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!