Friday afternoon walking in Jaffa

It is Friday afternoon in Tel Aviv, and for a short while, the life is slowing down, but just for a couple of hours. Everyone is getting ready to join the usual family gatherings of the evening, marking the start of Shabbat, the day of rest. There ae even less tourists on the streets, so quiet now that you can hear the waves of the sea nearby. For me, this is the perfect time to go back to Jaffa, walking slowly on the beach till I reach the area of the port, with its coquette shops hidden between ship repairing garages.

Especially in this moment, when there are not too many tourists and the shops are getting ready to close, the streets usually crowded with visitors can reveal their mysteries and stories, testimonies of the long and rich centuries of history.

Compared to other historical places, here in Israel or elsewhere in Europe, you don't have the overwhelming feeling of being in a museum of human history. The human presence integrated the rich past into through the colourful windows and the green alleys that spring from the millenial cobblestones.

Beyond each massive door mysterious stories seem to hide in their well locked wooden boxes. But right now, I can only hear my steps on the stones and the sound of intensive preparations in the kitchens.

Either there are private houses, art galleries or antiques shops, you feel invited not to buy, but to stay, hear stories and eventually take a decision while admiring the streets, with a glass of fresh lemonade or a big cup of hot black Turkish coffee in the front of you.

 

Every time I visit this part of Israel, considered as one of the oldest in the region, I feel that there are always so many things that I want to learn about: about the three different religions coexisting here, and the various religious symbols can be noticed on the streets outside the old city, about the history of architecture of the country, about its nature and beautiful trees, about its old and new traditions, visible in the variety of art styles displayed in the numerous art galleries.

 

Like in the old city of Jerusalem, there are so many short streets and houses that are so close that you can mistake them as part of the one and only block of buildings.

Besides the art galleries and antiquities shops, another important landmark in the area is Ilana Goor Museum, hosting an interesting collection of works, that can be eventually introduced by the artist herself who is often there talking with the visitors.

 

But today, I rather want to feel free, taking the advantage of a sunny December afternoon and walk as much as I can, together with my friend which wants to learn so much about the art, history and the controversies associated with the region. But when you walk these old streets and you see everything with your own eyes, you don't need any more to get your sources from the biased media.

The art courageously displayed on the antiques walls make me feel less guilty for not visiting too many art galleries this time. Only one every ten minutes. 

The artists and the gallery owners are there not only to help you take the right decision, but also to tell their and other people' stories. The beautiful pieces of jewellery from Yemen or Morocco are especially beautiful, displaying old crafts for ever lost in Europe. At one antiquities shop that is about to close, I am showed different Seder plates brought from Jews home from all over the world. My favourite is one made shortly after the creation of the State of Israel, provided with a little machine that sings for a couple of minutes Hatikva, the national anthem talking about hopes and love for freedom.

  

For me, nothing can represent better the spirit of this place than the 1993 work of Ran Morin - Oranger Suspendu ( in English, Hanging Orange Tree). Made of steel, artificial stone and orange tree, it can be read as a narrative about strength and resilience, that needs to fight against unexpected artificial problems but tempered and helped by the given natural destiny. This piece of art is considered one of the top photographic attractions of this area, so during the busy week expect to wait a bit in line till you will be able to take your selfie here. Morin, who lives in Israel, is the author of several full-sized living trees.

While my mind is thinking maybe too much for this time of the week, the streets are getting empty and I feel somehow compelled to find our way outside the area, maybe going back to Tel Aviv for the Friday evening meal with a view over the sea.

The streets are getting cleaned and the tables are ready to be set. The quiet stones are ready to hear more family stories.

 

According to the Biblical story, Jaffa was the location from which Jonah set sail before his encounter with the whale. A massive statue of a whale by Ilana Goor reminds the visitors about this reference. Another story says that the famous cedars used in building Solomon's Temple were shipped to the Jaffa port.

Right now, the port is quiet and the touristic restaurants serving fish dishes and the tasty local versions of Mediterranean food are ready to open. Far away, but still very close, I can see the lights of the beautiful city with its sky scrapers and creative high tech industry. This is the moment when past and present meet and I am happy to be here and hear this story of hope and resilience.

How to spend six hours in Tel Aviv

This summer, I spent three weeks in Israel, with headquarters in Jerusalem. Although the distance to Tel Aviv is of only 45 minutes by car, the challenges of being on the road with a baby and other inconveniences, kept me away of one of my favourites cities in the world. Aware that time passes and I am in the danger of not going there this time, I decided to take the 1h20 minutes train ride and just go. With only six hours to spend, what can I do first? As usual, I followed one of my many survival mottos: When life gives you lemons, be smart enough to make out of them the tastiest lemonade.

