So today has been pretty much the same as usual...up for breakfast, out for shopping/cafe reading and then time by the pool. I think my skin is finally turning a tanned shade, although daddy keeps making fun of me for using real sun lotion. I would be a shriveled little piece of crispiness by now if I listened to him!
Anyway, my excitement for the day is the fact that I found my new favorite store. It is located right across the street from the cafe daddy and I eat at on Shabbat (since NO where else is open. Literally). A cavernous, dark, dusty wine store. It is filled with bottles ALL from Israeli vineyards and wineries, and i had so much fun thumbing through the racks. I was very good and only bought one bottle, but I could probably have bought 10! I got a recommendation from the young man working there (very good english); I had requested a riesling, but he said the Viognier in israel is much better. I love viognier, so i'm all for it...only cost abolut $20 which I thought was reasonable since all the winderies (accept yarden, or barken, etc) are small, estate grower types. The grapes are from the Gallilee and the wine is made a bit west of there. I am excited to try it, but may have to hold off until I get home to make sure I have enough people to share it with. All I can say is I am DEFINITLY going back for more.
I think next time i hit that place up, I will further pick their brains on good wine regions to tour in the area...something about the Eilah valley came up, but I don't even know if I'm spelling that right, so I think i'll get more info before renting a car! and striking out on my own!
June 30, 2008
June 29, 2008
I mean, Really?
Just a random vent as I am reading through my DC news....WHAT is with all these frozen yogurt places opening right as I am about the leave?! I have been complaining ever since returning from Boston, that the one thing lacking in the city of DC is FROZEN YOGURT. And now, NOW, when it will hardly affect me, they open, like, 3 stores overnight. Someone up there is just trying to piss me off.
Saturday Sunday
Obviously, i did not write yesterday (Saturday). Oh well! Daddy and i lazed around the pool and went walking around the city, so I didn't get a chance to hop online. Let's see...what exciting happened yesterday? Well, since daddy went to work for a couple hours in the morning, i had breakfast all by self; or so I had planned. i ended up allowing one of our old new jersey ladies to join me at my table (her table had been taken but some big annoying family group). Luckily the nasty, kvetchy old lady was up in the room ailing over her sunburn, so I only had to deal with the nice one. But let me tell you, I now know all about their trip, day by day, woe by woe....she prattled on for about an hour about their bathroom troubles (shower-based, thankfully not toilet). I got quite an earful of complaining before 11am, phew. That was my excitement for the day.
While walking, Daddy and I saw this awesome statue outside a hotdog/falafel stand on Ben Yehuda. I will attempt to describe it, since I unfortunatly did not have my camera at the time: It was a statue of a hot dog. It was about 3 1/2 ft high, balanced along-side the hot dog grill, so it was raised to look you right in the eye. It held in one hand, as though reaching out to you, a yellow squeeze bottle of mustard. In the other hand, it had a red Ketchup bottle, and was proceeding to squeeze a big blob of the red stuff onto its forehead. It was wrapped, as all modest, kosher dogs should be, in a large 3 foot tall bun. And the part: It was then delicately wrapped in a large plastic American Flag. I mean, really, wtf? A hot dog prepping itself for consumption dressed in the stars and stripes? Is that supposed to make me salivate? Just Weird.
Anyway, last night we went to Doktor Shakshouka! For those that don't know, shakshouka is one of the most divine foods in creation. It is a stew/curry/thing made of onions and tomatoes and whatever else you want, and then with two raw eggs plopped on top that are then cooked by the sizzling mess. It is served right in the pan it is cooked on, and it is beautiful. Very satisfying.
Today was more pool, and a trip to Jaffa to see all the goods a the flea market: some pretty good pictures are to come. The walk to Jaffa is all along what daddy calls the "corniche" and what most people would call a promenade. The Mediterranean sea is along your right side all the way there, and the colors of blue and green are so dazzling as to seem artificial. Absolutely gorgeous.
So here we are, another day in tel aviv come and almost gone, but we are sipping up the sights and sounds. In a cafe, surrounded by natives and tourists alike, we are enjoying Ice coffees (which is NOTHING like what you get in the US...it is an ambrosia that I swear cannot be found on the other side of that side of the atlantic). Tonight we will feast on Hummus, and tomorrow it will all be done again!
