I honestly don’t know where my need, desire, want to Israel began, with all the places in the world I still want to see at one point Israel became the only place I wanted to visit.  Someone could have offered me a free ticket to anywhere else in the world and I would’ve turned it down as Israel became an obsession and until I finally saw it I would not be happy.  As travelers you must have that one place in the world you want to see more than any other and for me it was Israel.  And as crazy as it sounds to some degree it was the constant threat of attack that added to my obsession.  Let the journey begin, welcome to Israel, welcome to Tel Aviv.

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My apartment was located on the Nachlat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall also known as the Great Pedestrian Mall and each day I was awakened by the sounds of people starting their day, whether it be the people shopping at the Carmel Market (Shuk HaCarmel) or those setting up the outdoor patios of the many cafes that line the mall.  If you do visit Tel Aviv you must visit the mall.  Even though I was a bit jet lagged I started the day running and my first stop was the market and here you could buy fruit, vegetables and meats all native to Israel.  You could also buy clothing, electronics and even something for the tourist.  The market is quite long and offers so much, you can even get a foot massage.

What you couldn’t find at the market you could find on Allenby, one of the city’s main streets, it stretches from the Mediterranean Sea in the northwest to HaAliya Street in the southeast and here you could find banks, markets, stores of any kind and bars and discos.  It also has an abundance of cafes and restaurants and at night it is the hub of the city’s nightlife.  Like any major city the only way to see and enjoy it is to walk it. [supsystic-gallery id=189 position=center]

Tel Aviv is a thriving modern metropolis that can stand side by side with any major world city and hold its own.  It has an energy all its own. It is alive and brilliant and as I would find out over the eight days, it is absolutely fascinating.  I began my first full day walking down Rothschild Blvd., one of the first streets in the Tel Aviv.  It is home to the White City and major financial institutions, the cultural center and the main theater and concert hall are at the end of it.  You’ll also find some of the city’s top restaurants and a boulevard in the center for us on 2, 3 or 4 feet, blade or tire.  And plenty of coffee shops along the way.  It is a place to see and be seen.

 I started my walk from the very end of the street and the found many fountains and I walked upon soldiers in some sort of ceremony and I stood and watched having no idea what was going on but I did feel every eye on me and I stared right back.  I’d see this a few times as I walked the street.  In Israel once a man turns 18 he is required to join the Israeli Military for at least three years, for a woman it is two years. 

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Once I crossed Allenby st. the center of the boulevard goes from fountains in the center to a walkway The White City is a collection of 4,000 buildings built-in a very unique style of the Bauhaus in Tel Aviv from the 1930’s by German Jewish architects.  And if anyone wants an architectural tours of the city the Bauhaus Center is the place to go.

There are also plenty of benches to sit and enjoy the city and watch Israelis go about their day.  Each block had something different to offer so no two were the same, but if you wanted coffee or a pastry or lunch you’d find it and on either side of the boulevard were some of the city’s top restaurants and bars as well.

Sitting at the end of Rothschild Boulevard is the Habima Theater, one of the first ever Hebrew Theaters and it sits in Habima Square also known as Orchestra Square that is home to a number of cultural institutions such as the Culture Palace and the Helena Rubinstein Pavilion for Contemporary Art.  You’ll also find the reflection pool and a sunken sandbox.  On Saturday everything is closed in the city and it is filled with families. [supsystic-gallery id=190 position=center]