Here I were, at the Shalom train station, admiring the beautiful Azrieli Towers. When was the last time when I saw sky scrapers?

Following Eliezer Kaplan street, I went along the many outlet stores and expensive boutiques guarded by the bold skyscrapers, with exotic trees at the entrance. At no. 8, a special building was offering another sample of Israeli creativity: the house is made of 4017 panels of 9 different sizes, with a façade designed in consideration with the hot climate and environment protection.

After another couple of minutes of walking, I reached the interesting architecture of Charles Bronfman Auditorium, the main destination for art lovers in the city. During the week, the esplanade in the front is the favourite meeting place of families with children and of various street artists. This time, it was only a guy screaming loud with big headphones on his ears. Sometimes the hot summers can be hard to cope with.

Looking for more shadows and fresh air, we went along the Rotschild Boulevard, in the middle of the historical buildings, many of them in process of full reconstruction.

As usual when I am in this city, I cannot stop admiring the hard contrasts between the old and very new, the traditional spirit and the creative chutzpe.

At Allenby 88, it was time for some bread tasting and some fresh lemonade. Another stop followed a couple of minutes later, at the beautiful DaDa bistro within the French Institute, one of the many French islands in the middle of Tel Aviv serving special pastries and an exquisite Made in France menu.

For some more authenticity, heading to the Carmel market is the best move. You can check there the latest fresh veggies and negotiate some better prices for big purchases. Tired by so many discussions, a fresh juice on one of the stands will bring the good energies back.

Visitors to Tel Aviv, usually head to the Florentin area for some good samples of street art. This time, I did not need to go that far, as on the way to the beach from the market, I discovered some artist small houses decorated in the most creative way.

At Bograshov beach, a new attractive project was launched, aimed to bring some more learning to the beach goers. On the way to some beer at LaLaLand or some long swimming or shisha, you can have a look at some paintings by Jewish artists displayed in big reproductions, plus some words in English and Hebrew about the artist. Learn something new every day, right?

The view of the boats waiting in the port, moved slowly by the heat wind is as artistic as the view of a painting. A kind of still life very much alive, in the style of Van Gogh.

I was out of time, but even if I would have one hour to spend in Tel Aviv, I would prefer to spend half of it going to say "hi" to my favourite house in the world, on Eliezer Perri street. Its creative balconies and shapes make me think about Gaudi and its world of architecture dreams. Mission accomplished this time too!

Now, I can return back to the train station slowly but happy. On Ben Yehuda street, before checking some interesting shops and design stores on the fancy and expensive Dizengoff, I went for another juice, a fresh combination of mango, dates, milk, oranges and figs.

The famous Kikar Rabin - Rabin Square - the usual place of gathering for demonstrations was quiet, but behind the lines, preparations were made for the Hebrew Book Week Fair, a regular event taking place in several cities across Israel, aimed to bring the best of Israel publishing to the public.

The Cinemateque is another cultural destination in the city, with a good selection of movies around the year and festivals displaying the best of Israeli and Jewish movies. This time, I preferred to have a look at the games of volumes ending up in delicate angles.

Before I go back to Jerusalem, I wanted to stop at the Sarona Market. One week before, a terrorist attack took place in the middle of this elegant place with restaurants and food stores. If not the corner in the front of the place where the terrorists killed innocent people with candles and flowers, no one would have thought that a terrible tragedy took place here. It was business as usual in a country where terrorism is part of the everyday life, long before Europe started to cope with the current terrible challenges. Life must go on...

When it was about time to leave, I just enter the train as a richer person: happy to see old places, to discover new tastes and impressions, with a new tan and a heart that knows that, after all, even the small amount of 6 hours can be well spent in an overwhelming city. It is all for good.

Hotel Review: Hotel Vital Tel Aviv

I arrived in the small loby of the boutique business hotel Vital on a very rainy winter day of January. In Jerusalem the roads were blocked because of the snow - one, two centimeters are enough to raise the emergency level to unbelievable levels, exactly like the 30 plus Celsius temperatures in Germany, while in Tel Aviv, the Delilah storm was putting trees on the ground. From the Central Bus Station, I just walked for 40 minutes and reached the hotel, part of a bigger mall and in the close vicinity of important medical centers. As it was too early for the check in and I may have been look prety pittiful after the long walking in the rain, I was invited to take a seat and relax at the 12th floor business lounge. Fresh pastry and juices, as well as coffee and free Internet were available and took my time to recharge but also have a look over the beautiful city.

