More fun in Tel Aviv

We got another leisurely start today (the Golds start their busy touring schedule tomorrow, so this is the time to take it easy!), and some good cousin time, and headed out around 11.











We took a really nice walk south on Allenby to Nahalat Beyamin street. This pretty pedestrian area (a cross between the garment district in NY and the downtown mall in Charlottesville) was full of cute shops and fun people watching. The kids especially loved the ribbon and button shop, which had knit covers for the bench and bicycle rack out front.















We reached Rothschild Avenue and the Haganah Museum. This well done little museum told the history of the Israeli army from the illegal underground organizations that were formed pre-State to defend the Jewish settlers in the area to its current existence. The nice guy at the front desk warned us before we went in that they were doing some renovations today and so some things might not work, which was indeed the case, but overall we still got a really good big picture. In one video we were introduced to a kid named Yitzik:

Yitzik: My entire family was killed by the Nazis. I'd like to join the Haganah and fight for the Jews in Palestine.
Man: You are too young.
Yitzik: No, I'm not. I'm already a man.
Man: Ok, you can join.

In the final movie (which we watched in a battlefield-like setting, sitting on sandbags), Yitzik was killed during the War of Independence, trying to clear the road to bring a convoy of food and supplies to Jerusalem. One cool thing was that throughout the museum we saw mentions of places we have been and seen first hand (Atlit, Ayalon Institute, etc), and the kids (including Sylvia!) recognized the places and the events that happened there.

After the museum we headed back to our neighborhood and picked up falafel to eat at home. Everyone had a chance to rest a bit and cool off after the long walk (and a great chess match between Eli and Uncle Abe). Then, Abe joined Charles in the taxi with the luggage to the hotel (intervening first to tell the driver how to load the luggage [the driver claimed it wouldn't fit], then to tell the driver to turn on the meter [he wanted to charge a high set fare], and finally to argue against the 5 shekel per bag fee, which eventually was reduced substantially once the manager from the hotel got involved). The rest of us walked and met them there. The hotel is very nice; we went for a lovely, refreshing swim in the rooftop pool at their hotel (a teak deck, overlooking the beach -- it felt like being on a cruise ship).

"Noa Design Store"

Jakes first taste of falafel (he liked it!)

A reenactment of Eli's first taste of falafel (also not bad)

A simple dinner at home and some setting up for our next house guests, my Dad and Jussara. The kids wanted to wait up to say hello, but they were worn out. Abe and I met them, dropped off their things and we went for a walk up Dizengoff to our favorite juice bar (pineapple with mint was the best one!), and again marveled at what a lively, non-stop city Tel aviv is. So happy to have my Dad and Jussara here with us!

Family fun in Tel Aviv

Another fun (if slightly random day) in Tel Aviv with the Golds. The morning started slowly (as is expected recovering from jet lag), but happily Jonah was feeling completely better (supporting the salt water theory). We ate a hearty breakfast and set out for the Eretz Israel Museum - a somewhat off the beaten track complex of several small exhibits which had received mixed reviews on line (Ranging from "could go here every day for a week" to "There is not a whole lot to see here, but the restaurant has really good sandwiches"). We tended toward the latter opinion, although we didn't try the sandwiches. The museum (which we needed 2 buses to get to) is an odd collection of an archeological tel and various exhibits housed in buildings spread out over a campus. We hadn't anticipated being outside so much, so we planned poorly on water. The one thing which sounds *really* cool was the giant sand sculpture exhibit. However we planned poorly on this front too and didn't realize that this exhibit was only open at night, when the rest of the museum was closed. 

We arrived and got on line for tickets and a very friendly seeming woman approached us and asked "can I help you with anything?" Sure, we told her, can you tell us about the museum? "I'm sorry," she replied, "I don't speak English." Ohhh-kay... We managed to understand in Hebrew that she mostly wanted our kids to participate in the clay workshop they had going on (we decided to pass) and we went into the museum. 

