Madness!
It's been an action packed few days ... Sarah's birthday celebration on Saturday, complete with a yummy lunch at the Cinematheque in Jerusalem - puts the Angelika to shame, with sweeping views of the Old City walls and incredible foccacia - then socializing with the Sinels, a swim with all of the French, South Africans, and British at the pool, and off for a funky dinner. We ate too much, drank too much, and soaked in the spirit of Jerusalem on Shabbat, which is amazing. The late evening hours found us strolling on Ben Yehuda Street, with literally thousands of teens - all looking hip, gorgeous, and all laughing, enjoying themselves.
Israeli society is extremely loose and casual, and has a real 'free' energy that we rarely find at home. Although New York is often construed as an uninhibited, it still moves to the beat of corporate America. The most corporate feeling one gets here is the ubiquitous presence of the café chain - Aroma, Café Hillel, Arccaffé (think a quicker, more stylish version of Starbucks - and better!). This is a land of youth, and as many have explained to me, when you think of going into the army at age 18 for a few years, you grow up quickly and 'have your fun' in your early teens. Frankly, I think it's more than that. Kids roam free here, yes, with cell phone in hand, but the parents are not freaked out the way that they are in America (thanks again 20/20 and all of the other hysterical minded TV shows - pump up the madness for those ratings, at the expense of our sanity!). It seems like this is, ironically, a very safe society, and I have been struck by how sheltered Jane and I are raising our kids. Yes, they've been in the souks of Marrakesh, the windy streets of Delhi, seen most of the major monuments in Europe, and spend summers in Canada at sleep away camp. But we move, essentially, in a pack. I'm not quite sure what to make of this - Jared, Marlee, and Andi have been moving about freely here, so they can clearly 'handle' it - and yet they don't have this mobility at home (not just on our busy street, but in general). There's something to be said for the independence of the kids here, which Jane herself experienced when she lived in Tel Aviv (ages 10 to 15), and then again, there's something wonderful about spending Saturday evening with the kids at the Landmark watching a movie, or hanging out at home with a DVD, or just walking in the West Village eating Magnolia cupcakes together. Who knows ...
Sunday morning I woke Jane up, much to her horror, and at 7:30 am we were driving through East Jerusalem - completely another city, fully Oriental - towards the Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock. I had been to this site 25 years ago, and of late it has not been recommended for tourists. Things seem quieter here now (although everyone else seems to feel that it's a bit more 'tense'), so I decided I had to go back. After being turned away, by Israeli security, at a number of entry points, we were able to access the site at a checkpoint adjacent to the Western Wall. So as one ascends a wooden bridge, overlooking the Kotel as early morning prayers are taking place, you suddenly find yourself way up, in a different world, a different culture. We basically had the entire plaza surrounding the golden dome to ourselves - a few kids running around, a couple of tourists, but there we were - the dome gleaming in the early morning light, a huge open space in the middle of Jerusalem, with amazing views in every direction. It was an incredibly peaceful and wonderful moment ...
Back to the hotel, swimming, a huge breakfast on the terrace (ugggghhhh - I've been living on hummus, tahini, and chopped salads - seems light until I try to do up my pants!). Sarah and Arnie have been loving the trip - the weather (a bit too hot for them), the kids, the land - so great. We packed up after more swimming, and sadly said goodbye to the David Citadel Hotel - love it there! We ended our Jerusalem experience at the Tayelet (Haas Promenade), a gorgeous stone promenade and green park with - yes - incredible views over the entire white stone city - inspiring!
An hour later we were facing the Mediterranean in Herzliya, getting settled in our hotel - sadly, not as spectacular as our former digs but can't beat the location - directly on the shores of the sea, facing west, full sun and views, lots of space - amazing! We spoke with Ilana, our friend from Munich, and quickly zipped over to Zozobra for Asian noodles (like Kelley and Ping, but on every corner here) and a big reunion with her and the girls ... so much fun, then a huge gelato - bursting!!!
Monday morning, we were invited over to Anne's home here, the wonderful woman who is the genesis for the Rwandan project. We talked about the groundbreaking which just took place, her meeting with President Paul Kagame, and the general direction of the project - so gracious. The rest of Monday found us lying on the beach, sans Dabush, our former favorite beach shack hangout (mysteriously gone after authorities had realized they'd been operating without a license - for the past 30 years?!?!?!). We made our way to the adjacent Avi's Place on Accadia Beach - the kids swimming in the Med whilst Jane and I whittled away the hours with beer and platters of salad, hummus, Moroccan cigars, (saying "MMMMMM" every five seconds) etc.. Just sitting on those chairs, enjoying the sun, the sea, the open spaces, and relaxing - a true slice of heaven in Herzliya (an upscale northern suburb of Tel Aviv). Monday evening we went to the Port of Tel Aviv, which has been kitted out with swanky outdoor restaurants, incredible modern shops, loud music, fresh food - energy!!! Everything is open til the wee hours, and it is a very hip and cool zone - again, not overly corporate or sterile, rather unique and right on the edge of the Med - again! They do know how to use their resources here (not like NYC, where the city often turns its' back on the water, facing inwards to the Park and Fifth Avenue - although would we really want to see what's floating in the East River anyhow???).
