Travel journal

Tel Aviv in July: Beach Days and a Morning at the Port

The city days of that window: sand and sky, coffee with the sea behind it, long dinners, and one morning out at the port.

July 2021

A bay and the sea at sunset seen from high up through a window, a town and its rooftops below and a wide band of cloud over the water.

The city days of that window, in the order the frames happened. Beach and balcony first, then one morning out at the port, then the last of it from up high.

First look at the place, from up on the balcony. The seafront all at once: the lawn, the roundabout, the road works, and the sea carrying on behind all of it.

A seafront seen from high up, with a green lawn and a roundabout over road works below, a slim tower standing over the road and the beach and the sea beyond it.

Then coffee out there, and two biscuits with it. The sea right behind the cup.

A cup of coffee and two biscuits on a blue patterned table beside a window, the sea and a breakwater out beyond the glass.

Same window a while later, looking along the coast instead. Towers, the marina, and the road work still going.

A coast seen along from a window, towers and a marina over road works below, and a breakwater running out into the sea.

Me, still in the same spot, because that view was worth standing there for.

A selfie of a woman with dark glasses and dark hair in front of a tall window, city rooftops and towers behind her and a reflection in the glass.

Down on the sand in the afternoon. Wind in the hair, sun on everything.

A selfie of a woman in a red patterned top and dark glasses on a beach, the sea and two people far behind her in the water.

The pergolas along the beach, all in a row, each one with its own little plate of rules.

Three wooden pergolas standing in a row on the sand, small signs fixed to their posts, a tower behind them and the sea along the shore.

Then food, feet still in the sand. Hummus, falafel, bread, and something cold with a straw in it.

A table at the edge of the sand with a bowl of hummus, a plate of falafel, a basket of bread and a tall iced drink on it.

Walking back at dusk, the sun going down between the buildings and the palms.

A street at dusk with the sun going down between a building and a row of palms, a crossing in the road and a slim tower far down the street.

Dinner that night. Steak on a board, bread, salt, and a hand reaching in with a fork.

A sliced steak on a wooden board with bread, salt, a glass of wine and a hand holding cutlery at the edge of the frame.

Next day, lunch came in a box, with doughnuts and water, and the receipt sitting right there on the tray.

A takeaway tray with a printed paper box, a bag of doughnuts, a bottle of water and a till receipt lying on it.

The plaza in the middle of the day after that. Palms, blue sky, and cloud stacked up over the buildings.

A plaza between low buildings with palms along the front, cars parked at the kerb and stacked white cloud over the rooftops.

Then the gym, and one in before dinner. Headphones on, a machine free, done.

A mirror selfie of a woman in a white top and red shorts in a gym, headphones on and treadmills and machines behind her.

Dinner: a fish with lemon and herbs, and hummus and falafel on the side.

A plate of whole fish with lemon and herbs next to a plate of hummus topped with falafel, and bread at the edge of the table.

The port, the next morning. Out to the port first thing. Flags on the poles, a welcome sign over the doors, and the desk where everybody checks in.

The entrance of a port with its welcome sign in three languages over the doors, flags of several nations on poles beside it and a check-in sign over the glass.

Later that night, one drink on a dark table.

A glass of amber spirit on a dark polished table with a second glass at the left and bottles against the wall behind.

And dinner after it: kebab, aubergine, tomato, and bread.

A plate of kebab with aubergine, tomato and bread on a table, with more dishes and a glass at the edge of the frame.

Back up at the window the next evening. Spotted blouse this time, city underneath me.

A selfie of a woman in glasses and a spotted blouse in front of a window, city rooftops and towers spread out behind her.

The pool deck through the glass at dusk. Nobody in the water, loungers empty, palms and the sea out past them.

A pool deck seen through a glass wall at dusk, empty loungers along the water, palms along the edge and the sea beyond them.

Noodles in a red bowl to finish the day. That is a day finished properly.

A red bowl of noodles with a soft-boiled egg, greens and broth, seen close up on a table.

Last day, the city from up high again. Towers, rooftops, and cloud over all of it.

A city from high up under a wide cloudy sky, towers and packed rooftops running out to the horizon.

Lunch before the drive out: hummus and aubergine, and bread still in its paper bag.

A bowl of hummus and a small dish of aubergine with bread coming out of a printed paper bag on a table, an iced drink beside them.

Then sandwiches on a blue tray, and that is where the frames stop.

Pita sandwiches filled with tomato, peppers and salad in a white tray with a blue rim.

The city, the sea, food at the end of those days, and one morning out at the port.

Every photograph in this one is mine, from those days. The city pages live under Cities.

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