On A Wing and A… Slide Show

 

The slide show is a story of the flights which I took in May

on the way to & from Israel via Vienna

– the first few photos with the evening sky –

then leaving Israel in the morning haze

and landing on again in Vienna midday.

The next flight is totally un-photographed simply

because a concert cellist sat besides me all the way to Copenhagen,

and the cello had the window seat. Ahem – though, it was booked for me.

From Denmark it was off to Helsinki landing there late afternoon.
Tis for now. Riihele xx

© Photos: By Riihele. All rights reserved.

Travels: My Kind of Israel ~ Tel-Aviv

It could be the threshold we have crossed over from autumn to winter that made me think of the warmth of Israel – even this time of the year. Just to get you in the right mood here is my absolute favourite singer in any country anywhere ever: Sarit Hadad who is very popular throughout the Mideast. Hopefully this link will work for hearing a sample of me fav singer in the world, the CD is called, Only Love Will Bring Love (2003).  I particularly like the first track on this CD  Ktzat Meshuga’at – ‘A Little Bit Crazy.’ Aah suits me to a T! Can you hear it now? I have this CD with me wherever I go and play it on top volume to the delight of all me neighbours! It is to me one of the must haves of life. This type of music is called Mizrahi, Oriental in English that is. It is the beat – the Mizrahi beat that is my kind of rhythm. Aaahhh…

Here is a map of Israel.I have seen the land of Israel from Banias at the foot of the Mount Hermon in the very northern tip of the land all the way to Nueba in Sinai – which, of course, nowadays is Egypt. One of the highlights of my excursions and the trips that we made with the kibbutzim was the overnight stay on the Masada – the famous Zealot fortress in the Judean Desert – where we slept under the starry sky in the open air! I also had this experience in Nueba. Twas good that at the time of sleeping all those nights in Nueba that I did not know that the beach was rat-infested. Perish the thought! Horror. I would not have been able to sleep a wink, had I known! I have also been in Quneitra – which is Syria – just after the Yom Kippur War.  I have been on the several kibbutzim: one right at the Lebanese border and another a few miles from Gaza.

I am going to talk today about the kind of travel that I have done and hope to do another, before long. When I had the most marvellous of holidays at the Dead Sea Spa that was mentioned some time ago, I went straight from the airport near Tel-Aviv to the spa, arriving there as the golden sun was gloriously rising over the greeny-blue Dead Sea! What a fantastic scenery it twas – even my tired eyes perked up at that fabulous sight, yet I had travelled the whole night through.

If one has only a few days to ‘do the land’ – to see the land of Israel, it is best to concentrate on the few areas instead of trying to chase the trails from one corner of this minute land to the other. A good plan is to begin and/or end the journey in Tel-Aviv where there are plenty of sites to see and sea to feel. The sea is The Mediterranean, of course. The older houses, that are in this relatively new town, are of the Bauhaus-style. Quotation of the Tel-Aviv Travel Guide online:

Tel-Aviv was officially founded on the year 1909.The name was chosen after many debates and symbolizes the past and the future, “Tel” means a mound of ancient ruins and “Aviv” means spring. Today, almost a hundred years later, Tel Aviv is the second largest city in Israel and the biggest commercial and cultural center. Surprisingly, Tel Aviv counts officially only 371,400 as its population, but many more spend their days and nights in this non stop city – with many good reasons to do so.

There is the Tel-Aviv Museum of Art -more iNFO in this link.This city is the most secular of the places in Israel, anything and everything possible happens here. It used to be a grand break to go for a day trip from the ever-present palpable tension in Jerusalem while I lived in Israel. The seafront is full of great eateries all along the shore. The Irish Pub where the ‘Baileys’ happened is also close in the compact city centre of T-A. Naturally, not forgetting my absolutely favourite shopping centre in the wide world: The Azrieli which is located in here, the Retail Therapist’s dream, so tis!

Neve Tzedek is a restored area of houses which is both fashionable and trendy to live and for the visitor a most marvellous place to stroll around at one’s leisure. I had a guided tour of it by a local friend with a group of other out-of-town friends. One must not forget the ancient town of Jaffa is right next-door to T-A. Even Napoleon was here in 1799. In this link there are Places of Interest to see in Jaffa. I particularly like the museum at the square there in the Old Jaffa.

Old Jaffa is a kind of a beautiful ancient park in Jaffa city in Israel, which due to its special characteristics it has became one of the popular tourist sites. This south-western part of the city includes a port on the Mediterranean Sea, and it is also one of the most ancient port cities in the world. This place contains great places to visit, no matter when you decide on getting over. 

No matter if it is at day time, when you can enjoy the view of Tel Aviv beaches that lies on the opposing side, or at the sunset hours that paint a rare romantic picture. It can be at the evening hours. Then you can take a walk along the promenade, and continue to eat at one of the most exclusive restaurants in the country. (Israel Tourism Guide online)

Any takers? Are Yeez coming along?!

Tis for now for Travels: My Kind of Israel. Riihele xx.

All the photos of the Israel Mosaic by me.

Incidents and Such Like – Baileys

This incident happened a few years ago in Tel-Aviv, Israel.There is a great Irish Pub there called, Molly Bloom’s and we just had to check it out being a gang of Irish. We met a couple of very happy Irish at the door coming out as we were about go in whom we knew that told us that they had – in their own words: ‘drank the place dry.’ They looked it as well, so we did not doubt it one bit. Well, not to worry. We are not big drinkers just one and we are grand.

In we went, found great seats in the packed-jammers pub as it is a very popular place and looked around to who else would be around. We got talking to tis chap and his girlfriend who we had never ever seen or heard of and it turned out that he was the owner of the place.

‘Aha’ says ma brain, aloud I say:
“Okay, R., you are Irish and I am Irish; What are going to give us on the house?

R. blinks only a second or two – that must said to his credit forever – and recovering manly says:

” What would you like?”

” Baileys, large, on plenty of ice, please.” I am not one to hesitate, you see.

Then he asks what the others want in the party and they get theirs, also on the house.

We leave the place sometime later thanking him profusely. The others are moved to the extent that I had to help them navigate back to the hotel in the early hours through the streets of Tel-Aviv in 2002, when it was as its most dangerous over in Israel.

The other side of the story is this that the next evening we were going to the Irish ambassador’s posh do dressed up-to-the-nines at his residency near Tel-Aviv and whom did I spot there in the throng but R. himself. Well, now then!

It was my turn to recover this time, so I say to him:

“Thank you ever so much, R., for your kind generosity last night in your pub.”

R. all smiles, kindness and generosity itself:

“It was my pleasure.”

Well, what a gallant, noble gentleman, I say.

Tis for now. Riihele xx.