Tuesday, ahhh, Tuesday. Chaim Weizmann's private residence in Rehovot - an amazing 1937 Bauhaus building, rigid, symmetrical, modernist, and incredibly detailed! We had a fantastic private tour - truly a highlight of the trip - and got up close and personal with the life and lifestyle of Israel's visionary first President - a dynamic and deliberate character (with extremely good taste). A fantastic experience beyond words (even for me!!!). Back on the beach later that afternoon, we sat with Sarah and Arnie while the kids were playing ball and swimming, and waited for the first wave - of friends! Along came Suzy (Vivi Nassim's mother), along with her sister Gili, husband Eytan, and their three gorgeous boys ... more ball, beer, bread, etc. - lots of laughs and fun in the late afternoon sun! My mother and Suzy, who share a birthday, enjoyed a stroll along the shore while we - well - we did nothing!!! Ilana appeared for a late afternoon drink, and Gili recognized her from a chance encounter that they had at a Tel Aviv pool five years ago (and their passionate discussion about the brutality of a particular 'kikar' in the center of the city) - so here was Gili, from TA, familiar with Ilana from Bavaria - connect the dots!
The second wave followed - Tania and Ruggero, from Milano, who have been living here for one year - with their kids. They are also friends with Ilana, and Louis (who subsequently arrived, fresh off the plane from Munich) ... we had last all been together in Venezia two years ago, so it was great to hang out in Tel Aviv and rekindle old times ... we were all friends, sans enfants, in the original New York days.
Gili, Eytan, Suzy and the boys left us, and we look forward to dinner with them Saturday evening. We hung out late on the beach - 10pm - eating more giant platters, drinking, laughing, talking, the kids conversing in Hebrew, French, English, Italian - but most through playing ball and games - a real Tower of Babel. Sadly, we said our goodbyes, having tried to reach Debbie and Dino in Brussels by phone (no answer - they are also mutual friends to all of us) ... the last stragglers adamantly demanding another gelato at 11pm (so off we went to town in bathing suits - quite a sight!). My parents declined, I think they'll need a real vacation after we're done with Asia Minor!!!
Today, off to Tel Aviv to explore the original Bauhaus architecture of the White City, a bite at Sushi Samba (same as NY), a stroll through Neve Tzedek, a light dinner in Jaffa, then an evening coffee with Jane's relatives - hope we can get directions to their home, literally no one in Israel has any sense of where anything else is relative to their own position. Needing a little GPS TLC!!!
Love to all from the shores of Israel,
Harley
It's been an action packed few days ... Sarah's birthday celebration on Saturday, complete with a yummy lunch at the Cinematheque in Jerusalem - puts the Angelika to shame, with sweeping views of the Old City walls and incredible foccacia - then socializing with the Sinels, a swim with all of the French, South Africans, and British at the pool, and off for a funky dinner. We ate too much, drank too much, and soaked in the spirit of Jerusalem on Shabbat, which is amazing. The late evening hours found us strolling on Ben Yehuda Street, with literally thousands of teens - all looking hip, gorgeous, and all laughing, enjoying themselves.
Israeli society is extremely loose and casual, and has a real 'free' energy that we rarely find at home. Although New York is often construed as an uninhibited, it still moves to the beat of corporate America. The most corporate feeling one gets here is the ubiquitous presence of the café chain - Aroma, Café Hillel, Arccaffé (think a quicker, more stylish version of Starbucks - and better!). This is a land of youth, and as many have explained to me, when you think of going into the army at age 18 for a few years, you grow up quickly and 'have your fun' in your early teens. Frankly, I think it's more than that. Kids roam free here, yes, with cell phone in hand, but the parents are not freaked out the way that they are in America (thanks again 20/20 and all of the other hysterical minded TV shows - pump up the madness for those ratings, at the expense of our sanity!). It seems like this is, ironically, a very safe society, and I have been struck by how sheltered Jane and I are raising our kids. Yes, they've been in the souks of Marrakesh, the windy streets of Delhi, seen most of the major monuments in Europe, and spend summers in Canada at sleep away camp. But we move, essentially, in a pack. I'm not quite sure what to make of this - Jared, Marlee, and Andi have been moving about freely here, so they can clearly 'handle' it - and yet they don't have this mobility at home (not just on our busy street, but in general). There's something to be said for the independence of the kids here, which Jane herself experienced when she lived in Tel Aviv (ages 10 to 15), and then again, there's something wonderful about spending Saturday evening with the kids at the Landmark watching a movie, or hanging out at home with a DVD, or just walking in the West Village eating Magnolia cupcakes together. Who knows ...
Sunday morning I woke Jane up, much to her horror, and at 7:30 am we were driving through East Jerusalem - completely another city, fully Oriental - towards the Temple Mount/Dome of the Rock. I had been to this site 25 years ago, and of late it has not been recommended for tourists. Things seem quieter here now (although everyone else seems to feel that it's a bit more 'tense'), so I decided I had to go back. After being turned away, by Israeli security, at a number of entry points, we were able to access the site at a checkpoint adjacent to the Western Wall. So as one ascends a wooden bridge, overlooking the Kotel as early morning prayers are taking place, you suddenly find yourself way up, in a different world, a different culture. We basically had the entire plaza surrounding the golden dome to ourselves - a few kids running around, a couple of tourists, but there we were - the dome gleaming in the early morning light, a huge open space in the middle of Jerusalem, with amazing views in every direction. It was an incredibly peaceful and wonderful moment ...
