Tel Aviv - Day 1

Old Jaffa Port

St. Peter's Monastery in Old Jaffa

Clock Tower in Old Jaffa

Minaret and Mosque on the way to Old Jaffa from Tel Aviv

Took a short 4 hour flight from Paris to Tel Aviv. So much nicer arriving after having spent the night at the CDG Paris Sheraton. After picking up my rental car, I made it to our apartment. Upon opening the door, my first steps were towards the balcony to take in the fresh (warm) air and look at the amazing view. After a good night's sleep, I put on my walking shoes and strolled to the Yehuda Maccabi area for brunch and coffee. Went to Espresso bar and had a delicious "muesli" -- plain yogurt, fruit and granola and an iced coffee. Perfectly refreshing!!

It's the Sabbath so I decided to drive to the Jaffa area and walk around. Lots of traffic on this beautiful summery day even though it's late September. I walked in the old city of Jaffa taking in the beautiful views and wandering into an old monastery. I don't usually spend time in monasteries but for some reason I decided to sit in one of the pews and just stare in awe at what was once and still is a magnificent structure. I wandered into the old Jaffa port area which looks like it's undergoing major renovation. Restaurants and galleries look like they will be coming in and definitely bringing a different tone to the area. I saw groups of young Arab women climbing into boats for a boat ride in the sea. They were all ages and most if not all were wearing headscarves. Jaffa is a mixed Jewish/Arab city and it definitely gives a different flavor to the city.