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AC Hotel Sant Cugat Barcelona - Independent Review

AC Hotel Sant Cugat Barcelona – Independent Review

The AC Hotel Sant Cugat is a member of the Marriott Hotels Group on the outskirts of Barcelona. This AC Hotel is a convenient distance from the airport and the city center and is ideal if you want to head out for a road trip the next morning.

I was at the Sulphur World Symposiumfor three days and decided to make this business trip a leisure holiday by tagging on a couple of days holiday after the…

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Tampa, Ybor City and Siesta Key - Weekend Trip in Florida

Tampa, Ybor City and Siesta Key – Weekend Trip in Florida

I visited Tampa in Florida during a business trip, attending a fertilizer conference. The conference lasted three days from Monday to Wednesday and I decided to stay another couple of days to turn this visit to Florida into a leisure trip.

The CRU Phosphates Conference

Tampa is on the Gulf Coast of the United States with a warm climate throughout the year. There are some spectacular beaches…

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Things to Do in Mulhouse - the Industrial Heartland of Alsace-Lorraine

Things to Do in Mulhouse – the Industrial Heartland of Alsace-Lorraine

Mulhouse is a medium-size town in the industrial heartland of Alsace-Lorraine. This part of France is famous for hosting many famous factories and also for the invention of various things during the centuries. The best way to discover Mulhouse is by using the local public transport and to arrive here by train.

The train trip to Mulhouse from Strasbourg The train from Strasbourg in Mulhouse

I was…

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Modane Abandoned WWII Bunker in France

Modane Abandoned WWII Bunker in France

Modane in France is home to an abandoned WWII bunker built by the French to defend against a potential Italian invasion during WWII. Modane is a small town on the French-Italian border, about five hours by train from Paris, surrounded by the Alps mountains.

I was on my way from Torino to Paris to catch the Eurostar when I decided to get off the train here to check out the scenery. I only had a…

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Travelling by Train Between Hungary and Switzerland

Travelling by Train Between Hungary and Switzerland

Travelling by train between Hungary and Switzerland is a spectacular journey, taking about 13 hours in total. There are a couple of direct trains from Switzerland to Hungary every day, but you can also travel direct to Vienna from Zurich and change there to Budapest. The train journey from Switzerland to Hungary will take you past the Alps, through amazing valleys and the some breathtaking rivers…

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Travelling by Train from Torino in Italy to Modane in France

Travelling by Train from Torino in Italy to Modane in France

Travelling by train from Torino in Italy to Modane in France will take you through some stunning scenery including tunnels through the Alps! Travelling from Torino in Italy to Modane in France by train takes about two hours and you will cross one international border before you arrive. In fact, before the European Union came into being, this was the main train line between Paris and Torino! The…

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Travel Blogging Essential Video and Photography Equipment

Travel Blogging Essential Video and Photography Equipment

In this post you will learn what you need as part of a travel blogging essential video and photography equipment kit. It’s taken me some time to develop this essential list but now when I travel I take all these things with me. This doesn’t only enable me to take great videos and photos but also gives me piece of mind that I will always have all I need on a trip.

I even created a short video for…

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Hotel Mercure Istanbul Taksim Review - Turkey

Hotel Mercure Istanbul Taksim Review – Turkey

The Hotel Mercure Istanbul Taksim is a four star hotel about 15 minutes walk (uphill) from Taksim Square. Taksim Square is famous for being the epicentre of various demonstrations a few years ago and it is also at the top of the historic district. From the Hotel Mercure you can easily access the waterfront as well and the Besiktas Stadium.

I was in Istanbul for a week to attend the International…

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How to Fill Out Your Interrail or Eurail Pass?

It is easy fill out your Interrail or Eurail Pass and takes about two seconds if you do it right. There are only a few boxes to fill and mostly you just need to write today’s date and your destination station, so it is pretty difficult to make a mistake. I’ve shot this below video to help you fill out and there are also some instructions below the video. Interrail/Eurailalso sends you a nice…

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The Apparthotel Montempô Strasbourg Gare - Review

The Apparthotel Montempô Strasbourg Gare – Review

The Apparthotel Montempô Strasbourg Gare is a budget hotel about 10 minutes walk from the main train station in Strasbourg. The hotel is next to the rail tracks so if you want a lie-in in the morning it is probably best to ask for a room on the opposite side of the tracks, but otherwise it was a perfect little place.