While walking, Daddy and I saw this awesome statue outside a hotdog/falafel stand on Ben Yehuda. I will attempt to describe it, since I unfortunatly did not have my camera at the time: It was a statue of a hot dog. It was about 3 1/2 ft high, balanced along-side the hot dog grill, so it was raised to look you right in the eye. It held in one hand, as though reaching out to you, a yellow squeeze bottle of mustard. In the other hand, it had a red Ketchup bottle, and was proceeding to squeeze a big blob of the red stuff onto its forehead. It was wrapped, as all modest, kosher dogs should be, in a large 3 foot tall bun. And the part: It was then delicately wrapped in a large plastic American Flag. I mean, really, wtf? A hot dog prepping itself for consumption dressed in the stars and stripes? Is that supposed to make me salivate? Just Weird.
Anyway, last night we went to Doktor Shakshouka! For those that don't know, shakshouka is one of the most divine foods in creation. It is a stew/curry/thing made of onions and tomatoes and whatever else you want, and then with two raw eggs plopped on top that are then cooked by the sizzling mess. It is served right in the pan it is cooked on, and it is beautiful. Very satisfying.
Today was more pool, and a trip to Jaffa to see all the goods a the flea market: some pretty good pictures are to come. The walk to Jaffa is all along what daddy calls the "corniche" and what most people would call a promenade. The Mediterranean sea is along your right side all the way there, and the colors of blue and green are so dazzling as to seem artificial. Absolutely gorgeous.
So here we are, another day in tel aviv come and almost gone, but we are sipping up the sights and sounds. In a cafe, surrounded by natives and tourists alike, we are enjoying Ice coffees (which is NOTHING like what you get in the US...it is an ambrosia that I swear cannot be found on the other side of that side of the atlantic). Tonight we will feast on Hummus, and tomorrow it will all be done again!
June 27, 2008
Sangria
I just HAD to share: When i sat down to order at the cafe, I got the menu and was browsing through, when one of the waitresses came over. She wanted to make sure i knew that they had this excellent brand new drink that I might like. "It is called Sangria!" She proclaimed. She went on to describe it, with much excitement and it was so cute I almost had to order it. So funny how different places can be!
Oops...
So I totally overslept this morning. Daddy had to go on a trip this morning, and so wouldn't be around to give me a wake up call...planned for the next best thing: Have the hotel call for a wake up call (duh!). Well, I don't know if i didn't hear the phone, or if perhaps they did not call, but the fact of the matter is that I did not wake up at 9:30, as planned, and instead slept until 11:30. Oops! Seeing as breakfast ends at 10, I had to make do with the stolen goods from yesterday's breakfast, which I must say did quite well as a replacement.
Headed straight down to the pool and laid out for a couple hours; I think my bronzing is going quite well! Since it is the weekend here (Friday) the pool was chock-full of families with lots of cute little kiddies in their water-wings. One little girl had a blast dancing around to some Eminem rap blaring from the poolside Radio system. Pretty cute, pretty funny.
When I went up to the room to change out of my b-suit, I found that they still give us gifts on Shabbat! Woohoo! Every Friday the hotel puts in your room a half bottle of Barkan Reserve wine, a box of cookies, and now they have added an assortment of stuffed dates! Man, I love luxury living.
Now I am just sitting at a cafe on Sheinken St, enjoying a Lemonana. It is an amazing lemonade/mint drink that I think was born here in Israel, and it the number one way to fight off the heat. People watching is interesting...I hear a lot of American voices in the markets and such, but in cafes its mostly natives. All the girls my age look so damn cool all the time. it's like you have to know how to dress and make your hair look purposely messy to go out in Tel Aviv. I also can't for the life of me tell how old all these kids are. i swear some of them could be no older that 12 or 13, but they walk around like they are 18. This country feels so European!
I plan on spending the rest of the day ready Mailer and staying in the shade. I feel like that will be my plan for a few days at least. That is until the pressure of leaving requires me to go on crazy shopping sprees every day for the last week straight. Figure I should conserve my energy now :)
Oh and one last thing: I'm an idiot. I didn't pack the cord that connects my camera to my computer, so unless I can find a cheap replacement, this blog will be all text. BOO. I promise pictures will come later!
Headed straight down to the pool and laid out for a couple hours; I think my bronzing is going quite well! Since it is the weekend here (Friday) the pool was chock-full of families with lots of cute little kiddies in their water-wings. One little girl had a blast dancing around to some Eminem rap blaring from the poolside Radio system. Pretty cute, pretty funny.
When I went up to the room to change out of my b-suit, I found that they still give us gifts on Shabbat! Woohoo! Every Friday the hotel puts in your room a half bottle of Barkan Reserve wine, a box of cookies, and now they have added an assortment of stuffed dates! Man, I love luxury living.
