I said quick verse of the Jewish Prayer, Shehechiyanu and was officially in Israel. It was 5:30 am and I had time for a more leisurely trek to the hotel. I decided to be adventurous on public transportation: the train to the city and the bus to the hotel.It worked like clockwork.
The Hotel Adiv is certainly feeling like the home away from home. My friend Patsy was up bright and early, warmly greeting me in the lobby with hugs and kisses. There were many other Sar-El niks staying at the hotel: some arriving to begin their tours of duty and others leaving having finished their volunteer army stints. The Adiv has evolved to be the first choice of locations to stay.
The Mediterranean Sea is always a draw and it was a beautiful day for a walk on the promenade. There were sights along the way!
The beach signs along the way remind you that there are rules of orthodoxy that preclude a family from enjoying the beach together.
We walked to the Tel Aviv Port, at the northern end of the city. Once abandoned, as the activities of the seaport shifted to Ashdod, the Port was developed by the city in the early 2000’s. The area was overhauled, creating a wide boardwalk and rehabbing the rundown warehouses into commercial space. It’s a “happening” place with a long strip of restaurants, retail stores, bars and nightclubs. Although a beautiful day will attract throngs of people, I’ve been told that the Port is the busiest on weekends and after dark when hordes of young clubbers descend on the strip of discotheques.
A new farmer’s market opened on Fridays and it was standing room only! The farmers from the North bring their produce to the city for this weekly event.The vegetables were beautiful and sampling of breads, cheeses and nuts was quite tasty.The throngs of people were a bit overwhelming and we headed back to the hotel.
The best “people watching” on Saturday was folk dancing on the beach at the Renaissance Hotel. It’s a weekly event and the regular dancers put on quite a show.
Patsy and I were great observers - looking our touristy best!
I had a great reunion with my former warehouse manager from Matzrap. We ventured back to the Port as it felt like a summer day. Alfred, his wife Keren, his 3-year daughter Efrat and 8-month-old daughter, Mayah.
Although it had been difficult staying in touch with Alfred this past year (my emails often failed), it felt like we had been together yesterday. The big difference, of course, was baby Mayah. You might remember that Keren had been quite pregnant when I first met her last spring.
The following day, I opted for an early morning power walk (with Mr Bill) on the promenade. It was my good bye to the Mediterranean as my “deployment” was just hours away.
And the adventure continues…..
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