Boker Tov...Erev Tov

Tel Aviv September 16 Morning Boker Tov

It is a little after 6:00 am on what promises to be a beautiful Friday. My terrace overlooks the sea; there is a gentle roar of waves; joggers and power walkers are about. I sit on my terrace drinking coffee and take it all in. The beaches that run along the shore line from north to south are some of the most beautiful areas of the city, each section having its own name and unique atmosphere. A boardwalk provides easy walking and great people-watching.

Tel Aviv September 16 Evening Erev Tov

A wonderful day of adventure that started with a scrumptious buffet breakfast outside overlooking the sea. Tel Aviv, loosely translated as “hill of spring” is a bustling, vibrant city full of activity and energy. We drove through some of the busier areas of the city-Allenby and Dizengoff Streets-on the way to the old city of Jaffa, the port that served as a main entry to the ancient land of Israel. With its narrow winding alleys and lovely stone buildings that transport the visitor back to a long ago time, Jaffa is in marked contrast to the skyscrapers of South Tel Aviv. A tour of Neve Tzedek followed,a picturesque and charming part of the city and the first Jewish neighborhood to be built outside of Jaffa in the year 1887; I have been told that this is one of the more desirable places to live in Tel Aviv and I can certainly understand why. The Carmel Market, a large bazaar and the city's largest marketplace, was our stopping point for lunch and meandering. Ending the day was a visit to Rabin Square, the site of the assassination of the prime minister. Yitzhak Rabin...a man who tried to bring peace to his country...and was killed at a peace rally. Eli, our tour guide, spoke about that day and the changes that followed in Israel as a result.

Back at the hotel, I spent another couple of hours on the beach. Most people don't work on Friday as Saturday is Shabbat so there were many soaking up the sun, swimming in the Mediterranean and playing “matkot” (bat and ball). At 8:00 pm I was picked up at the hotel by Shuki and Etti (Shuki is the nephew of my dearest friend, Abraham, who was the beloved companion of my late mother, and is like a father to me.) and the three of us went to the port for a fish dinner and and laughs!