We were very pleasantly surprised by Tel Aviv.  With great weather, great beaches, a modern, efficient and attractive city, it really is a great place.  We think so highly of it that we included it on our top 4 list of cities where we could live and work.

A short walk down the beach promenade from Tel Aviv sits Jaffa, a quaint harbor-side town that clings to the craggy shores and is home to an old city of narrow, twisting alleys.  Originally founded by the son of Noah (of Noah and the Ark fame) in the wake of that big old flood, it is now essentially part of Tel Aviv.

While in Jaffa, we got a bit carried away and indulged ourselves by buying a piece of art from the Handelman's, pictured here.  Originally from Cleveland, they emigrated to Israel in 1974 and have been here ever since.  Stanley is the artist, and does wonderfully evocative silk screen prints.  We can't wait to enjoy ours back in the States.

Rich in the gardens of Old Jaffa, with the Mediterranean Sea, and the attractive city of Tel Aviv in the background.

One of the principal attractions of Tel Aviv is, of course, the wide, long beaches.  We spent our fair share of time there, enjoying the great waves (nice and big), the people, and the sunshine.

The normally hectic Carmel Market in the Yemenite Quarter of Tel Aviv is a ghost town on Saturday morning, Shabbat.  In Israel, Shabbat (from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday) is a very quiet time.  Most businesses are closed, cars are few on the road, buses don't run, and finding something to eat can be difficult.  Any other day the market is packed full of vendors and people elbowing their way through the crowds.

While in Tel Aviv we stayed at a great place: the Hotel Nordau.  That's our room at the bottom of the photo with a wide, long balcony overlooking Binyamin Street, a pedestrianized street normally bustling with people shopping and looking for something to eat.

Simon was the principal of the Hotel, a charming friendly man who is originally from Hungary.  Simon is a great guy, always in the mood to talk and share.  Someone we will miss but always remember.

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