Back at Samir's on Saturday, where we got carrots and zucchini stuffed with rice and spices, then stewed. Also, in addition to the warm mashed chickpea dish mussabekha (as the Sherbs's uncle unhelpfully says, "rhymes with apricot"), we got some pretty tasty foul (pronounced "fool"), made with some sort of kidney-looking beans. And, of course, the usual pita and salad.
Last night, I went to Shuree Buree in Herzlia, the coastal town just north of Tel Aviv. Shuree Buree basically does one thing: first, you get lots of little dishes of salads and such. Then, you order a fish. You get the fish however you specified the chef to cook it, or you get it fried. That's it.
Still, they do a great job with fish, and you get plenty of bread for the tahina, tzatziki sauce, and guacamole. You can also order french fries, called "צ'פס" (chips) in Hebrew; I use the Hebrew because I want to pretend that "tzips" are not as fattening as french fries. Especially not the ones at Burger Ranch which come mixed with onion rings and bits of hot dog.
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Israel. Show all posts
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
More Israel Travel Tips
1) Israeli cellular phone companies do not want to do business with you. Their stores are like nice versions of the DMV: you take a number, sit and wait, and eventually someone will deal with what you need, like adding NIS 100 to your prepaid phone, but not with any alacrity. It was like they'd never done the transaction before, writing crap down on post-its and running back and forth from the mysterious back room and random computer terminals.
2) The shouks have the cheapest veggies. A "shouk," for those who don't know the term, is the descendant of that Arabian market that was caricatured in the Disney movie Aladdin as full of intolerant and pushy shopkeeps, vicious scimitar-wielding law enforcement officials, and a fez-wearing monkey.
In fact, they look like any nation's street market, but here, the shouks in Jerusalem, Acco, and Ramla all have great vegetable assortments, as well as fresh fish and baked goods, for a price far below what you'd find in the local supermarkets.
In Jerusalem, there's also a dumpling-in-soup place I hear is delicious, as well as a place that sells Judaic-themed health beverages. It would set off Penn & Teller's alarms pretty quickly, although the Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon-themed almond beverage and the angelically-themed chocolate drink looked tasty.
3) Elias's Butcher Shop in Ramla is a great place for raw meat. Elias himself will cut you pretty much anything you want of whatever meat he's got, and he stocks enough for an entire barbecue in his shop, from firestarter to bamboo skewers to frozen french fries. I'm a sucker for any butcher that has a side of meat just hanging around, and can yank a leg of lamb out from under a table.
2) The shouks have the cheapest veggies. A "shouk," for those who don't know the term, is the descendant of that Arabian market that was caricatured in the Disney movie Aladdin as full of intolerant and pushy shopkeeps, vicious scimitar-wielding law enforcement officials, and a fez-wearing monkey.
In fact, they look like any nation's street market, but here, the shouks in Jerusalem, Acco, and Ramla all have great vegetable assortments, as well as fresh fish and baked goods, for a price far below what you'd find in the local supermarkets.
In Jerusalem, there's also a dumpling-in-soup place I hear is delicious, as well as a place that sells Judaic-themed health beverages. It would set off Penn & Teller's alarms pretty quickly, although the Rabbi Moses Ben Maimon-themed almond beverage and the angelically-themed chocolate drink looked tasty.
3) Elias's Butcher Shop in Ramla is a great place for raw meat. Elias himself will cut you pretty much anything you want of whatever meat he's got, and he stocks enough for an entire barbecue in his shop, from firestarter to bamboo skewers to frozen french fries. I'm a sucker for any butcher that has a side of meat just hanging around, and can yank a leg of lamb out from under a table.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Notable Meals in Israel
DAY 1
Brunch: Shakshouka and a cappuccino at Si Coffee at the gas station just below the Latrun tank museum. The Sherbs already went over this, but the tomatoey dish with eggs and cheese cooked on top was pretty amazing, even for a chain cafe. Especially with the whole grain bread.
Dinner: Italian in Tel Aviv. Pizza, appetizers (including eggplant parm in individual ramekins), and a gnocchi in meat sauce.