Back to the hotel, swimming, a huge breakfast on the terrace (ugggghhhh - I've been living on hummus, tahini, and chopped salads - seems light until I try to do up my pants!). Sarah and Arnie have been loving the trip - the weather (a bit too hot for them), the kids, the land - so great. We packed up after more swimming, and sadly said goodbye to the David Citadel Hotel - love it there! We ended our Jerusalem experience at the Tayelet (Haas Promenade), a gorgeous stone promenade and green park with - yes - incredible views over the entire white stone city - inspiring!
An hour later we were facing the Mediterranean in Herzliya, getting settled in our hotel - sadly, not as spectacular as our former digs but can't beat the location - directly on the shores of the sea, facing west, full sun and views, lots of space - amazing! We spoke with Ilana, our friend from Munich, and quickly zipped over to Zozobra for Asian noodles (like Kelley and Ping, but on every corner here) and a big reunion with her and the girls ... so much fun, then a huge gelato - bursting!!!
Monday morning, we were invited over to Anne's home here, the wonderful woman who is the genesis for the Rwandan project. We talked about the groundbreaking which just took place, her meeting with President Paul Kagame, and the general direction of the project - so gracious. The rest of Monday found us lying on the beach, sans Dabush, our former favorite beach shack hangout (mysteriously gone after authorities had realized they'd been operating without a license - for the past 30 years?!?!?!). We made our way to the adjacent Avi's Place on Accadia Beach - the kids swimming in the Med whilst Jane and I whittled away the hours with beer and platters of salad, hummus, Moroccan cigars, (saying "MMMMMM" every five seconds) etc.. Just sitting on those chairs, enjoying the sun, the sea, the open spaces, and relaxing - a true slice of heaven in Herzliya (an upscale northern suburb of Tel Aviv). Monday evening we went to the Port of Tel Aviv, which has been kitted out with swanky outdoor restaurants, incredible modern shops, loud music, fresh food - energy!!! Everything is open til the wee hours, and it is a very hip and cool zone - again, not overly corporate or sterile, rather unique and right on the edge of the Med - again! They do know how to use their resources here (not like NYC, where the city often turns its' back on the water, facing inwards to the Park and Fifth Avenue - although would we really want to see what's floating in the East River anyhow???).
Tuesday, ahhh, Tuesday. Chaim Weizmann's private residence in Rehovot - an amazing 1937 Bauhaus building, rigid, symmetrical, modernist, and incredibly detailed! We had a fantastic private tour - truly a highlight of the trip - and got up close and personal with the life and lifestyle of Israel's visionary first President - a dynamic and deliberate character (with extremely good taste). A fantastic experience beyond words (even for me!!!). Back on the beach later that afternoon, we sat with Sarah and Arnie while the kids were playing ball and swimming, and waited for the first wave - of friends! Along came Suzy (Vivi Nassim's mother), along with her sister Gili, husband Eytan, and their three gorgeous boys ... more ball, beer, bread, etc. - lots of laughs and fun in the late afternoon sun! My mother and Suzy, who share a birthday, enjoyed a stroll along the shore while we - well - we did nothing!!! Ilana appeared for a late afternoon drink, and Gili recognized her from a chance encounter that they had at a Tel Aviv pool five years ago (and their passionate discussion about the brutality of a particular 'kikar' in the center of the city) - so here was Gili, from TA, familiar with Ilana from Bavaria - connect the dots!
The second wave followed - Tania and Ruggero, from Milano, who have been living here for one year - with their kids. They are also friends with Ilana, and Louis (who subsequently arrived, fresh off the plane from Munich) ... we had last all been together in Venezia two years ago, so it was great to hang out in Tel Aviv and rekindle old times ... we were all friends, sans enfants, in the original New York days.
Gili, Eytan, Suzy and the boys left us, and we look forward to dinner with them Saturday evening. We hung out late on the beach - 10pm - eating more giant platters, drinking, laughing, talking, the kids conversing in Hebrew, French, English, Italian - but most through playing ball and games - a real Tower of Babel. Sadly, we said our goodbyes, having tried to reach Debbie and Dino in Brussels by phone (no answer - they are also mutual friends to all of us) ... the last stragglers adamantly demanding another gelato at 11pm (so off we went to town in bathing suits - quite a sight!). My parents declined, I think they'll need a real vacation after we're done with Asia Minor!!!
Today, off to Tel Aviv to explore the original Bauhaus architecture of the White City, a bite at Sushi Samba (same as NY), a stroll through Neve Tzedek, a light dinner in Jaffa, then an evening coffee with Jane's relatives - hope we can get directions to their home, literally no one in Israel has any sense of where anything else is relative to their own position. Needing a little GPS TLC!!!
Love to all from the shores of Israel,
Harley
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