Blogs from Tel Aviv District, Israel, Middle East - page 25

How I found Kees...I spent a day checking out Jerusalem then caught a bus to Tel Aviv, on the way who should I see biking along the road but Kees in his bright green Makarewa T-shirt. But the bus driver wouldn't stop. When I arrived in the city I had a feed then biked back to the motorway, found myself a comfy spot near the on ramp to the city, and kicked back reading for a couple of hours. By the time Kees came along it was dark. Tel Aviv is a great mixture of western modernity with Middle Eastern parts. We spent that evening down by the sea enjoying some of the free open air concerts with some new, and old, couch surfing friends. The next day dawned bright and hot so we went for ... read more

So before I forget any of the things that happened to me today, I have to write them all out. Tonight I was given the opportunity to go to Rosh Hashana dinner with my loyal blog reader, Itay and his beautiful family. His wife Galit and adorable daughter welcomed me into their home in Ness Ziona and adopted me for the holidays. Which in and of itself is amazing and makes me love this country even more, because it's of people like their family and my friends here that make living here on my own bearable. The fact that I have such a strong network of people who are really like my family is the best thing that I could ask for in the beginning of this new year. How awe-inspiring it is that I am ... read more

So I've decided something. I have decided that I despise old people in the supermarket. Now, in order to be fair, most people go by me unnoticed on their shopping excursions and I have met 2 very nice old people before, but on the whole? I can't stand them. Let's just refer back to my Pesach adventure with the insane little old man that rammed his cart into me repeatedly and screamed at me because well...I'm chalking it up to he may be bi-polar or schizophrenic. One or the other. This is just one example. (Go back to oldeposts if you're confused and want a refresher.) Today, all I wanted was 4 items (which technically qualifies me for the express lane - not that anything is actually "express" in Israel but I digress). Anyways, I got ... read more

If you are going to stay in Tel Aviv and want to try a local breakfast delicacy, go to one of the good restaurants and try 'Shakshuka'. Don't be deterred by the name or the pronunciation (the locals will help you here). If you are of western background (America or Europe) don't worry. The sephardim have brought this dish and have adapted it to Israeli tastes. But shaksuka is as authentic in Jewish kitchens as gefilte fish for some. Shaksuka is a baked egg dish. Basically, it starts out with a tomato sauce, with diced tomatoes. Then two or three eggs are laid on top of the sauce. The whole dish is then put into the oven until the eggs are done. Usually the eggs are well done but you can ask for less time on ... read more

Our tour started in earnest today and it was packed with interesting sights. The first stop was Jaffa, a 4000 year old port city. This ancient city was the major entry point into the region and is mentioned in the bible (e.g.., in the Jonah story). Now it is an artisan community with many nice shops. Unfortunately for Fran and fortunately for Tom, we didn’t have too much time to explore them. The day then centered around Israel’s statehood. The next stop was the Independence Hall where David Ben Gurion declared Israel’s independence in 1948 with three swings of the gavel. And then we moved on to the Palmach Museum - a multi-media 3-D interactive museum, depicting the lives of the Palmach underground male and female soldiers that smuggled Jewish immigrants from Europe into Israel in ... read more