We think it was an ancient entertainment center

The first exhibit was a fire truck which was a gift from New York to the new State of Israel. Somewhat cool. The kids (possibly encouraged by the grown ups) began a game of assigning a value in shekels to each thing we saw, to see if the total (reasonable) cost of entry was worthwhile. I think the fire truck was worth something like 5 shekels. The next exhibit was a collection of displays which depicted various trades (baker, blacksmith, etc). However, as Charles put it, the information density was very low (i.e., there was nothing to indicate when, where, who, why...) for the exhibits, so we couldn't get much out of it (2 shekels). Next, was a pretty courtyard with some random farm equipment displayed around it, and even more random use of quotation marks (e.g., one thing was labeled as being an animal pulled "millstone" (in quote marks as if to imply that it wasn't actually a mill, but that's just what they told the donkey so he would feel useful). One shekel. Along the path, the kids found a water fountain which squirted the water really high - perfect for a water fight (5 shekels).

The next exhibit was inside (airconditioning - 10 shekels!) and was actually pretty interesting. it was about Rothschild and his role in the creation of the state of Israel. We've heard a lot about Rothschild and this was a cool summary of the whole story.

Upstairs from that was the most pretentious pottery exhibit I have ever seen. There were pieces like a stool made out of clay hanging upside down from the ceiling by wire, with explanations such as, "fashioning the ordinary stool from clay epitomizes the detachment of the individual from the mundane reality of the dialectic with the unknown"). Minus 20 shekels. 


It went on like that, until we were hot and tired and ready for lunch. So, we decided to cut our losses and head out. On the way to the exit, happy surprise! We passed the sand exhibit, and the gate was open. So, we figured we'd go in until someone asked us to leave. The sand sculptures were absolutely amazing. They were huge, detailed depictions of themes ranging from marvel comics to the little prince to Adam and Eve riding an elephant. I don't know how they made them, but I am really glad we got to see them! We saw most of the exhibit, before a friendly guard directed us to the exit. 


From there, we walked to the Ramat Aviv mall (a nice mall in an upscale area of Tel Aviv). Along the way, we were very grateful to find a drink kiosk! The mall was really nice. First stop was a baby store to finally buy a pacifier with Pooh on it, which Sylvia has been talking about since Eilat. Amazingly, they had a selection of three different kinds of Pooh pacis and Sylvia chose the one she wanted stating emphatically "me love it." Great, we bought it, opened it, and she was happy (p.s. an hour later, she had a crisis and realized she really wanted the other [pink] Pooh paci - ah, two year olds!). Next stop, food court, where everyone was able to get exactly what thy wanted - ranging from kosher McDonalds (what, no cheeseburger?) to falafel to Chinese. We did a little window shopping, a quick trip to the grocery store, and the bus home. 

Bus surfing

Photo credit: CG

After taking it easy for an hour or so, we went out to the beach. The kids had a blast playing in the water (being more careful not to swallow any this time!). While the kids were showering and changing, Amy and I went out and picked them up a pizza (from Agvaniot on Dizengoff Circle - actually very good) and some other goodies. The kids enjoyed dinner at home and then the adults went out for a grown up meal at Wineberg. This was an excellent choice - 2 bottles of wine (including a very good Israeli Sauvignon Blanc), and several tapas (including delicious tzatziki, greek salad, focaccia, cauliflower and more) served by a friendly, if slightly clueless waiter ("There is a special on a really nice wine, delicious, a great price, you will love it." Ok, we'll try that" "sorry, that special ended.")



We walked home along Dizengoff checking out the busy bars and clubs and the manicurists open until 2 am, with A * C marveling at the highs and lows that Israel brings to you. At one moment you are going nuts arguing with a bus driver about whether you can transfer from one bus to another without paying another fare, and the next moment you are in love with a city that really knows how to have fun and is just waiting for you to take advantage of it. 

Yemenite Quarter, Carmel Market, Beach

Morning cousin time

Seasoned travelers that they are, the Golds seem to have adapted right away to the new time zone. They all got a good nights sleep and were ready to go this morning. We went for a long walk, both in the Carmel market (which was really nice) and the Yemenite Quarter, which I thought was a little it over rated. The Carmel shuk was like a friendlier version of Machane Yehuda 

in Jerusalem. The stalls seemed to be run by more Sephardi (Eastern) Jews than Ashkenazi (European) Jews, and it seemed to lend a warmer, kinder air to the place. For example, we stopped in a little coffee shop and ordered 2 ice coffees. he got out the cups and put them on the counter and we chatted  a bit while (we thought) he made the coffee. He was friendly and nice and we had a good time talking about the weather and various coffee making machines. After a little while though, we wondered why the coffee still wasn't ready, and we asked, and he told us, "oh you take it yourself, I thought you were just hanging out." If we hadn't asked, I'm pretty sure we'd still be sitting there talking with him.  The Carmel market also had lots more clothing and household items than the shuk in Jerusalem, at very low prices! 

