Tel Aviv

I made it to Israel, my 2nd country! It took some time though unfortunately. I had a very long layover in Istanbul and then my flight was delayed. So I wasn't a happy camper when I finally made it through customs and grabbed my bag. Due to the late hour, I splurged on a cab ride to the apartment I stayed in. I eventually went to bed so I could get myself up to do my long run. Which actually ended up being very nice. I had 18-19 miles planned, and the miles went by relatively quickly. I ran on the promenade along the Mediterranean and made my way to HaYarkon Park. The city is very accommodating to athletes. And I saw so many people out taking advantage; runners, walkers, bikers, swimmers, surfers, paddle boarders, tennis players, soccer players, skateboarders, fisherman (if you count this as a sport) were all out. The list was endless. And I loved it. In Turkey I felt like I was the only one that exercised. And it was nice to share that with the people of Tel Aviv. Of course, it's pretty warm here. So the end of my run wasn't going too well. I was fantasizing about jumping into the sea. So I did. Once I hit 18.6 miles (at least one mile more than last week) I took off my running sneakers and tank top, and jumped in. And it was amazing.

After that, I just wanted to sit somewhere, eat something, and drink something. So I did. I found a recommended cafe and got a sandwich and some sangria. Since it was Sukkot, there were happy hour specials. And even though I'm not Jewish, I will celebrate if there are reductions on alcohol. Although, I actually have celebrated Sukkot once before and helped build a Sukkah. Let's just say I'm a good non-Jewish friend and I earned that happy hour special. 

Chag Sameach.

Afterward I explored the neighborhood of Neve Tzedek and made my way to Old Jaffa. Neve Tzedek is very pretty, but even more so with all the graffiti sprinkled in around the area. Nice juxtapositions. Yeah, I'm throwing out a fancy word. One of things I forget that this is a town on the Meditation. I see a lot of similarities with Spain (really the only other place I've spent quite a bit on the Mediterranean). Especially with all the beaches. After I took in these beautiful places, I grabbed an Israeli beer (Goldstar) and watched the sunset on the beach. All very nice and relaxing. Definitely a lot of beach vibes going on. 

Neve Tzedek.

Obviously, I spent the next day at the beach. How could I not. I have to work on getting rid of my runner's tan (which will never go away). And since it was in the 80s, and I feel like I didn't have much of a summer, off to the beach I went! I am very partial to Northeast beaches and I love the waves. But I still managed to enjoy myself. 

Tel Aviv beaches. 

After the beach, I went to explore Carmel Market, which was closed. I then learned that there was another holiday, Simchat Torah, Day of Celebrating the Torah. Ok, so I'll wait another day to explore the market and go find some schwarma. Oh wait, that place is also closed. Ok, hummus will do. And hummus it was. And quite delish. I checked out Humous Abu Dabi and had my fill of hummus. Which is hard to admit since I love hummus. Good thing I just got here. 

Carmel Market.

My time in Tel Aviv went by very quickly. Before I left, I was able to go to the Carmel Market and Old Jaffa flea market. I've been wanting to buy stuff. But I've resisted so far. I bought a hat (fedora in Turkey), but I'm waiting a little bit to see what I absolutely need. Which isn't much. But I'm thinking a long skirt at some point. I'm keeping my eye out. 

I'm now going to finish enjoying my Alexander Blonde and find some dinner. L'chaim.