Tel Aviv – 25th October
Distance: 7.43 km – Elevation +70 m -100 m
Weather: Sunny. Temperature: High 28 degrees
It was another beautiful warm morning with clear blue skies as I sat on the roof terrace for breakfast. I had decided overnight to stay one more day in Tel Aviv. I would have liked to have stayed in south Tel Aviv to further explore Jaffa but Meir’s Boutique Guesthouse was fully booked, so I decided to head north and booked a room in Dolan’s Boutique Guest House which is located just a short walk from Metzitzim Beach.
I left the Meir’s Guesthouse just after 10.00 am walking along Nachalat Binyamin Street and in a very short time, I unexpectedly found myself in the middle of a street market. It was Friday and I had stumbled upon the Nachalat Binyamin market, the largest arts and crafts market in Israel which is held every Tuesday and Friday. It is a street market specializing in all sorts of different arts and crafts from all corners of Israel. It was a very colourful market and not too crowded as I walked through, stopping at times to admire the various creations. I stopped for coffee at the Nordoy Hotel which had tables on the pavement area outside and I sat and watched the people of Tel Aviv enjoying their day.
From the market, the route took me past the Carmel Market, Tel Aviv’s largest fresh produce market and led me to Allenby Street. This is the area of Tel Aviv known as the “White City” which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the world’s largest collection of International or Bauhaus style buildings. Allenby Street is one of the oldest streets in Tel Aviv, built in 1911 and originally called the “Big Street” it was renamed in honour of British General Edmund Allenby who was responsible for the Palestine campaign of the First World war.
I continued on through downtown Tel Aviv along the pedestrian mall of Ben Yehuda Street which brought me to HaYarkon Street and Dolan’s Boutique Guest House. The guest house was low cost and consequently very basic in facilities, but ideally located just a short walk from the beach and Tel Aviv harbour. After settling into my room and meeting with Dotan the owner of the guesthouse I spent the afternoon exploring the beach and port areas with a late lunch in the Landwer Cafe. An enjoyable afternoon and evening by the northern shore of Tel Aviv.