Hanging in the coffee shop (notice Sylvia)

juice bar
(lemonade with pomegranate juice the best!)

The Yemenite Quarter next to the shuk had been billed as very quaint and interesting to walk around. We found it to be mostly sleepy residential streets. Quaint yes, but not much of interest to see there. As we wandered, we happened upon a restaurant called Erez, which Amy had read about on line, so we decided to go there for lunch. The food was good (chicken skewers, great bread and hummus, spicy dips), but the service was terrible, even by Israeli standards (for example, when we asked for water, the waitress rudely pointed to some cups and told us to get it from the hand washing station). When the bill came, she overcharged us, and when we asked about it, she gave us some song and dance about how the prices on the menu only apply if you order each dish for one person, and not if you share (which has not been true in ANY other restaurant in Israel - Israeli dishes are big and sharing is common). She also suddenly 

Walking in the Yemenite quarter

remembered how to speak English (which she had claimed she didn't speak at all) when she felt her tip was too small. I guess all newcomers to Israel have to have at least one really bad customer service experience - so hopefully that will be the one and only for the Golds! 

We came back to the apartment for a little rest and air conditioning, and then headed  out to the Namal. We had great ice cream, a little laid back people watching. a nice long swim at the beach, and a walk home along the tayelet (promenade). Unfortunately, on the way home, Jonah started not feeling well and got sick when we got home (current theory: swallowing salt water while swimming). Hopefully, he'll be better in the morning and no one else will get sick. Fingers crossed!

Lunch at Erez

Eli in front of the "Eli Paz" store

Charles in front of the "Gan Charles" sign

Macho men!

Rehovot

On the sherut

We made another leap forward in Tel Aviv transportation this morning and mastered the sherut (well, maybe "mastered" is a strong word, but we took it). Sheruts are shared cabs that more or less follow bus routes, but will let you off where ever you like even if it's between stops. It's also slightly less expensive than the bus. We took one from Dizengoff Street to the central bus station, and another one from there to Rehovot, a southern suburb of Tel Aviv. We got off at the Weizmann Institute and had an amazing visit there. We started with lunch in the very nice cafe in the visitors center, and then went to check out the visitors center exhibit. This began with a room with very cool interactive displays about the research which is being done there. For example, there was one video series where you could choose a person and they would tell you the story of when they realized they wanted to be a scientist. In another series, they told you about a big discovery they had made. In another, you could drag various sciences over to various subject matters and see how they all worked together in an interdisciplinary way to study a question (e.g., how biology, physics, and math all help understand the brain). We could have spent much longer there, but the guide ushered us along to the next (even cooler) part of the exhibit. In this part, there was a glass floor with lasers projecting on it. When you used your hand to catch the laser, it gave you control (by raising and lowering your hand) over movies on the floor which showed scientific processes of change (e.g., plants growing, a person aging, cells dividing). The final stage of the visit was a really inspiring movie about the research that's being done and how curiosity is encouraged and becomes discovery. Weizmann (Israel's first president), by the way, was a chemist who came up with a good way to make acetone. This was important to the British war effort and it was really this discovery which gave Weizmann the political clout with the British to push for the writing of the Balfour Declaration - which was one step along the way to the creation of Israel. We followed up our visit by finding the Sydney Musher Center for Science Education on the campus!