Newspapers are also available and for the first time in a long time I had the chance to touch a print edition of Jerusalem Post. The hotel guests are also offered in the morning complimentary copies of the NY Times with Haaretz inside, in an elegant black and white badge...(Let's keep the politics outside the gates of this blog,ok?)

As I would be explained later during my complimentary tour of the facilities, there are more opportunities to relax offered during the stay to this boutique business hotel: the 200 sqm fitness center can be used for free. Tours and airport transfers are also offered which make the stay even more enjoyable, especially if you are for the first time in the bubbling Tel Aviv and for a short stay and you want to parcimoniously use your time.

The rooms offered are very diverse, and it answers practically every specific needs of the diverse tourists and visitors: single junior, executive room, executive room with kitchinette, club, family room, deluxe, superior suite deluxe, executive suite. Each of it is provided with basic facilities, among which a very fast wifi, electronic mini bar, TV, desk and work place, telephone and voice mail, safe, bath robes and sleepers. Laundry services during the weekdays are availble. In order to give the guests time to relax and enjoy their time, the payment is done upon checkout. Special facilities for people with disabilities are also available.

The diversity of Vital Hotel offer explains the diversity of guests: from diplomats to people coming for medical treatments or families with children.

The rooms are simply yet design oriented decorated, with modern furniture in warm colours. It gives you the feeling of being at home, with all those small facilities and basic comfort that you need,especially if you expect to be on the road for a long time. The design as such, too much IKEA-infused, did not impress me too much but the rooms are spacious and not over charged.

I enjoyed this homely feeling especially at the end of my day out, exploring the area around the Weizmann street where the hotel is situated. First, it is the mall nearby, with its many offers and coffee shops and small restaurants, all tempting you to stay more with their sales season. A couple of minute of wallking away, there is the famous Kikar Hamedina, with the most expensive houses and many fancy boutique shops. If you want more shopping, Azrieli shopping mall is also close. For culture lovers, Tel Aviv Opera House, Habima Theater - where extraodinary dance performances are regularly taking place, an advantage to taste arts without knowing the language - or Tel Aviv Museum are aso within reach. But most importantly for the business visitors, the hotel is in the vicinity of the Israel Trade Fairs and Convention Center or the Diamond Exchange. And if you love the sea, 5 minute away by car and around 30 by foot, you can relax at the beach, admiring the view while eventually sipping a glass of red wine.

In the morning, the energizing breakfast, with a lot of good dairy products, including the very delicious cottage cheese which always tastes the best in Israel, and freshly made pastry put you back on the good track. Looking out of the window of the 12th floor, the view of the bold city that never sleeps gives you a lot of motivation and inspiration. The pleasant background music helps you to return to normal life, one step at a time.

Before leaving, a last email checking and booking printing for the next leg of my trips. Everything works fast and I can do my things within minutes and spend the rest of the time till checkout touring once again the neighbourhood. Although I never heard about this hotel before spending here one night, given the big demand of accommodations in Tel Aviv and Israel in general, I am sure I will hear once again about it soon.

Disclaimer: I was offered a complimentary stay and tour of the hotel, but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Hotel Review: The Market Courtyard-Jerusalem Suites: your home far away from home

Nachlaot is one of the nicest neighbourhoods of the busy Jerusalem, with its traditional small houses, quiet parks where people can meet to talk the latest news or play some chess or shesh besh, small green streets and local synagogues. During the sunny days, the old buildings are wrapped into the light and made you forget which century you are living in. I passed along HaCarmel street many times before, but never had the reason to stop for more and read its messages. It is close to the famous Mahane Yehuda Market and the flea market from Agrippa Street, but also from the Central Station and the Light Rail. The friendliness of the people and the colours of the streets invited me to stay more and this is what I did before checking my apartment at the Market Courtyard -Jerusalem Suites.

Once I was given the key, some small details about entering the courtyard and the house and some codes - everything looked very safe - , I am free to discover my residence for the rest of the day and the night. My apartment has a big living room, a bathroom, a bedroom that gives into the interior yard, a kitchen and a balcony where I am thinking to spend as much time as possible.

The bathroom is spacious enough, with a bathtube, a priviledge that is not easy to have, either in apartments or hotel rooms in Jerusalem. Hot water is available round the day and everything looks white and clean.

The kitchen is provided with minimal amenities: a fridge, a microwave, coffee machine, coffee and sugar. It is enough space to give you inspiration to cook a family meal and the vicinity to the Machane Yehuda offers more than an opportunity to make yourself, your family and children feel like home. As the table in the living room can be enlarged and made bigger, you can also have a big meal, eventually with your new friends.