Now I am just sitting at a cafe on Sheinken St, enjoying a Lemonana. It is an amazing lemonade/mint drink that I think was born here in Israel, and it the number one way to fight off the heat. People watching is interesting...I hear a lot of American voices in the markets and such, but in cafes its mostly natives. All the girls my age look so damn cool all the time. it's like you have to know how to dress and make your hair look purposely messy to go out in Tel Aviv. I also can't for the life of me tell how old all these kids are. i swear some of them could be no older that 12 or 13, but they walk around like they are 18. This country feels so European!
I plan on spending the rest of the day ready Mailer and staying in the shade. I feel like that will be my plan for a few days at least. That is until the pressure of leaving requires me to go on crazy shopping sprees every day for the last week straight. Figure I should conserve my energy now :)
Oh and one last thing: I'm an idiot. I didn't pack the cord that connects my camera to my computer, so unless I can find a cheap replacement, this blog will be all text. BOO. I promise pictures will come later!
June 26, 2008
Good Morning Tel Aviv!
So I woke up bright and early this morning to a fantastic view of the mediterranean out the hotel room's wall-sized window. Got in last night on time, schlepped back to the hotel and walked down the street with Daddy for some hummous and tabouleh, YUM! After what felt like 24 hours of plane food and candy, my our meal was a masterpiece that could have come straight from Richard's kitchen.
First thing on the menu today was breakfast, our favorite part of Israeli hotels! I got seated between a couple on one side, and two old ladies on the other side, all four American. Do you think they seat us all in the same place to keep us quaratined or something? The proceeded to talk across my table, bonding over the fact that they all used to live in West Orange, NJ, and now all had places in Boca Raton. My lord, the American-Jew stereotypes are painfully true. They were all very civil, except one of the old ladies was the biggest pain in my ass, and I didn't even talk to her. I swear, if you look up kvetch in the dictionary, her picture is there. First is was the coffee: decaf, not regular....no decaf is gross, bring me regular. Then food...she couldn't get up (just finished a stint in the hospital...hip?) so she made one of the hotel ladies get her danishs. Those weren't right, so her friend (just as old and crotchity as her) had to get up to get her OTHER sweet rolls. Those weren't good either. I could have killed her. The whole time, she was yammering on about her woes in the thickest New Jersey accent you can imagine. Not the first thing you want to hear on a jet-lagged morning.
Anyhow, after my Boca-infused breakfast (more on the food later, that will be a happy story), I went for a stroll through the Carmel Market (outdoor food and good market) and down Sheinken St, which is the fancy shopping street in Tel Aviv. I avoided buying for now, just scoping out the wares for the time being. On the way home I did however buy some fantastic cherries and dried dates, and some fresh nuts for snacking. Everything looked so good! Then I laid by the pool for a couple hours. I had to go out and buy new "sun burn" oil, because the stuff Daddy has here really is for sun burns. No SPF. He made fun of me for buying 15, but hey, I want no lobsterness on this trip...After Miriam's recent run-in with the sun sans lotion, I am well aware of the troubles that lie therin and I am not looking for touble.
That is all for now, I nice semi-eventful first day, just as relaxing as I would hope!
First thing on the menu today was breakfast, our favorite part of Israeli hotels! I got seated between a couple on one side, and two old ladies on the other side, all four American. Do you think they seat us all in the same place to keep us quaratined or something? The proceeded to talk across my table, bonding over the fact that they all used to live in West Orange, NJ, and now all had places in Boca Raton. My lord, the American-Jew stereotypes are painfully true. They were all very civil, except one of the old ladies was the biggest pain in my ass, and I didn't even talk to her. I swear, if you look up kvetch in the dictionary, her picture is there. First is was the coffee: decaf, not regular....no decaf is gross, bring me regular. Then food...she couldn't get up (just finished a stint in the hospital...hip?) so she made one of the hotel ladies get her danishs. Those weren't right, so her friend (just as old and crotchity as her) had to get up to get her OTHER sweet rolls. Those weren't good either. I could have killed her. The whole time, she was yammering on about her woes in the thickest New Jersey accent you can imagine. Not the first thing you want to hear on a jet-lagged morning.
Anyhow, after my Boca-infused breakfast (more on the food later, that will be a happy story), I went for a stroll through the Carmel Market (outdoor food and good market) and down Sheinken St, which is the fancy shopping street in Tel Aviv. I avoided buying for now, just scoping out the wares for the time being. On the way home I did however buy some fantastic cherries and dried dates, and some fresh nuts for snacking. Everything looked so good! Then I laid by the pool for a couple hours. I had to go out and buy new "sun burn" oil, because the stuff Daddy has here really is for sun burns. No SPF. He made fun of me for buying 15, but hey, I want no lobsterness on this trip...After Miriam's recent run-in with the sun sans lotion, I am well aware of the troubles that lie therin and I am not looking for touble.
