My last full day in Israel was spent in Tel Aviv. We started the day walking to a very nice market. One side was similar to the markets we went to in Jerusalem and the other side was a crafts fair. Finished up some souvenir shopping. We once again avoided being hit by a bicyclist on Rothschild Blvd stopping to look at the monuments along the way as we walked to Neve Tzedek. Neve Tzedek is the original neighborhood of Tel Aviv founded in 1887. There are many cool looking houses as well as the Suzanne Dellal Center which is a theater/dance center. We found the Old Train Station which has been converted into shops and restaurants. I had another unique meal there, “Mexican Fajitas.” It was good, although more tomato-based than in the US. We lucked out with the weather as it started to drizzle when we went into lunch, but cleared up by the time we finished. After lunch we walked over to the Mediterranean Sea and along the beach to Jaffa. I was impressed with all the history in Jaffa. This is the port where Jonah got on his fateful boat trip from but there are also remnants from Egyptian Pharaohs and Napoleon (and lots of stuff in between). After taking lots of pictures of the Mediterranean Sea and Tel Aviv/Jaffa skylines we headed back to Argov’s getting to see some of the Bauhaus architecture buildings. While not a Bauhaus building, the Argov’s live in a building that is being renovated back to its original design. It is in the shape of a ship.
We were fortunate to be invited to join family friends for dinner celebrating a ninth birthday. As expected when you let a nine-year old pick, dinner was at Max Brenner: Chocolate by the Bald Man. While Shira says this is in NYC, I’ve never been to it and hope they put one near me. There was actually real healthy food, but of course and incredible dessert spread. Dinner was at the new port. Due to it being a bit cold and windy we declined walking around the port, but apparently it is a real trendy place to hang out.
It was then time for final packing and good byes as I was leaving relatively early in the morning. The Argovs were FANTASTIC hosts with Yeshai volunteering to take me to the airport in the morning despite having to sit in horrible traffic on his way back home.
The trip home was nicely uneventful. I had a wonderful time in Israel, but definitely glad to be home, particularly since upon picking me up from the airport my dad informed me of a bombing at the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. It was a little shocking since I had been in that area just two days prior. I hope you enjoyed reading about my Israel adventures.Here are the final pictures
