"Curious, Playful and Ever-Magical - a Day with the Dolphins..."
The Reef is home to a group of ‘bottlenose’ dolphins, all born there and left to their own devices. It’s entirely their choice whether they want to be in contact with visitors, by swimming up to the piers or approach guided tours of snorkelers and divers. Their daily routines include playing, socialising and even courting...!
A Day of Disruption That Quickly Turned Violent
It’s hot and sticky and suddenly the air is charged. Then, out of nowhere, I see horses charging towards protestors and hear an enormous ‘bang’ about 100 metres from me (yes, really that close). People are screaming, yelling, running for cover. It transpires that a cop has thrown a stun grenade into the crowd (without permission) and it’s hit someone on the side of his face - his ear…
Taking it to the Knesset
As far as the eye can see are blue and white flags, with the iconic Star of David symbol in their middle, held high by thousands and thousands of people who, like us, have travelled from out of town to make our voices heard. From the north and the south of the country, they’ve made long, exhausting journeys. Many have taken a day’s leave from work. Many more have brought their children and quite a few women have tiny babies swaddled to their chests…
Returning Home - With Trepidation
If this legislation is passed, it means that the government can override any decision the Supreme Court makes…with a simple majority (that is a majority of one vote). What it might open the door to does not bear thinking about…att the very least, it means a concentration of power in the hands of any ruling party. At its worst, it means an end to Judicial Review. In effect, the government will shackle the courts…
"Close to Home" - Terror on my Doorstep...
The phone kept ringing. Everyone knew I lived on Dizengoff. The night wore on. The the police and army’s fear was that the gunman would break into a nearby building, in the hope of taking hostages. Soldiers from an elite unit soon arrived, informing us all from the street below that, under no circumstances, could we leave our homes. All traffic in and out of Tel Aviv had been stopped and my block had been cordoned off…
To Infinity and Beyond - Mesmorised at the Yayoi Kusama Retrospective...
Kusama has, over the years, suffered from panic attacks, hallucinations and had more than one nervous breakdown. These began when she was not even in double digits - as early as aged 7, Kusama heard dogs, pumpkins and violets talking to her (indeed, pumpkins would become one of her leitmotifs, later in her career) and had auras where all around her, she saw objects glittering…
The Social Fridge - Combatting Food Hunger, One 'Rescue' at a Time...
I am truly astounded by what I find, as I go out on ‘collecting’ missions. Bell peppers that would sell in the stores for 10 NIS a kilo ($43). Potatoes, onions, tomatoes, bananas, carrots, orange and pears…sometimes slightly bruised, sometimes in a box where just one is damaged, sometimes in optimum condition and clearly just ‘leftovers.’ On a recent mission, I picked up 12 boxes of strawberries - most were perfect, a few were squishy but none were rotten…
Back to the Streets - Protesting Putin's War in Ukraine...
I thought I was alone in my feelings - the despair, the horror, the disgust, the sheer terror…apparently it is not just me. As far as my eye could see, there were people with placards, flags, instruments…so many young people (who have a reputation in Tel Aviv for being more interested in cocktail bars than politics), just as many older people and families with small kids too.
The Lure of Old Jaffa - Part II
The Lure of Old Jaffa - Part I
It’s at this point that you’ll spy Daniel Kafri’s marvellous “Statue of Faith” - on it are carved three historic Biblical scenes - the binging of Isaac, the Fall of Jericho and Jacob’s Ladder. Made from Galilee stone, and with a gate-like structure, it represents the “Gate of Entry” into the Promised Land, bringing to life stories of the three Patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob...
An Unusual Experience - I Take a Flight!
I still can’t quite believe it when my flight is called at the gate. I won’t be completely sure I’m off until the plane gathers speed. But the line forms and we pass through, onto the shuttle bus and then arrive at the aircraft. I take my window seat, get comfortable and lean back. Yalla Israel - I’ll miss you but it’s really time to hit the road…
Sartorial Eloquence in the Stairwell - Dodging Rockets in Tel Aviv
When the app sounds on my phone (setting off another wail, in case I sleep through the city siren) at 3am, the routine is now predicable: I throw on the nearest clothing I have to hand, grab my phone and, without even looking for my keys, run out into the hall. I hear other doors slamming and then see the familiar faces of my neighbours…
Mouth-Wateringly Refined - Tel Aviv's 'Shuk ha Namal' Food Market in Pictures
Founded in 2010 by three foodie entrepreneurs, it's packed to the rafters with fresh, local produce and an enormous range of products - fresh fish, creamy cheeses, pastas, sweet treats and - of course -fruits and vegetable...and In keeping with their ethos - responsibility and sustainability - everything is seasonal...
Jolly Times in Tel Aviv - Purim 2021 in Pictures
Israel isn’t out of the woods yet but, ahead of the rest of the world on the vaccine front, the locals came out in force for Purim, the one day of the year when grown men and women (as well as every child in Israel) feel free to dress in outlandish costumes, drink more than they normally might and party like it’s going out of style.
These photos were captured in Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market, where impromptu parties sprung up in all the side streets. I wasn’t looking for the most fabulous costumes, more a snapshot of peoples’ emotions…which after 12 months of sadness, often verging on despair, looked incredibly happy…
A Glimmer of Hope - I've Finally Been Vaccinated!
I know the world’s eyes are on Israel, that we are the guinea pigs of Pfizer and that our data is being handed over for careful monitoring. But I really don’t care. We don’t live in a perfect world and after almost a year of exhaustion, gloom, fear, insomnia and occasional despair, I am ready to take my chances. It’s baby steps I know - it will be a long time before I can pick up my backpack and head off to South East Asia, Latin America or Europe but, nevertheless, the palpable sense of relief I have, at this point, is hard to describe.
Yoga on the Mediterranean Shores - Taking a Moment to Pause
I’ve never once noticed these strange mushroom-shaped palm trees…I’ve travelled the world and never - to the best of my knowledge - seen trees like that. Has it actually taken a global pandemic to make me observant again…observant in the way I am when I’m off in far-flung climes, seeing things that I expect to be unusual, merely because I’m travelling instead of on my own doorstep?
Street Art in Tel Aviv - Nahalat Binyamin in Photos
A Little Street Art - Strolling Around Tel Aviv's Nachalat Binyamin
"Ha Kol B'Seger" - Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Street falls silent
The silence from Dizengoff now feels overwhelming. When your ears are assaulted by urban noise on a daily basis, you learn to adjust. Anyone who’s ever lived in the centre of Manhattan, London or Berlin will tell you the same. Horns blaring, buses roaring by, pedestrians chatting, neighbours yelling and bikes revving - it’s all par for the course here…