Tel Aviv on a shabbat

Today we celebrated that we've been married for three months by biking to Tel Aviv (60km, 800m down) and spending theday there. We thought of going all the way on highway 1, but got stopped by a police officer, who told us we were not allowed to bike on the highway... We kinda knew that, but today was shabbat and that means not many cars on the roads (observant Jews are not allowed to drive on shabbat).

The landscape on the way to Tel Aviv almost look Danish.

So we found another route - which was actually more scenic, which was nice - and after 4 hours we were in Tel Aviv, and headed straight for the beach and the water. Oh how wonderful to swim again, and for free! The beaches there are public (as opposed to around Lake Kinneret, and the indoor pools in Jerusalem for 35-50 shekels each time). Lunch at the beach, and then one more swim, just because we could and it's wonderful.


We biked around the city and it's small. Tried to find the Botanical Gardens, but the were behind closed gates. But we found the Wolfnights Chef Burger bar, where we had a bacon-and-cheese burger! Very non-kosher; bacon is not kosher, milk products and meat together is not kosher and the place was open on a shabbat!) - but we enjoyed it very much!

Preparing the burger - note the vampire-smiley at the corner of his dish! ^^

We rested on a lawn for half an hour before going on the the Immanuel Church of Jaffa to listen to an organ concert on the Book of Job played by a Danish guy we had met in Jerusalem at the Church. It's composed in the 1970's by Egil Hovland and is so modern that it uses cacaphony more than harmony... Between the seven movements were readings from the Book of Job - in Hebrew, but I found an English Bible so I could follow the story.
It was nice to meet the Danish priest in Tel Aviv and his family, and to say hello to the people we already new.

Last trip was to the New Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv, which is big and grey and ugly, but we managed to find our platform 607 on the 6th floor and get on the bus back to Jerusalem, despite many warnings that this bus station is very confusing and non-logical. But I still think it's weird to have 6th floor on a bus station, and busses departing from there!

All in all a wonderful day!