Secret opening in the floor of the laundry

Next, we walked (first in circles around
construction) to the Ayalon Institute on Kibbutzim Hill. This is a unique place with an incredible story about the role it played in the creation of the state of Israel. In short, it was a kibbutz which served as a cover for an underground bullet factory. The 18 to 20 year olds who established and worked in it not only risked being blown up by a gun powder accident, but also risked being hanged by the
British for the illegal production of arms. They came up with many clever ruses to avoid detection by the British Police (who had a station less than a kilometer away). They hid the secret entrances to the factory in the laundry (to cover the noise of the machines) and in the bakery (to cover the smell of gunpowder). They kept the factory a secret even from some of the other kibbutz members who were not in on the secret. There were some great stories, such as the one about a certain British officer who would often drop by unannounced (which presented a great risk). The "kibbutzniks" would serve him beer, but it was always warm. The officer complained that the beer wasn't cold, and they told him, "No problem. We like our beer warm, but you should just call ahead whenever you are coming, and we will put your beer on ice." And that put an end to the surprise visits. We have seen and heard about so many things during our time here which made us say, "if it wasn't for that, the State of Israel probably wouldn't exist today." This was yet another example of the amazing ingenuity and successes which led to the creation of the state.

What it looked like from above

Since it was rush hour, we opted for the train home instead of the bus (or sherut). This was a very comfortable way to travel. We met a funny guy from Turkey who recently made aliyah, who sat with us and initiated the most entertaining and bizarre conversations (e.g., "Have you read Harry Potter?" "What's your sign?" and so on).

Forever 21 models dressed in a style
Ella dubbed "Orthodox Goth"

In Ella's opinion, the best thing about the train in Tel Aviv is that it lets you out inside the enormous Azrieli Center, one of the largest malls in Israel. Since we replaced Sylvia's pacis with new ones (which she likes a lot) she has had it in her mind that she would also like a paci with Pooh on it (every time we go out she asks if we are going to look for a Pooh paci store). So, we decided to look for one there. We did not find one, but we did find some pink pacis with flowers and butterflies on them which she liked quite a bit. So, we added to her now eclectic paci collection. You can never have too many, I guess!

Dinner at home (cheese toast!) then we set up for the Golds to join us in our apartment. Around 9:30 we went downstairs to wait and it wasn't long at all before they arrived. After planning for so long, everyone is excited and slightly shocked that we are all finally together here. We spent a couple of hours snacking, settling in, catching up, and making plans for tomorrow. We're packed pretty tightly into the apartment (though I must say we all fit better than I expected!) and hopefully everyone will get a good nights sleep!

Bauhaus and Chocolate

A short blog entry tonight for a low key shabbat in Tel Aviv...

This morning we had a leisurely breakfast and didn't head out until after 10:00. We met up with a city tour of Bauhaus architecture of Tel Aviv. According to the guide, Tel Aviv the majority of buildings in Tel Aviv are built in the Bauhaus style, which makes it an important distinction for this type of architecture. The tour started with a very interesting history of the city, and then took us to several buildings on and around Rothschild Boulevard that were built in this function over form, very practical international style. We also saw one older building in a more ornate style with a detachable roof so part of the house could be used as a sukkah at sukkot. Abe, being an architect, of course loved the tour. The kids mostly got a kick out of saying the word "bauhaus," and applying it to anything cool ("That is such a bauhaus sculpture"), and had fun walking around the city seeing cool things. One cool thing they found was a water machine designed to refill plastic water bottles. Many of the boulevard in TA have tree shaded promenades down the middle and Rothschild is a prime example of this, so it was mostly a nice shady walk in a pretty part of town.

Just by good fortune, the tour began and ended right around the corner from the famous Max Brenner's chocolate restaurant. So, we feasted on chocolate for lunch (Ella got a milkshake, Jonah a chocolate pizza, I got a bread and spread platter [with chocolate, pesto, labneh, jam, etc, and Abe got cake and cappuccino, and everyone willingly shared with Sylvia). Very, very tasty!!

We tried to walk around the Neve Tzedek neighborhood after that, but mostly everything was closed for Shabbat, so we decided to come home and take it easy instead. A relaxing afternoon, catching up on some work,  and dinner at home (with lots of vegetables to make up for lunch!).

We're looking forward to welcoming the Golds tomorrow!!

A photo of early Tel Aviv - a water tower on the sand dunes

...and that same water tower today (with the menorah on it)

Cool water bottle filler

"Falafel Jonah!"

Ella appreciating the graffiti of Tel Aviv