I am not working, the less employable I become. The pandemic really didn't help with my entire industry shutting down for the past 2 years, as well.

I think being self-employed is the only way to proceed now. I'd like to think I'll return to a corporate job at some point, but it's clearly not happening at this time. Holding out for it is draining me and I need to focus on something else. My mental health can't keep taking these hits.
This is a challenge I'll have to rise to. Feeling quite deflated but I know I'll pick myself up and get on with it.

Spoiler: Surgeon update. TW details of injuries

I also met with the surgeon whom I was referred to for possibly reconstructing the disfigured section of my face. It was a brief meeting and examination as he'd already seen my file/photos/medical history from my doctor.

He examined me and explained that the only solution would be something called Scultpra. Basically one side of my face was crushed when the car hit me. The cheek and jaw bones were set in surgery afterwards, but didn't heal correctly due to complications I had. Then the skin of my face sort of adhered to the scar tissue that formed around the injury as I was healing in the months after the accident, so that side of my face has no cheek/facial fat. You can see bones, facial muscles, tendons, indents and such. I don't know how to explain it.

The Scupltra is like a filler of some sort (?) that would be injected underneath the skin, and plump up that space so you don't see the bones underneath. My face wouldn't be symmetrical or totally normal, but it would be better.
However, after examining me, he said my skin is too thin for this option. It is also fully adhered to the scar tissue and he wouldn't be able to get in between the skin and underlying muscle to inject me. He would risk hitting muscle/bone with the needle.
He said even if he managed to successfully inject me, my medical history indicates that I'd have complications from the Sculptra and there's a very high probability that I would end up looking even more disfigured if I attempted it.

He sent me to another colleague of his for a second opinion (thankfully I got seen immediately right after this consult so it was all done in one day), and the other surgeon examined me and told me never to touch my face. He said any attempt to fix this would tear my facial skin as it's so thin and would permanently ruin my face.

I've had the same feedback from other doctors I've seen over the years, so it wasn't a complete surprise, but it remains disappointing. Sculptra is new to me and was interesting to hear about, but since it's not an option, I'll looking at this whole thing as an interesting masterclass where I learned something totally new.

This is not the update I wanted to post, but such is life. Time to lick these wounds and find another way forward. If anyone read all that; thank you for your patience! I'm sorry I go off-topic so often. I had said I'd stop doing that but this is kind of my only outlet. Hopefully less of this from now on. Thank you all for being here for me.

ETA: Funny how posting about what's happening gives me a clearer perspective. It has just hit me how much I've been handling since the pandemic started. I've either been in hospital or trying to create a "normal" life in the brief moments outside of hospital, applying for jobs whilst in quarantine. And somehow I also moved to another country.
I'm tired!
Taking some time off now, I think. Not going to think about working, or my health, or anything serious at all. I'm going to focus on being present. I'm easily the luckiest person on the planet and I'm losing sight of that. I just want to enjoy resting, get some sunshine, focus on all the good fortune I do have, and recharge my batteries. The obstacles will be overcome somehow, but not unless I'm starting from a place of gratitude.

Oh Sweetie. Being new to this thread, I had no idea that you have gone through this. I admire your courage and your upbeat attitude. It makes me so sad that those people were so mean to you.