You may be wondering where I was a few weeks ago on my blogging break/petit vacances. I was in Israel for two weeks.
It may come as a surprise to you (it’s even a surprise to me), that I have never been to Israel considering my Jewish heritage and that my entire family and extended family have been many times. Once I moved to Paris, I had no more excuses, as Israel was only five and a half hours away with an hour time change. I found an incredible fare of 190 euros round trip, so I booked my flight and off we were, Vincent and I, to Israel on November 1.
Our first stop was Tel Aviv. We checked into the Shenkin Hotel, a newly opened small boutique hotel on quiet residential street. Our comfortable but small room had all white linens and comfy but firm mattress, big screen TV (we watched Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother with Hebrew subtitles) and a great all tile bathroom. What we liked best about the hotel was the young, energetic staff who more than went out of their way to make sure we had a good stay. They made restaurant recommendations and reservations (really good ones, by the way), gave us directions, and patiently marked maps for us. The other thing I liked was instead of the boring, expected hotel buffet breakfast with lousy coffee, they gave us a voucher to have breakfast at a local café. The café was on Shenkin Street, a lively street lined with cafes and hip boutiques, much like the feel of Williamsburg in Brooklyn. One of the highlights of Tel Aviv was having a delicious full, breakfast including the famous Israeli spicy baked tomato and egg dish shakshouka with a big, fresh cucumber, red onion, and tomato salad while absorbing Israeli life by people watching.
Rooftop deck of shenkin Hotel with great views of Tel Aviv
Dan Weinstein, part of the freindly staff
One of my tour clients a few months ago was born and raised in Tel Aviv, now living in Florida. I told him I was going to Israel, and he said I must contact his father because his father loves showing off the city. I contacted Shaul and he kindly offered us a tour of Tel Aviv. He picked us up at our hotel on Saturday morning and he gave a fascinating and in depth history of the city along with practical tips and information, and some personal stories about his background and family. Shaul is third generation Israeli, and he pointed out a boulevard named after his grandfather, Haim Arlosoroff, left wing Zionist, and told us the story about how he was assassinated by his right wing enemies in 1933.
The weather was absolutely delightful with sunshine everyday and temperatures in the high 70s, perfect for roaming the streets of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv has the largest concentration of Bauhaus buildings in the world. Often called The White City, there are over 4,000 certified Bauhaus buildings in Tel Aviv, built by Jewish German architects who fled Germany in the 1930s because of the Nazi regime. In 2003 UNESCO declared Tel Aviv a world heritage site and since then many of the buildings have been restored. Rothschild Boulevard right near our hotel had some of the best examples of Bauhaus architecture.
One of our favorite neighborhoods was a small enclave, Neve Tzedek, sort of the Marais of Tel Aviv. Neve Tzedek is the oldest neighborhood in Tel Aviv, a settlement started in 1887 by Jews to move out of overcrowded Jaffa, and in fact pre-dated Tel Aviv, which was started in 1909. The low, pastel colored buildings along with iron gates and railings reminded me of the south of France. There were many charming boutiques with Israeli designers, a great selection of restaurants and a cultural center that specialized in modern dance. We got tickets for a local dance troupe and believe it or not Paula Abdul took the stage to introduce and highly praise the dance company. The performance was electrifying and was one of the best dance companies I have seen in the last five years.
Our conveniently located hotel was a block away from the fabulous and frenetic Carmel food market. Vendors hawking their wares in Hebrew and Arabic were selling everything from underpants with Jewish stars to pomegranates. We sampled delicious Jewish breads and pastries at artisanal bakery Lehamim and balanced it with mid-east pastries. Seduced and almost overcome by the aromatic spices and the aggressive salesman at a certain spice shop, we bought enough spices for the next 10 years and now our luggage permanently smells of cumin.
One of the things we liked most about Tel Aviv and all of Israel was the incredible, diverse, and inventive food. Almost every restaurant was an experience of excellent, aromatically spiced food, friendly, efficient service, and the freshest produce, fish, and meat. Our favorite restaurants in Tel Aviv were Delicatessen, a two story complex with a restaurant, fresh food market, bakery, and wine cellar, where I had the best chopped liver I have ever eaten, Nana, an eclectically designed former warehouse in Neve Tzedek with modern food and rousing music, and Joz ve Loz, a charming restaurant with a romantic, rustic candlelit garden serving mostly vegetarian food with local ingredients.
Tel Aviv is a modern, vibrant city with diverse culture and food with genuinely friendly and warm people who made our stay so much richer. I liked the juxtaposition of the gritty, grimy streets with decaying buildings against the newly built complexes and plazas with skyscrapers.
I am trying a new format for my travel posts and instead of writing about Israel for multiple days in a row, I will be writing more about Israel every Tuesday for the next five weeks. What do you think of the new format?
Shenkin Hotel
21 Brener St. Tel Aviv
http://www.shenkinhotel.com
Delicatessen
79-81 Yehuda Halevy St. Tel Aviv 67777
Nana
1 Ahad Haam, Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv
Joz Ve Loz
51 Yehuda Halevy St. Tel Aviv 67777
Sunset at Jaffa
I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.
Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.
Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.
Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
New Eye Prefer Paris Photos for Sale
I am happy to announce the sale of a new set of prints of my Eye Prefer Paris Photos. I am offering 20 of my most popular and iconic images for sale including my doors, architectural details, statues, and monuments. They will make great gifts for all your Francophile friends, relatives, and colleagues but don't forget to buy some for yourself.
Click here to see photos and for full details including sizes, prices, and shipping. Here is a sample of some of the photos.