I was on my way from London to Hungaryby train and decided to make Strasbourg my…

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The Castle Lodge in Killarney - Ireland - Review

The Castle Lodge in Killarney – Ireland – Review

The Castle Lodge in Killarney is a nice bed and breakfast, about five minutes walk from the High Street and the main attractions downtown. It is on Muckross Road, which leads down towards the south coast of Ireland. Along this road is the country’s most beautiful national park and it also forms part of the Ring of Kerry, a spectacularly scenic drive. Ross Castle, another major attraction is just…

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The NH Hotel Frankfurt Villa - Independent Review

The NH Hotel Frankfurt Villa – Independent Review

The NH Hotel Frankfurt Villa is a medium size hotel not far from the center of Frankfurt’s financial district. I was attending the Feedinfo 2017 Feed Additives Conference at the Marriott round the corner which was full during the event so I had to stay at the NH Hotel.

This was my second time at an NH Hotel, the first being in Berlin near the Tiergarten. I was looking forward to staying here as I…

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My TBEX 2017 Experience in Rainy Killarney - Ireland

This year’s European Travel Blogger Exchange (TBEX) took place in Killarney in the southwest of Ireland. This was my first TBEX event and I was really looking forward to it back in January when I booked my ticket. I got the super early bird ticket at $127, which I thought was on the expensive side but I was very interested in meeting other bloggers so I went with it.

TBEX Presentation

Other Events…

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The Renaissance by Marriott in Tel Aviv - Hotel Review

The Renaissance by Marriott in Tel Aviv – Hotel Review

The Renaissance by Marriott is a nice hotel on the beach front in Tel Aviv. I visited Tel Aviv in Israel in September 2017 after a long road trip around the country. I used my Marriott points to book a night at the Renaissance by Marriott on the waterfront for my weekend stay.

The Renaissance by Marriott in Tel Aviv, Israel

I used to work at the Intercontinental Hotels Group in various positions,…

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The EPIC Irish Museum of Emigration in Dublin

The EPIC Irish Museum of Emigration in Dublin

I visited the Irish Emigration Museum on my recent trip to Dublin following a week in Killarney during the TBEX conference. I met Carl at the TBEX event and he mentioned that all bloggers can get a free ticket to the museum which only recently opened and needs a bit of publicity.

The square in front of the museum

I’ve already visited the London Museum of Immigration and also the Tenement Museum…

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Belfort Hotel Review - Brasov - Romania

I visited Brassó (Brasov) in Transylvania, Romania in August 2017, travelling there by train using my Interrail pass. I went there for a weekend and stayed at the Belfort Hotel for one night in the city center. The Belfort Hotel is a brand new construction at the bottom of a hill, surrounded by a beautiful forest, making for an amazing night’s sleep.

The Train Station in Brasov in Romania

Finding…

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Destruction and Death – This is what the attacking Arabs wanted to bring on Israel during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Yet, thanks to divine intervention and thousands of brave IDF fighters, they were all repelled and Israel even managed to expand its land.

The Yom Kippur war broke out on the 6 October in 1973 when the neighbouring Arab countries of Jordan, Egypt and Syria decided to wipe Israel off the face of the earth.

Abandoned Tank in the Golan Heights

Fortunately, their plans did not come to fruition thanks to the heroism of these three, and thousands of other IDF fighters, many of whom gave their lives in action.

For the Israelis the Yom Kippur War was a life or death situation and history has already taught them what that usually meant.

Watch this video to see three IDF veterans recount their stories

With the memories of the 1948 War of Independence and the 1967 Six Day War still fresh in their minds they knew they had to give their best – even if that meant the ultimate sacrifice.

This kind of mindset is instilled in every IDF soldier – and to drill it in, many swear an oath at the ancient fort of Masada – reminding them what faith awaits if the enemy succeeds.

A painting of Masada

At Masada, on top of a cliff they stand in front of the flag of Israel and swear to stand firm forever in the defence of their ancestral land.