That is all for now, I nice semi-eventful first day, just as relaxing as I would hope!
June 25, 2008
Just a Disclaimer...
Sometimes I do not capitalize letters that should be capitalized. Sometimes I capitalize too much. That won't change, so deal.
Half Way There!
Lap one of the trip is complete! It is approximately 8 am London time, and I've settled into Heathrow after about a 3 mile hike/ride to my terminal. Had a decent flight over, except I did not sleep one wink! I am now fueling myself with a $5 (!) latte that tastes like a cross between burnt coffee and car oil. They call it "Italian." I sat next to an Ethiopian woman with a 3-year-old son. Cutest thing ever, except his little game playing machine was louder than a tractor, and after an hour of beeps and boops I wanted to rip it from his hands and break it. Instead I started the first of 2 movies, followed by the pilot for a new TV show that looks fantastic!
One thing I do like about airports is layovers in GOOD airports. I could easy spend a thousand dollars between here and Israel. Have browsed through the duty free, World of Whiskies and Harrod's handbag section, and have successfully come out alive and purchase free. Not to mention the candy! Candy galore! Of course Roald Dahl is from Britain. Only someone who grew up with a sensory overload caused by candy wrappers could come up with Willy Wonka. Or did Britain start its lavish treatment of treats AFTER the creation of the magical candy god?? Thoughts to ponder...
The clouds are out in typical London fashion, and i cannot wait for tomorrow this time when i will awaken to the beautful sun and cloudless sky of Tel Aviv.
One thing I do like about airports is layovers in GOOD airports. I could easy spend a thousand dollars between here and Israel. Have browsed through the duty free, World of Whiskies and Harrod's handbag section, and have successfully come out alive and purchase free. Not to mention the candy! Candy galore! Of course Roald Dahl is from Britain. Only someone who grew up with a sensory overload caused by candy wrappers could come up with Willy Wonka. Or did Britain start its lavish treatment of treats AFTER the creation of the magical candy god?? Thoughts to ponder...
The clouds are out in typical London fashion, and i cannot wait for tomorrow this time when i will awaken to the beautful sun and cloudless sky of Tel Aviv.
June 23, 2008
Twas the night before Israel....
I am a copycat, but I figure who better to copy than sister? Finally, I am able to follow in her footsteps, and proud to say I owe this blob (no typo) to her.
So here I am, circa 11:30pm, wide awake. All I can do is sit in the dark and bemoan the fact that I have to get up so early tomorrow to complete my packing and preparations for the trip. Well, actually, I have to get up really early to put quarters in the meter so I don't get towed...but THEN I have to pack. Double ick. I have all my clothes in the suitcase, but that is another issue...all the clothes that are in there and really shouldn't be! Life can be so difficult when you are young and headed on an all-expenses-paid trip to a Mediterranian paradise.
You may be asking, why sit and complain about packing? Why not just pack NOW, while you are totally buzzed on that final cherry-coke you had too late into wine class? Well, I have a thing called a roomate. Her name is Miriam, and lucky for me and my aversion to packing, she has decided to get into bed early tonight. And so, Miriam saves the day, and Vicky does not have to pack, and instead must sit quietly stewing. That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Just thought i'd write a little "pre-departure" post, to get into the swing of things: why leave till tomorrow what you can do today, right? No wait...man, I'm ironic.
Welcome to my blog, and enjoy!
So here I am, circa 11:30pm, wide awake. All I can do is sit in the dark and bemoan the fact that I have to get up so early tomorrow to complete my packing and preparations for the trip. Well, actually, I have to get up really early to put quarters in the meter so I don't get towed...but THEN I have to pack. Double ick. I have all my clothes in the suitcase, but that is another issue...all the clothes that are in there and really shouldn't be! Life can be so difficult when you are young and headed on an all-expenses-paid trip to a Mediterranian paradise.
You may be asking, why sit and complain about packing? Why not just pack NOW, while you are totally buzzed on that final cherry-coke you had too late into wine class? Well, I have a thing called a roomate. Her name is Miriam, and lucky for me and my aversion to packing, she has decided to get into bed early tonight. And so, Miriam saves the day, and Vicky does not have to pack, and instead must sit quietly stewing. That is my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Just thought i'd write a little "pre-departure" post, to get into the swing of things: why leave till tomorrow what you can do today, right? No wait...man, I'm ironic.
Welcome to my blog, and enjoy!
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