The original plan was to take an early afternoon ferry and then the bus to be at Logan by 6pm for the 9pm flight. When the warning was issued I decided to take a late morning ferry and finally at Tania's urging - and the fact that I was up at 2am, 4am and 6am. I finally decided to just bite the bullet and take the 740am which would get me to Boston by 1130am.
Turned out to be a beautiful day in Boston and had a wonderful lunch with Aoife and a massage. (None of the ferries canceled - by the way)
I had heard that El Al does an extensive interview before you even get to the ticket counter. Mine went fine. Actually pretty basic questions but I could see others not so lucky.
So flight was uneventful and I actually got some decent sleep. We landed a few minutes early at 240pm.
I arrived at the hotel just about 4. It is very boutique-y with lots of mid century furniture in the lobby and a welcome glass of bubbly. The city is very quiet as by now Shabbat has begun.
After getting settled and well needed shower I walked down to the beach at about 6, just in time for sunset. It had been warm but as the winds shifted the temp dropped a bit. The waterfront is not as picturesque as I envisioned. There is a long promenade loaded with locals and tourists. There seem to be what I understand to be Arab Israelis that we're having family cookouts complete with shesha pipes.
Not far down the beach was a highly recommended waterfront restaurant called Manta Ray. I hadn't really planned on a big meal but the menu was not quite as I expected and it turned into a large snack.
There is a very common element here called the "mezze" which is a selection of cold salads and marinades with fresh bread. Kind of like dim sum, you chose what you'd like and they charge accordingly. I could have gotten four and skipped the main but it wasn't really clear how it worked or if it was okay to order mezze. So I got bread (with a hint of cinnamon) marinated mackerel with red onions and eggplant purée with garlic and butter (no skin so it is white and very delicious). Main course was roasted calamari with tomatoes, and feta. Really tender and nice. A some Israeli sauvignon Blanc.
So I am back in hotel lobby. Having a terrible cup of coffee and contemplating bed. It is after 9 and in my mind it is well over 24 hours since I've seen a real bed.
Tel Aviv is not due to be a terribly exciting couple days. A walking tour and at least a day at the beach. Some nice food and the hotel is giving me another massage. So don't be too disappointed.
No comments:
Post a Comment