The valley in front of Masada

The 44th anniversary of the Yom Kippur war is soon upon us so I decided to visit the Golan Heights to find out more about the fighting that took place there.

Some of the most ferocious battles took place around here in the Golan Heights, where there is still evidence of the life and death fighting from all those years ago.

The Golan Heights is probably one of the most beautiful parts of Israel, yet many tourists avoid it because of the memories of war and the various demilitarized zones. While I visited I encountered no danger and everyone was very friendly, so I would recommend a visit to anyone travelling to Israel.

The Banias Nature Reserve

The road network in the entire country is amazingly efficient, the people are welcoming and there are plenty of tourist trails in the hills and valleys where anyone can re-live the moments when Israel was fighting for survival.

Here, in the Golan Heights, a few dozen Israeli tanks faced off hundreds of Syrian tanks in a bloody fight in 1973 during which hundreds of brave IDF fighters faced off an overwhelming enemy.

Israeli Valley in the north of the country

In many parts of the Golan Heights there are still tanks and burnt out trucks scattered in the countryside and along some roads lie ruined towns and minefields – gruesome reminders of the years gone by.

I wanted to learn more about the events that took place here and about the bravery of a handful of men, who, through their actions of heroism gave everything they could to save their motherland.

Driving north of Tiberias, Israel

To do this, I arranged to meet three veterans, all of whom fought in the Yom Kippur War.

They were Armoured Company Commander Amnon Sharon, Tank Battalion Commander Avigdor Kahalani and Sergeant Major Uri Ehrenfeld.

Sharon and Ehrenfeld told me about their harrowing experience while in captivity and how they coped with the trauma in the succeeding years.

Later, Kahalani recounted the days he was stationed at the Golan Heights, facing off hundreds of Syrian tanks and saving Israel from certain destruction in the process.

Sharon and Ehrenfeld were unfortunately captured and tortured while on duty during the war, whereas Kahalani fought in the Golan Heights, ultimately leading its battalion to victory.

The Road to the Golan Heights

First, Sharon and I drove to the Beit Halohem rehabilitation center for the veterans in the north of Tel Aviv.

Beit Halohem has a big swimming pool, a gym, a huge garden and various exhibition areas. The center helps injured veterans readjust to life outside the army and provides a place to meet others who had gone through a similar experience.

It was here during lunch when Sharon recounted his harrowing experience during the Yom Kippur War.

Sharon was in the reserve army in the south of the Golan Heights when the Syrians captured him. They took him to a prison camp where they tortured him for months.

Driving Past Tiberias, Israel

At times the Syrians would hang him by his shoulders and ankles and beat him until he lost conscientiousness – other times they would interrogate him and then break his arms as a punishment when they didn’t get the answers they were looking for.

He has now turned to art to express his sorrow and get the pent up pain off his chest. The figurines you can see on the video were made by Sharon and depict him in positions in which the Syrians tortured him during the months of captivity.

He said that perhaps the most difficult thing for him was that he didn’t even know anything about the things they were asking him about, so after a while he just began to make it up as they went along.

Sharon slept in very small cell the size of a shed without clothes in the cold Syrian winter. When he lay on the floor he could not properly stretch out all the while shards of glass were cutting into his skin.

Tel Avis Beach, Israel

He had to sleep on the floor with broken bones, beaten up and in absolute discomfort – and he had to endure this for weeks before he got a mattress.

At first he was happy to sleep on a mattress but then panic sat in: he took it as a sign that they would want to keep him there much longer.

The Hermon Stream in Israel

Together we also visited the largest tank museum in the country called Latrun in the Ayalon Valley. Latrun is also home to memorial wall, listing all the fallen soldiers, including some of Amnon’s friends. There is also a cinema where the museum screens short films in English and Hebrew about the various wars Israel has fought during its short history.

Unfortunately Sharon’s story of torture was not unique during and after the Yom Kippur War.

When Sergeant Major Uri Ehrenfeld was captured by the Egyptians near the Suez Canal, he was brutally beaten and tortured for months. The injuries caused by the beatings ultimately made him disabled and suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Sea of Galilee, Israel

He now works with other soldiers, young and old, helping them overcome the same difficulties and to make life easier for them in whatever way possible.

