Travel journal

Tel Aviv in July and August: Gardens, Rooms and the Sea

The city days of that window: a first evening on the seafront, a walk the next day, one long day of gardens and rooms, and the beach at the end of it.

July to August 2019

A selfie of a woman with dark hair on a beach at sunset, the sea and a breakwater behind her and cloud lit up across the sky.

The city days of that window, in the order the frames happened. The seafront first, then a walk out through the streets, then a long one spent in gardens and rooms, then the beach.

30 July, first evening. Straight down to the seafront on the first evening. The beach and the promenade from up on the terrace, the sun already lying on the water and the umbrellas out below.

A beach and a promenade seen from high up, the sun on the water and its light running in toward the shore, rows of umbrellas on the sand, a round deck below and a glass balustrade across the front.

Dinner on the sand after that. Mezze, falafel and skewers, and me at the table.

A woman with dark hair smiling at a table at dusk, plates of salad, falafel and skewers in front of her, a glass of orange juice at her elbow and a lit terrace behind.

And the last of the light going down between the breakwaters.

The sun setting between two breakwaters, its light running across the water toward the shore and long lines of swell coming in.

31 July, out walking. Out through the streets the next afternoon, and eating first. Flatbreads, bowls of dips, falafel, skewers and something tall and cold.

A table laid with flatbreads, bowls of dips and falafel, trays of skewers and grilled vegetables and a tall iced drink, a bottle standing at the end of it.

Then the buildings along the way. The awning out over the pavement, the pennants strung across the shopfront and the air conditioners humming above it.

A wide awning stretched out over a pavement, a line of small pennants strung across the shopfront below it, air conditioners on the wall above and lettering over the window.

A few doors on, a cactus in its pot and a cat standing in the water bowl beside it, taking its time.

A tall cactus in a glazed pot on paving against a wall, with a small white and black cat standing in a water bowl at the foot of it and pipes running along the wall behind.

And round the corner, an old house with a flag on its pole, wires across the sky and plants along the step.

The corner of an old house with a flag on a pole above it, a timber frame set against the wall, wires running across a clear sky and potted plants on the step below.

1 August, the morning. The day started with coffee, and a figure drawn in the foam.

A cup of coffee on a striped saucer with a figure holding something up drawn in the foam, and a spoon resting on the rim.

Then out to a walled compound, arches and green doors, with a garden running down the side of it.

A stone building with three arches along its front, a balcony with a green rail above them, a green door at the centre of the colonnade and a tiled floor running in front.

A big old tree on the lawn in front, with the barred window behind it.

A wide tree standing on a lawn in front of a pale stone wall, a small barred window low in the wall and a taller building and palms behind.

Inside, one of the rooms: a bookcase, a rug, and a small plaque up on the wall.

A wooden bookcase against a cream wall with books on every shelf, a small dark plaque above it and a patterned rug on the floor in front.

And the room with the long table. Chairs all down it, a curtain at the door, and flags standing small at the far end.

A long dark table running away down a room with chairs set along both sides, a curtain at the door, framed pictures on the walls and a rank of flags standing small at the far end.

One more room in there: tiled floor, a desk and its chairs, and the wall over them covered in pictures.

A room with a tiled floor and a patterned rug, a desk and two chairs, an arched window at one side and the walls hung with framed pictures and lettering.

Back out into the garden: the tower that stands over the whole compound, with the old tiled roof, the trees and the palms between.

A tall glass tower rising behind a garden, a low building with a tiled roof and a dome below it and tall trees and palms across the front.

And the pond at the bottom of it, lily pads across the water and red fish moving under them.

A wide pond covered in lily pads with red fish under the surface, its stone edging, paving along the side and a metal walkway with plants beyond.

Later that day. The afternoon ran long. Ribs and slaw on a board, a hand holding it, and that was lunch.

A board of glazed ribs with dressed slaw on a table, a hand holding the board at the bottom edge and a glass and cutlery behind it.

Then back to the sand for the sun, going down under a wide bank of cloud.

The sun going down over the sea under a wide bank of cloud lit gold, its light on the water and a breakwater running out from the shore.

2 August, the end of it. Last day. Food first, out on a wooden table with the chairs empty behind it: falafel, bread, chips and a bottle of water.

A wooden table with a plate of falafel, a basket of bread, chips and a bottle of water on it, and empty red plastic chairs behind.

And then the beach at dusk, umbrellas lit all along the sand and everybody still out on it.

A beach at dusk with umbrellas lit along the sand, a crowd of people out on it and cloud across the sky over the sea.

A first evening on the water, a walk through the streets, a long day of gardens and rooms, and one last sunset from the sand.

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

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