"Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself. (I am [small], I contain multitudes)"

We've spent the past couple of days meandering around Tel Aviv and getting some sun on the Yafo beach, respectively.

On Friday, we started out a bit late, jet lagged, from our place and headed down to the Old Jaffa Port, walking along the sea wall.  Approximately 500 yards off the wall is Andromeda's rock.  According to Greek myth, Andromeda, daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia, king and queen of  Ethiopia, was chained naked to the rock by Poseidon to be eaten by a sea monster in order to punish Cassiopeia for bragging that Andromeda was more beautiful  than the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. Perseus, returning from having slain the Gorgon Medusa, found Andromeda and slew the sea monster. He set her free, and married her.

Perseus & Andromeda by Vasari c. 1570

There are a lot of neat things about this. Here are a couple: First, the intertwining of Greek mythology and the port of Jaffa, which gave rise to such  legends as Jonah and the Great Fish and served, truly, for thousands of years as the gateway to Jerusalem and the Holy Land for pilgrims from all over the world. Second, in a couple of weeks, we'll be heading to Athens.  Okay, here's a third -- and we didn't plan it -- Sam's school project in 7th grade (this coming year) will focus on ancient civilizations.  I guess he's gotten a pretty good head start.

We walked up the stairs from the sea wall to Old Jaffa, hoping to access the visitor's center.  Alas, we were unable to do so, discovering that it is being renovated.  Too bad because we would have loved to see the archeological exhibition. I was fortunate enough to see it in 1984, but I was sad for Jen, Sam, and Ella.  Ah well, we purchased some cold bottled water (Note to self: Drink lots of water in July in Israel!) and proceeded on foot back down the stairs to the sea and walked along the southernmost beginnings of the miles-long stretch of Tel Aviv beachfront.

Ella and Sam on TA beach with Old Jaffa in background

The kids were excited because we had been so hot, but down by the Mediterranean, a wonderful breeze was blowing.  Sam's 13-year old self was particularly excited by a couple of topless sunbathers. What a life! We took off our sandles and put our feet in the Big Med bathtub.  Soothing!

Gradually, we made our way north, up the beach to Charles Clore park, making our way east in search of the Carmel Market and Nahalat Binyamin craft fair.  We got a little lost in central Tel Aviv, but a kind woman took pity on us and directed us to the Carmel Market.  We walked a couple of blocks west and there it was, a huge outdoor bazaar of all sorts of foods: candies, fresh fish (still jumping) and fishmongers too, meats, cheeses, pastas, breads -- amazing!

Ella's favorites at the Carmel Market

Before we entered, hot again, we stopped at a juice vendor who, in his IDF Ranger tanktop, looked like the Incredible Hulk.  Biceps and triceps bulging and glistening in the swealtering heat.   Sam ordered up a nice cup of fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. Awesome.  Ella had herself freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.  Nice. Israelis and Palestinians know very well how to produce both fruits and juice 'em up.   

All kinds of smells permeated the place, both good and not so good.  If you're going to be in such a place late on a Friday afternoon, just before the beginning of Shabbat when all the best deals can

Carmel  Shuk

be had, then you'd better be prepared for suffocating throngs of people, good and bad odors, and overall disgustingness (and greatness).  We proceeded several hundred yards into the morass but then Sam said he wasn't feeling very well (as in nauseous), so we made a quick exit through a stall and Sam had a seat on a rather grimy curb.  The fresh air did the trick, Jen persuaded him to give it one more try, which he did gallantly but it didn't last long.  Still, we'd had our shuk experience and were satisfied.

Ella at Carmel Shuk while Sam decides whether to puke

Instantly, we happened upon the Nahalat Binyamin craft fair, located in south central Tel Aviv.  It's got your typical artisan stuff that you see at most such crafty fairs: utensils bent ingeniously to resemble robots or humans, sometimes serving as salt-and-pepper shaker holders, sometimes as guitar players; leather goods; jewelry; lots of artsy Judaica... and, oh  yes, Hare Krishnas too! (thank for the reminder Jen!)

Nice but nothing special. Nevertheless, a lovely way to spend the late afternoon.  We stopped for snacks of salads and milkshakes at a little street cafe and watched the artisans break down their stations. It was 5:30pm and Tel Aviv was getting quiet. Erev Shabbat.

Sam and the Real Girl at Nahalat Binyamin Craft Fair

We walked a few blocks west, past the Carmel Market again, where Jen purchased a challah, toward the beach, to the apartment building where Ian and Mark were staying on Daniel Street and hung out there for a bit.  I sat on the veranda and watched the sun set over the sea.  Then, after saying the blessing
over the candles using a lighter and the motzi over the challach, we all headed out to walk along the promenade back toward Yafo, where we would have a wonderful dinner of mezze, lamb kebab, shrimp, and more at Abu Nassar. It was a long, long, long walk.... and by the time we reached the restaurant at the end of  Kedem Street, everyone was grumpy.  Good thing the servers wasted no time putting the salads and mezze on the table as well as ice cold, fresh limonade. Refreshing!

As we strolled the promenade, just after sunset, thousands of  Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Tel Avivians and, of course, tourists from everywhere in the world, were enjoying the evening.  It seemed like almost everyone was barbecuing something.  Kids were flying kites.  Ella and Sam frolicked with the other kids on the great playground that contained some challenging climbing structures. Personally, I was struck by the diversity and tolerance. Yes, I was seeing just the surface and I'm not naive. Still, I wondered why this was scene was not possible throughout Israel, every day, and in the rest of the Middle East too. Jews used to be able to enjoy themselves similarly in Egypt, Iran, and Iraq.  But after the creation of Israel, those countries, incensed by the Jewish state's founding on the backs of Palestinians, basically expelled most of their Jews.  All of this has been extraordinarily tragic.  But this scene on the Tel Aviv promenade, on this Shabbat, told me things could be different in a very good way. Israel, Palestine, and the Arabs have serious work to do to make life better for their people.

Today, our "secular Shabbat" in Sam's words, was spent on the beach in Yafo.  Ella and Sam enjoyed playing the rough surf.  The lifeguards enjoyed using their PA to tell the "yeledim" (children) not to swim beyond the black flags and to stay inside the green flags. The Muslim women swam with their burkas (head scarves) on. I'd always wondered about that, and now I had my answer. The beach was packed with sun worshippers.  I wouldn't call the scene peaceful, but it was good people watching, and the fact that there was a nice little shady bar located on the beach helped take the edge off.  Sam had a couple of Pepsi's and I had a couple of ice cold Goldstar beers.

Franks and Shermans at Cordelia in Yafo (photo by Eminem)

As the beach emptied, the four of us remained  to watch the big orange ball of fire disappear behind the sea; then we headed home to shower and meet up for dinner (at Cordelia on Yefet Street) with Ian, Mark and..... Jen's brother and sister-in-law, Bryant and Mary. The latter two had been spending time in the northern part of the country over the past couple of days and now would spend much of the remainder of their stay with us here in Tel Aviv and, next week, in Jerusalem.  Of course, after dinner, we headed over to Victory for ice cream.  Sweet victory.

On that note, I leave you now with Ella "proposing" to Napoleon in Old Jaffa....