Middle East LA

Middle East LA 12/4

I didn’t leave much time for Tel Aviv, especially when taking into account that it was Friday. Even though this city is more secular, things still shut down for Shabbat. I was a little worried that I would regret my decision of only really having a day, but in the end I’m glad. I’ve been fortunate to live in some very beautiful major cities and Tel Aviv and Jaffa reminded me of a fusion of some of those places. This is my nice way of saying it didn’t really leave in impact because it felt like LA or SoHo in NYC. It’s a city on the coast, it’s just on a coast in the Middle East that makes it different.

Local art work displayed on the walls of the artist quarter.

Most of my time was spent in Jaffa and this felt exactly like my walks through SoHo or Santa Monica. It was definitely what I call the “beautiful people scene” where people are dressed in their Boho chic clothes and over sized sunglasses trying very hard to look like they don’t care about appearances but repeatedly checking out their reflection in the window. Glad to see this crowd can be found around the world.

Shoppers strolling in Jaffa.

The neighborhood itself had a great compilation of boutique shops interspersed with little cafes, interior design studios, and flea markets. The flea market was the most entertaining with old shoes and jewelry mixed with some really great home design finds. I fell in love with some coffee and tea canisters that would look great in my kitchen but were not going to fit into my luggage...sigh. You could definitely spend an entire day here sorting through the junk, bartering with the professionals, and completely furnish your apartment in style.

Loved this flea market!

Since it was getting late I decided to meander to the shore via the old town and walk the boardwalk in Tel Aviv. Every time I am near a body of water I need to at least put my feet in it, so as soon as I could I rolled up my jeans and headed for a walk on the beach.

A walk along the beach.

 I love towns that actually embrace the water. I never felt like New York embraced the beach the same way that Southern California does. Anyway, here people were swimming, paddle boarding, fishing, sailing, and kayaking even though it was cold out. Beach cruisers were flying past me on the board walk and other people were playing on the beach, running their afternoon jog or doing yoga. I love the activity that comes with beach life!

Kayaks passing the flag.

A happy Nicole on the beach.

With tired feet and a setting sun I decided it was time for some rest and sustenance. I opted out of more sight seeing. There comes a point in every trip where you are saturated and I was definitely there. This small country is so full of sights to see it’s easy to get to this point. Stopping at the first boardwalk restaurant that caught my eye I enjoyed some local fish, a glass of Israeli wine, and some great people watching. Today was full of Russian tourists and this restaurant was no exception. Maybe I was noticing them more as my next couple of days would land me captive in Moscow.
 

Look really close and you can see the surfers
trying to catch the waves during the setting sun.

 Enjoying the leisurely pace of my day and my meal I reflected on my trip and how thankful I was that my plans to visit my niece in Australia were aborted. I’m sure I would have had an amazing time ringing in the New Year and celebrating my birthday with her (or at least it looked like it from her facebook photos), but my experiences here were simply amazing and I was so appreciative for my time here. My thoughts were interrupted with my post meal cappuccino. When I looked down the waitress had done a beautiful heart in the foam....Oh, Isreal you are a flirt! Laughing to myself that this trip was truly full of love, laughs, and adventures that will forever fill my heart.

Love!

I walked back to my hostel in Jaffa taking in the nighttime views of the shore, Tel Aviv, and the Old City.

Old City Lights.

I was exhausted by the time I got back to the Old Jaffa Hostel. Packing to make sure I was ready for my 40+ hours of travel I could hear the sudden down pour of rain and a huge thunderclap. My heart swelled! Those of you who know me, know how much I love the rain. Maybe it’s from growing up in the California where rain doesn’t happen that often, but it makes me happy and I always want to go out and play in the puddles like I am five. At the same time I could hear the clubs starting to play their music. A mix of Israeli music, Billy Idol, Madonna, and of course, my personal favorite, Shakira. Opening my windows wide so the music could drift in I snuggled down into my bed and drifted off to sleep with the sound of rain, people laughing and dancing, and Shakira...a happy way to enter dreamland.