The beach is definitely the place to be on summer evenings. Grab something to take for the girls' supper and head down to Tel Aviv's newly renovated (Hebrew link) "Metzitzim" beach (named after a popular Israel movie filmed there in the early seventies) at half five in the afternoon and you get to spend a lovely tranquil afternoon and early evening, watching the sun setting. During the week it's a Tel Avivi thing. At the weekends you'll find the rest of the country there. Less pleasant for us locals. Not being snobby, just too crowded, and it's near enough for us to go during the week, without getting stuck in traffic. "Metzitzim" beach is now connected by footpath to the newly renovated commercial and entertainment area of Tel Aviv's old port. It hasn't functioned as a port for years, since Ashdod port was built, and had become very rundown. Now it has restaurants, coffee shops, bars and nightclubs. We like going there in the winter and watching the waves break on the pier.
The port actually has an interesting history. It was built during the "Great Arab Uprising" in the thirties (yes, the British had their Intifada, too), when Jews were not able to use Jaffa port. Tel Aviv port was constructed as an alternative. There is a photo of Bish's grandfather at the grand opening. Bish's mother says she was there too. It was apparently a very joyous occasion. They also built a trade fair center there, the first in the Middle East, which has since been moved to another location in Tel Aviv. The story goes that one of the local Arab notables said that camels would fly before the Jews would be able to build a trade fair center in Tel Aviv. Therefore the symbol of the fair center was (and still is) a flying camel.
Well, we're off to Mitzpe Ramon for the weekend. I'm a bit back on my correspondences. My apologies to those who haven't received answers to e-mails.
Shabbat Shalom.