O Say Can You Sea?

Jaffa

I’m happy to be back in Tel Aviv. It’s a modern city, with fewer historical sites and taller buildings, but it’s right on the Mediterranean Sea. We rented an apartment on Dizengoff (a trendy part of town near the beach) for our stay, which has all the “basic comforts of home“ (kitchenette and wifi) and a view of the busy street below. For once this whole trip, we don’t have to do anything. There’s no long, detailed list or guidebook with ideas for places to see. Just whatever we’re in the mood for. It is going to be a fabulous way to wrap up this long vacation. 

This morning we wandered down the beach to Jaffa, the ancient port town that was where, according to legend, Perseus rescued the princess Andromeda after she was tied to a rock as a sacrifice to a sea monster. “Old Jaffa” is a sleepy little town made of stone that is peppered with art galleries, boutiques, and sea-side cafés.  We found a few old churches that unfortunately weren’t open to the public, before coming across a sign pointing to the legendary rock that Andromeda was tied to. Success! We continued to stroll down the rocky boardwalk passed the port, which featured hundreds of little boats in every color, ready to be taken out to sea. Soon we headed away from the boardwalk and into town where the tiny streets are lined with flea markets (more haggling…) and shops. We browsed, noting the goods, and promising ourselves that if we found anything REALLY interesting, we’d be back another day (I did and I will).

Andromeda's Rock

The Jaffa trip actually began and ended at the Carmel Market: a mid-sized bazaar catering to locals with actual, established prices and a lack of haggling (aka HEAVEN). After Jerusalem, I had sworn off bazaars for the rest of my trip. However, we hopped off of sheirut (small bus) #4, and found ourselves standing in its colorful, inviting entrance. You pick up on a bazaar’s vibes the second you walk in. If there are negative vibes, it’s a haggling market where customers are straining to get a good price. If there are positive vibes, it’s a market filled with locals where no one questions the pricing. 

We found all sorts of goods that morning. Kevin finally found the shirts he’s been searching for all trip (replacements for the t-shirts he’s sick of), I found earrings (around $3 each) and the same Dead Sea mud products they sold at the Ein Gedi spa, but for 75% LESS. The entire last 1/3 of the market was dedicated to food. Produce stands were stacked one after another alongside bakery stands, cheese shops, and meat vendors. So on our way back, we grabbed a few bags and went grocery shopping, Israeli style. 

Trying to get a butcher’s attention is like trying to get the bartender to FINALLY notice you and take your order. You wait for eye contact, and then jump up when they head your way. Unless of course it’s a produce vendor who wants to hit on you, and then you’ll find yourself at the front of the line with a beautiful strawberry in your hand as he smiles and says “very beautiful.” Yea. Kevin is my witness. This happened ;). We successfully managed to gather our goods and shove our way through the market, which was saturated with families purchasing food for Shabat dinner. We finally headed for the sheirut with our arms full of multicolored bags. 

Back at the apartment, we feasted on sandwiches made from salami, turkey, tomato, gouda and brie, along with oddly flavored Cheetos and Doritos I picked up across the street, and of course, plump, juicy strawberries purchased from my friend at the market for dessert. 

Tomorrow Shabat (sundown Friday til sundown Saturday) continues, and no buses run.  Fingers crossed that the day brings sunlight instead of the forecasted rainclouds so we can spend the day on the beach.