Just north of Soho, and not far from Bloomsbury or Marylebone, it has wonderful squares, great pubs and a rich literary past (but more of that later). From the 1930's onwards, the area between Gower Street (today home of the University of London) and Great Portland Street became known as Fitzrovia, but its history goes back as far as the 1750's, when Lord Charles Fitzroy began developing the land...
We took trips out to local caves, led by Mike, who knew the area like the back of his hand. Communal meals were served every night, and there was no typical guest either. From young backpackers to middle-aged couples and retirees with a sense of adventure, you never knew who you'd end up sitting next to. The only thing you were assured of was engaging company...
With giant art installations, trance music that rocks the desert stillness for days on end, or 'hugging areas,' creativity is the name of the game. Enormous emphasis is also placed on teamwork and community spirit - whether you're camping 'freestyle' or part of a an organised camp, you're expected to contribute, voluntarily...
Established as a non-profit, the idea was to connect people around the globe - between those who had a couch to spare (and were happy to host) and those who were looking for one. And this wasn’t just about affordable travel either - it was also a way of getting immersed in local culture. Today, it’s beloved by millions, myself included.
Received wisdom, of course, points to getting lost as something negative - which Solnit disagrees with entirely...“The question, then, is how to get lost. Never to get lost is not to live, not to know how to get lost brings you to destruction and somewhere in the terra incognito in between lies a life of discovery.”
I figure it's time to make a pilgrimage up to the Mukata’a -a two-block compound with a white tower that is seen easily from all over the city. In it are certain government offices but the big draw, of course, is Arafat's mausoleum, which is next door to the building where he was held under siege by the Israeli Army in 2002. It's a quiet, yet grand area, complete with marble flooring. A long courtyard leads you into his tombstone where (as long as you aren't obnoxious or disrespectful) photographs are allowed...
Amazingly, at the checkpoint itself, there are no guards from either side of the divide. It really is an 'empty' order. I walk through a dusty, dilapidated area (that, for some reason, reminds me of an abandoned cow shed on my friend’s kibbutz). No-one asks for my passport, where I’m heading and whether it’s business or pleasure. All I see is a sign, stating that Israeli citizens should beware, as they are now entering Area A which, technically, is illegal...
Why the wariness, I asked myself, the tacit assumption that crossing this fence was tantamount to taking my life in my hands? Would they have responded the same way, had I told them I intended to spend a weekend in Benin, Brazil or Bhutan? What was it about my impending trip just an hour up the road that filled them with secret, and irrational, dread...?
With its hidden alleyways, antiques stores, and huge open-air market, it's an enormous draw for tourists and locals alike. The best bargains are to be had early in the day - my friend Yifat, who's a talented jewellery designer, is often down here at 6.30 am, rummaging through boxes and it's astonishing what she's found over the years...
“In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do East Coast family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mount McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a party of moose hunters…”
So begins the extraordinary and riveting “Into the Wild” which quickly became a bestseller.
The rules were simple yet quirky. Anyone in the world who wanted to take part simply had to dress themselves in beach attire that they’d like to wear on a Tel Aviv beach, and take a picture of themselves in their own city. The picture had to include them holding up a sign with the hashtag #Takeme2telaviv and be uploaded to Instagram...
The photos below give you a glimpse into the world of young ‘Tel Avivis’ (as they’re affectionately known) and the costumes they’ve been donning today, for the first of many a party this long weekend. I could have spent all day out on the streets, but in just an hour or two I saw an array of astonishing get-ups...and here are some of my favourites...
I love Spring in Israel - not just the knowledge that warmer weather is on the way, but the endless colours and textures of the flowers that are bursting into bloom all across the country. Here are a few of my favourite shots, taken over the last few years in the Galilee, the Negev, the Jerusalem Hills and Tel Aviv...