The decorations are minimal, but with good taste, especially the old black-and-white pictures from the old city or the posters about art exhibitions. The furniture is custom made, with serious brown and red pillows that brings more life into the room.

The residences are tailored for short, medium and long stay, as you can rent them for the day, week, month and even year. It works very well for couples, single travellers longing for the feeling of being at home, families with or without children. The wireless works very well and there is TV and air condition too. Well-written and interesting books about Jerusalem and history of Israel are inviting you to plan more wisely the next legs of the trip.

The bedroom reminded me a bit of a bungallow, and as in the rest of the house, the details are minimal, offering enough space for moving and thinking freely. Who needs too much furniture when you are on vacation? The closet is big enough to accommodate different wardrobe needs. Mine gave to the courtyard and was quiet for this time of the year - beginning of January.

The Market Courtyard (or the Hatzar Hashuk, in Hebrew) is a historical building, preserved and reinvented as an apartment building, keeping in mind the traditional elements of the Jerusalem architecture. Its internal courtyard leads to a 3-storey building, each new and provided with modern facilities. Every residence offers a different view of Jerusalem: either the Nachlaot or the marketplace bustle. If you are lucky enough to stay at the top floors, you can even have a view of the Israel Museum, the road to Gilo, or the Supreme Court Building.

My balcony offered a view over Nachlaot, without too many people outside during the day, but apparently with its own secret life during the night. In the middle of the night, a guitar player and singer in the park, made me think about some local Romeo and Juliet story, and these thoughts kept me busy enough for not trying to bother the solo concert. The balconies are big enough to allow you spending a good part of the morning there and if you want to better understand this city and its people, this seems to be a good standpoint to start with.

The courtyard offers a fascinated view, and its interior yard offers opportunities to the guests to meet and, who knows, to plan some trips together. The green plants hanging fhe balconies give an air of familiarity and friendliness. The main construction was originally built in 1886, and was part of the larger efforts to bring more Jewish population outside the walls of the city of Jerusalem. The old stones of the courtyard can be a reminder of the old and many untold histories.

When it was about time to go to my next destination, I had the feeling that I have to leave a place that I was just starting to become too familiar with to abandon without regrets. The Nachlaot and the secrets kept into the courtyard were calling me back. I wonder if the guitar musician still singing in the park?

For more insights from this accommodation, check the dedicated Pinterest board: https://www.pinterest.com/ilanaontheroad/the-market-courtyard-jerusalem-suites/

Disclaimer: I was offered a one-night stay at the Market Courtyard - Jerusalem Suites, but the opinions are, as usual, my own

Breakfast chez Benedict in Berlin

As in the case of the afternoon tea, also when it comes to breakfast  Berlin has a long way until it will reach a degree of elegance and refinement comparable to London or Paris. But it is important to keep trying and searching for the best. Thus, when I've found out that the famous Benedict breakfast chain made in Israel has decided to open its branded place in my city, I almost jump of excitement. Finally, the fat generous Middle Eastern breakfast  

Elegantly decorated, with leather couches and luxuriant wall prints, the place reminds of a little French eatery with a touch of British charm and warm customer service. It is situated at the ground level of a boutique hotel at the intersection between Uhlandstrasse and Pariserstrasse, a quiet and posh part of Berlin.

In Israel, Benedict - present in Tel Aviv, Herzliya and Rishon LeZion - offers 24/7 breakfast, but for Berlin, as for now, it is open only until 16.00. The menu was also adapted to the expectations of the German foodie market. What it didn't change is the excellent customer service, which is not only careful to serve you, but to create a certain ambiance that calls you back, whatever your impressions about the food. It has that human touch in so much demand in many of the food places in Berlin, including the high-end ones. 

Too much talk, let's eat. As I am keen to try good Egg Benedicts, I am for a truffle mushrooms version, which is tasty and well done, except that the choice of bread - white and maybe not necessarily fresh, doesn't match. At all. However, the full flavor of truffles which I love a lot, melted with the egg yolk, give my brains a good feeling which make me forget that detail. Maybe the next time there will be a change of bread, I said hopefully to myself and jump to the next order. I love long rich breakfast, you know...

The coconut banana pancakes are not too sweet, soaked in delicious tasting sauces and added some extra natural sugar from the banana. The dough is special, not the usual American pancakes one might expect. The strong cappuccino makes balances the sugar in the blood, but after all, the winter just started and we all need some warm and little sweet surprises. As for me, I would for sure be back this season, to check more of the menu. Because, as you know already, breakfast is my favourite part of the day.