Tuesday I went down to Beersheva and back by train in one day, a two hour journey each way, but a very comfortable way to travel. The reason I went was to sign an agreement to buy a house down there, very close to our daughter Miriam and her family. photo: Ben Gurion University
Jack Cohen – Day Trip to Beersheva
This is thinking ahead because unfortunately my wife Naomi has Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and every week Miriam comes up here to Netanya to help us, but it’s not fair to her, and also, as things progress who can predict what will happen. In any case, we don’t intend to leave Netanya any time soon, and this is both an investment and a hedge in case things deteriorate. For those who want to read more about AD please visit my daughter’s blog entitled “The lost kitchen: an Alzheimer’s memoir and cookbook” (www.thelostkichen.org).
The journey itself prompted several insights. From the train you can see the phenomenal extent of building and development that is going on in Israel. For example, the Ayalon Highway that skirts Tel Aviv is being extended from Herzliya north of Tel Aviv all the way to Netanya. This is a major project that compares with, but is not as big as, that being undertaken to straighten and widen the road to Jerusalem. Then in every city and town there are many cranes putting up buildings, especially apartment blocks. A friend of mine took a walk along the tayelet (promenade) in Netanya and counted 35! Although the Negev desert is quite open and deserted, there is evidence of major road building activity as Route 6 (the toll road) is extended to Beersheva. In Beersheva itself there is work on the huge River Park, that is going to have a lake where the dry Beersheva river (wadi) now runs.
One notable fact was that everyone on the train had a smart-phone and most were playing with them. This included the many soldiers travelling to and from their bases. Soldiers used to get lifts along the roads, but the advent of Palestinian terrorism and kidnapping of soldiers ended this (now they simply drive into them waiting at bus stops). Soldiers are allowed to travel free under an agreement between Israel Railways and the IDF. Also, the railway now supplies electrical plug-ins and many people were charging their phones or using laptops.
I arrived after the two hour journey exactly in time for the meeting, but the sellers were late. So we went and had a bite of lunch and came back and then with 11 people crowded into a small office (the sellers, their lawyer and agents, us the buyers, and our lawyer and agent) we carried out the necessary paperwork. I depended on our lawyer and my son-in-law since everything was conducted in Hebrew. We signed every page of the agreement and paid the deposit and then it was a deal. Then on the train back to Netanya.
Born in London, UK, lived in suburban Washington DC area for 30 years, moved to Israel in 1996. He has a web site: Jack’s Blog
Jack Cohen
Jack Cohen – Day Trip to Beersheva
