Hidden corners around town

It’s still springtime, thanks to reasonable temperatures and a warm breeze in the air. Summertime is surely ahead, but in the meantime, it’s perfect weather for being outside, enjoying the air, budding trees and blooming flowers.

Take some time to enjoy some quiet, leafy corners around the country. They’re all worth a special trip, but it’s also good to be reminded of the secluded, window-seat-like gems right around the proverbial corner.

1) Jerusalem: At one end of the traffic circle where Bnei Betira and Shai Agnon streets intersect is the Goldstein Youth Village, affectionately known as the ‘Hava‘, or village. Founded in 1949 as a youth village for 40 Holocaust orphans, the nearly 15 acres of the village now house several schools for more than 600 teenagers from Israel and around the world. Some of those teenagers help with the extensive gardening that takes place in the village, with its pockets of velvety grass, colorful flower beds, scent-filled rose gardens and cedar trees and occasional sculpture. You may hear the squawk of a rooster or two, kept by some of the adult staff who live on site, but otherwise the quiet roads, paths and streams that run through the village are perfect for a solitary stroll or companionable walk. And situated just across that traffic circle at the Hava gate is Luigi’s, the neighborhood’s Italian bistro that fits well for a spot of fresh pizza, pasta, soup and salad.

2) Tel Aviv: As one of the cities that gets hot, very hot, earlier in the season, it’s important that Tel Aviv have some green corners that feel far from the madding crowds. Among the city’s peaceful spots is Park Ruth, tucked behind Dizengoff Circle, at the intersection of Ruth, Yael, Shulamit and Esther the Queen streets. Built in the round, with plenty of benches for tired parents as well as an Astro-Turf-surfaced playground for kids, the park offers ample shade. The best part of the park is its kiosk-cafe, run by Hannah Milstok, who serves homemade cakes and cookies — the apricot bars are highly recommended — coffee and fresh juice. There’s even a hammock swing for the kiosk’s squatters; life doesn’t get much better than this.

3) Bnei Zion/Bazra: As high-rise apartment buildings, highways and office complexes have taken over the orchards and fields north of Gush Dan, it’s good to know there are a few shady corners left for strolling and perusing. The Bnei Zion nature reserve has a circular, one-hour route that meanders among seasonal bushes and flowers, as well as jujube and eucalyptus trees. It was declared a nature reserve in the 1960s, and is just west of the moshav, which was founded in 1947 and named for the Order Sons of Zion in the US. Just next door is Bazra, another moshav that was established in 1946 by veterans of the British Army, and named for the Iraqi city of the same name. Take a walk through the nature reserve, and then settle in for some snacks at Cafe Tapuz, which is in the middle of a lushly cultivated orange grove in Bazra.

Follow the signs on route 4 to Bnei Zion; the nature walk begins at the end of Moshav Bnei Zion, while signs in Bazra or Bnei Zion direct drivers to the cafe.

4) Beersheba: As the home to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba offers access to the BGU campus, with many shady corners, comfortable benches and leafy spots, all great spots for relaxing and spending a quiet hour. But a lesser known hangout for non-Beersheba residents is the Australian Soldier Park in the Yud Aleph neighborhood. Dedicated to the memory of the Australian Light Horse regiment of the British Army that conquered Beersheba from the Turkish Empire during World War One, it includes the graves of the soldiers and a memorial statue dedicated to their memory. That’s the serious side of the park. The flip side is a well-maintained park that includes refreshing artificial waterfalls, modern, imaginative playground equipment housed under a giant canopy that protects children from the harsh desert sun and which is mostly wheelchair accessible, a welcome addition to the playground world.

5) The Kinneret: The neighborhood is the Kinneret, the Sea of Galilee, where Beit Gabriel was constructed amid the tzimmer cabins, lakeside beaches and falafel joints as a cultural center for local residents and visitors. It’s best known as the site of the Jordan-Israel peace treaty signing, but for locals, it’s a peaceful place to walk, stroll and sit, watching the placid waters of the Kinneret and the occasional ducks waddling along its shores. There are a variety of gallery rooms and auditoriums, and it’s worthwhile to wander around, as there are several courtyards and patios, lushly green and gardened, and perfect for grabbing some quiet time. There’s also a movie theater — and some of the more comfortable theater seating in the country — as well as a regular offering of theater and musical performances, and a cafe with seating facing the lake.

Beit Gabriel, Tzemach Junction, Jordan Valley