Middle East - Anthony Ham [231]
BEACHES
All Tel Aviv’s beaches are clean, safe and well-equipped with umbrellas, beach bars and irritatingly vocal lifeguards, but each has its own particular character. Gordon and Frishman beaches (Map) are the most all-encompasssing, and are packed with a real cross-section of locals and tourists.
Chinky Beach (Map) draws drummers and dancers on Friday afternoons and evenings; Ge’la, Yerushalayim and Trumpeldor beaches (Map), all attract a teenage crowd, and Aviv Beach (Map) is reserved for water-sporters. The Hilton Beach (Map), is the city’s unofficial gay beach; don’t confuse it with the next one along (Nordau Beach), which is for the Orthodox religious folks. Here Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for women only (a good place, too, for non-Orthodox women to escape male beach hassle). Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are for men only, and Saturday is open to both sexes.
MUSEUMS
The diverting Diaspora Museum (off Map; 640 8000; www.bh.org.il; Beit Hatefutsoth, 2 Klausner St, Matiyahu Gate, Ramat Aviv; adult/student 34/24NIS; 10am-4pm Sun-Tue, 10am-6pm Wed)is a well-conceived and fascinating collection of dioramas, films and displays chronicling 2500 years of Jewish culture in exile. It’s on the grounds of Tel Aviv University, 2.5km north of the Yarkon River. Take bus 25 from King George V St or bus 27 from the central bus station.
Eretz Israel Museum (off Map; 641 5244; 2 Chaim Levanon St, Ramat Aviv; adult/student 35/27NIS; 9am-4pm Sun-Wed, 10am-8pm Thu, 10am-2pm Fri & Sat), south of the Diaspora Museum, consists of 11 small themed collections (glass, ceramics, folklore etc) constructed around the Tel Qasile archaeological site, and is quite interesting to take a stroll around.
Home to a superb permanent collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist works, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (Map; 607 7000; www.tamuseum.com; 27 Sha’ul HaMelech Ave; adult/student 40/32NIS; 10am-4pm Mon, Wed & Sat, 10am-10pm Tue & Thu, 10am-2pm Fri) also has some fine 20th century avant-garde pieces. Works by Picasso, Matisse, Gauguin, Degas and Pollock feature prominently.
YEMENITE QUARTER
The Yemenite Quarter’s maze of narrow, cobbled streets and crumbling buildings seems at odds with the clean-cut modernism of the rest of Tel Aviv. Imbued with an oriental flavour, the Carmel Market (Map; 8am-5pm Sun-Fri) is one of the few places in the city that reminds visitors of Tel Aviv’s Middle Eastern location. Push past the first few metres of knock-off brand-name clothing and trainers to reach the more aromatic and enticing stalls of fresh fruits and vegetables, hot breads and spices.
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SUCH A PERFECT DAY Amelia Thomas
Though Tel Aviv manages to be at once cool and hot on every day of the week, Fridays are my own personal favourite. Everyone’s out on the streets, at the park, or at the beach all day. A magical hush descends as the light softens at about 5pm, as city dwellers head home to prepare for a family dinner followed by a late night out. Here’s my recipe for a perfect Tel Aviv Friday.
First, pick up the weekend Ha’aretz newspaper from a newsstand, then head out for a long, lingering breakfast at one of the tiny cafés on Sheinkin, Shabazi or Bograchov Sts, and take a wander around the boutiques of the cute little Neve Tsedek district (above), or head over to Nachlat Binyamin to taste the happy atmosphere of the craft market (Click here).
Grab lunch on the go at the city’s favourite sabich stall (Click here), then wander along Rothschild Blvd with the dog walkers and frolicking families to soak up some beautiful Bauhaus architecture. Head back towards the beach for an afternoon in the waves, and stroll the promenade as the sun goes down. Saunter towards Jaffa, where the air hangs heavy with smoke as Jews and Arab Israelis alike break out the barbeques.
After