The City that never sleeps...and always eats

Being based in Tel Aviv we have taken the opportunity to get the know the city better and its been one long eating-drinking-shopping-avoiding-stray-cats-and-panhandlers-and-eating-drinking experience. Seriously, you go out at 7:00am for a coffee, the cafe's are busy...and...you go out at 12:00am (don't ask me why)....and the cafe's are busy....not sure when they sleep and work. Or if they sleep and work. Amelia is getting right into the cafe culture, waving at bartenders and the odd security guard who waves back (whilst polishing his loaded-glock 9mm.)...hmmm...Its also been interesting to see the contrast at say a traffic junction where a hassid (sweating away in full garb and trying not to look at the young lass in a 'summer dress' next to him)...with both of them giving a donation to roving charity collectors, whilst one smokes (the hassid) and one drinks a power-juice (the lass) and both are screaming down their phones (screaming being Israeli for talking) arranging their Rosh Hashana dinners.....

The Wedding Crashers

Its a done deal - Benzi and Pnina got hitched and what a wedding it was - brilliant atmosphere, energy and spirit. The Chuppah was at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel, out on a podium that provided views all the way across Jerusalem...and if you looked close enough to Jordan as well.

Benzi has set-up his own Facebook link of photos and we're still compiling ours, so start with a few Facebook snaps / Benzi's links below we'll and go from there

We danced like energizer-battery-bunny's and pretty much collapsed afterwards like Varta-battery-charged dolls (that was not an endorsed comment). There's something to be said for attempting Chabad-inflected-reggae moves on the dancefloor with your mates whilst wearing a formal suit that doesn't give much in the shoulders....That was the other thing, great music which kept pace with our BPM...an amazing night!

The Israelites

We did it, with minimum fuss and little damage to international travel protocols - the three of us arrived in Israel on a balmy Monday night to a mild 32 degrees. Since then its been as hectic as rush hour in Tel Aviv - but there have also been enough chances to relax and take it all in - family (nephews and nieces growing up at an alarming rate - and who have a particular prediliction for Hannah Montana and Metallica...), Benzi and Pnina's wedding (amazing - a separate entry later) and the many activities in-between (remind me to tell you all how Nissi and I crossed assorted 'separation walls' and borders to try locate an ancient site....that was just down the road (I think we're on a few interpol lists now)....








Amelia ensuring that Traffic control in Tel Aviv is expecting us










Amelia with 3 of her 4 1st cousins










Sunset on Tel Aviv Beach (if you look closely that's me with the six-pack and natural tan)










Amelia holding court with assorted nefarious characters - Yoni, Nissi and Tali and their son Marlon (isn't it all so 'St.Elmo's Fire')...just need the Debbie Gibson soundtrack.