Tel Aviv, Israel

Hi Everybody! We finally have our blog up to date and are writing this blog as it happens, not with a week delay like usually. Tel Aviv was a cool breath of fresh air. It was nice to have a chance to relax, put our feet up, and enjoy a white sand beach. The beach front is a whirlwind of entertainment with numerous beach volleyball courts, surfing, sailing, weight lifting equipment (yes, it's true, you can work out on the beach), biking, racquet sports, markets, shops, restaurants, cafes, and you can even join the spontaneous dance-a-thon that happens frequently. See video below. Last night, we found a little Jewish restaurant off the strip and sat down to enjoy our first kosher meal where Jeff's knowledge of cultural foods shone through. When Anelia asked what came in the chicken soup the waitress replied, "matzah balls". Anelia gave a quizzical look and just as the waitress was about to explain further, Jeff piped up, "You know, like a cheese ball". The waitress kindly reminded Jeff that they probably would not put cheese in chicken soup. For those of you who don't know, Jewish people do not mix dairy and meat in the same meal (that also means you can't laugh at Jeff's mistake). In Jeff's defence, he did not know at the time that it was a Jewish restaurant. The soup was delicious and when the main course arrived, Jeff and Anelia's eyes widened to an unexpected surprise. There on the plate, beside the beef and bean stew (we forget actual Jewish name of dish), lay 2 bloated looking coils of cow's intestine. Jeff and Anelia ate half of the meal before even poking at the intestine. Then Jeff manned up, cut himself a piece of intestine and munched it down, and decided it was not so bad after all. He did however wash it down with a quick drink of water. Unable to convince Anelia to try it Jeff ate a second piece. Still unconvinced, she opted to try the mashed potato stuffing instead that oozed out of the tripe. That was good enough for her. Anelia says this was the worst meal of our entire trip and Jeff concurs. Even though Tel Aviv is a little piece of paradise, there are reminders of the troubles that exist here. When entering the flea market on the boardwalk, security grabbed Jeff by the elbow and asked, "do you have a gun?" Jeff and Anelia couldn't help but laugh and answered, "no". We enjoyed our time here but are off tomorrow for more adventure!

Pictures:
1- Our first Jewish meal
2- Workout equipment, beach volleyball, and dancing on boardwalk
3- Anelia on beach
4- Beautiful architecture
5- Anelia on beach (again)
6- Sunset a few hours ago
The video is of dancing on the boardwalk. free for anyone to join in. we refrained.