Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv

This passed weekend I was in Tel Aviv. It was as if I had gone to another Country, just they spoke Hebrew there as well. What can I tell you, the air is different, the atmosphere is different, the people are different. Walking around on Friday you see everyone lounging about, eating in restaurants, riding their bikes, walking their dogs, like a
real weekend. Then on Saturday, what do you know, they are doing the same thing. It's like everyone is on vacation, every weekend. I was staying at my friend Michali for Shabbat, she lives right near Kikar Rabin which means that she is pretty much within walking distance to most places in Tel Aviv that you would want to go to, especially the beach. Friday afternoon, we cooked food for the meals that we were hosting, lounged about on the porch in the sun, relaxed, ate a nice dinner with friends, what else do you need. Oh, and how can I forget, of course I went to Pro:Sport to visit and walked out with a bag filled with running gear. No shoes this time, that I bought at the Jerusalem Marathon Expo last week, Brooks PureGrit running shoes, really great feel and so pretty:

So what was there to do Saturday morning at 7:30 other than go for a run along the water. I thought that 7:30 was pretty early for a Saturday morning, but apparently not. I ran from the Tel Aviv Port to the Yaffo Port and back, along with another 300 or so runners, walkers, bikers (not Harley bikers) and it was such a beautiful morning! I ran on the sand a bit too, which is always fun. A lot of the runners out were getting in their last runs before the Tel Aviv Marathon this Friday, which I am sad to say I will not be participating in, in any way, but it was just so invigorating seeing all the runners out. When I got home at 9, all there was to do was just to lounge around, finish my book, drink my coffee and wait for everyone else to wake up.

Later in the afternoon we all went back to the beach to walk around, and if I thought that it was packed in the morning, Saturday afternoon the place was a mob scene. We had to weave our way in and out of all the people. This time around there were a lot more walkers and bikers rather than runners, but at least they were out ;)

Oh, to be able to live in Tel Aviv and have that long weekend feeling all the time...

Plus, running on flat ground is so much easier than running the hills of Jerusalem, especially when you are trying to get back in the swing of things.

'Till next time.

Peace.