“I was serving in the demolition paratroopers, airborne unit and I volunteered for a mission 24 hours before the war broke out,” said Ehrenfeld.

He was assigned to the Suez Canal, to the most southern Israeli outpost opposite the city of Suez, right at the spot where the Suez Canal drops into the sea. The Egyptians tried to conquer his post and they fought for 8 days but they ultimately had to surrender.

A waterfall in the North of Israel

The Egyptians transferred them from the Suez Canal to the City of Cairo to a military jail where he spent about two months in solitary isolation.

“They were beating us, while driving there and later on during the interrogations. I mean, I got 100 percent disability – some of it is from the wounds that I got during the war during the fighting and some of it from the captivity,” Ehrenfeld added.

Another tank in the Golan Heights

After Latrun, Sharon and I drove back to Tel Aviv where I arranged to meet another tank commander, Avigdor Kahalani.

Kahalani was a Battalion Commander during the Yom Kippur War and he inspired and motivated the other soldiers to stay put for several days in spite of the huge enemy advancing on them. In the end his bravery helped save the country from almost certain destruction.

I went to meet Kahalani in his apartment in Tel Aviv where he recounted the events of that faithful period.

Avigdor Kahalani Home Office

“For all my life I was a soldier, I fought in Lebanon, the Golan Heights and many other places protecting the country from generation to generation,” Kahalani said.

“My father fought for the country, I fought for the country, I have two tech commanders in my family – there are two sons and a daughter – she is in the 7th army corp, and my grandson just finished his time in the army” he added.

The ratio between the Israeli and Syrian tanks was sometimes one Israeli tank against eight or ten Syrian tanks. The Israelis used British tanks – the Centurion.

A wooded area in the Banias Nature Reserve

“I thought we had the best tanks in the world but it was not true,” Kahalani said.

That’s because the silhouette of the Syrian tanks was one meter lower than the Israeli’s tanks and all their tanks were camouflage coloured – so the IDF fighters couldn’t identify them.

The Syrian armour was also better than the Centurion’s and the main Syrian gun was a 115 milimeter Soviet unit against the Israeli’s 105.

A Stream in the North of Israel

“They could shoot far away, more than four-five kilometres. And they also had an infrared system, which they used to shoot at night without any obstacles,” Kahalani said.

However, for Kahalani the most difficult was to motivate his soldiers to follow his orders and face off the enemy.

“The combat was really hard and my problem at that time was to lead my people to invade against the hills that we should hold to protect the area and to stop the enemy there.”

A hillside path in the Golan Heights

Kahalani ordered them to move but nobody followed at first. He was moving in the front and alone, perhaps one tank joining him only.

So he decided to use the last weapon that he thought he had. It was talking about the value of life, talking about the value of their Jewish nation.

He told them: “look what happened, look, the Syrian soldiers, how they fight so well – look at the motivation of them. What happened to us? We are Jews, we are better than them! Am I seeing chicken in my units?”

“If you want to join me, join me!”

The North of Israel

And with that he started to move. As he approached the hilltop he looked back and miraculously he saw another tank join him and another and more.

Kahalani said: “I prayed to the G-d ‘please let me be first at the top of the hill before the enemy will come!”

Walking path in the Banias Nature Reserve

In the end, when Kahalani and his battalion arrived it was already dark and there were already some Syrian tanks but they shot them.

“The valley was dark and I was the only person that knew what was going on down there and we started shooting like crazy but we stopped them!”

An abandoned truck axle in Israel’s Golan Heights

Ultimately, after several days of brave fighting and losing dozens of Israeli soldiers they managed to hold the enemy back and even advance forward.

“We survived and we stopped them all – later in the valley we found 250 tanks!”

Thanks to the bravery of these three and thousands of other soldiers, the Golan Heights has been described as the most peaceful area of Israel for the past 44 years.

So get your boots on to discover this region and to pay your respects to the brave men that defended this land.

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A road to the north

Driving in the north of Israel

Revisiting Israel's Recent Past in the Golan Heights #yomkippurwar #israel #golanheights