DAY 2
Brunch: "Couples Breakfast" for the Sherbs and I at Cafe Rimon on Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem. Each of us got two eggs, any way we wanted, and a salad, with a plate of cheese, tuna fish, and lox to share, as well as a bread basket with two croissant and four bagels. More than decent for a remarkably touristy establishment.
DAY 3
Lunch: Chicken shnitzel sandwich at a small shop in Old Acco at (I think) the end of Chaim Weitzmann Street. Breaded, fried, and stuffed in a toasted baguette with all usual falafel fixings and a couple french fries for good measure. Not the best food ever eaten, but better than average and unbeatable at NIS 20 for sandwich and drink.
DAY 4
Samir's in Ramla. Ramla is a small city near to Tel Aviv, and contains, in one of the many 12th-century structures still standing and in use, a restaurant called Samir's.
I've probably mentioned this place before. But there is nothing bad at Samir's. Today's assortment (when we go with the Sherbs's uncle, it's always the chef's choice for the menu) was chicken kabob, ground lamb kabob, falafel, and a mixed plate of animal hearts and livers cooked with onions and pepper. I am not being facetious to say that the organ meats were incredibly delicious - as I said, there is nothing bad at Samir's. From the pitas to the salads to the baklava at the end (and the coffee with cardamom), everything was tasty-riffic.
The Sherbs's uncle's ice cream. My better half's uncle makes his own ice cream, and has spent much of his life learning and perfecting the food chemistry of homemade ice cream. The flavors which we had too much of were a pineapple sorbet, a mint chocolate made with fresh mint (so much better than that spearmint oil stuff you get at the supermarket), and a dark chocolate ice cream with coffee and chocolate chunks mixed in.
Brunch: Shakshouka and a cappuccino at Si Coffee at the gas station just below the Latrun tank museum. The Sherbs already went over this, but the tomatoey dish with eggs and cheese cooked on top was pretty amazing, even for a chain cafe. Especially with the whole grain bread.
Dinner: Italian in Tel Aviv. Pizza, appetizers (including eggplant parm in individual ramekins), and a gnocchi in meat sauce.
DAY 2
Brunch: "Couples Breakfast" for the Sherbs and I at Cafe Rimon on Ben Yehuda street in Jerusalem. Each of us got two eggs, any way we wanted, and a salad, with a plate of cheese, tuna fish, and lox to share, as well as a bread basket with two croissant and four bagels. More than decent for a remarkably touristy establishment.
DAY 3
Lunch: Chicken shnitzel sandwich at a small shop in Old Acco at (I think) the end of Chaim Weitzmann Street. Breaded, fried, and stuffed in a toasted baguette with all usual falafel fixings and a couple french fries for good measure. Not the best food ever eaten, but better than average and unbeatable at NIS 20 for sandwich and drink.
DAY 4
Samir's in Ramla. Ramla is a small city near to Tel Aviv, and contains, in one of the many 12th-century structures still standing and in use, a restaurant called Samir's.
I've probably mentioned this place before. But there is nothing bad at Samir's. Today's assortment (when we go with the Sherbs's uncle, it's always the chef's choice for the menu) was chicken kabob, ground lamb kabob, falafel, and a mixed plate of animal hearts and livers cooked with onions and pepper. I am not being facetious to say that the organ meats were incredibly delicious - as I said, there is nothing bad at Samir's. From the pitas to the salads to the baklava at the end (and the coffee with cardamom), everything was tasty-riffic.
The Sherbs's uncle's ice cream. My better half's uncle makes his own ice cream, and has spent much of his life learning and perfecting the food chemistry of homemade ice cream. The flavors which we had too much of were a pineapple sorbet, a mint chocolate made with fresh mint (so much better than that spearmint oil stuff you get at the supermarket), and a dark chocolate ice cream with coffee and chocolate chunks mixed in.
Israel Travel Tips
Things to Ask the Rental Car People That I Didn't:
1) Will I be unable to figure out how to turn off the radio?
2) Why can't I lift the seat above a "recumbent bike" position?
3) Will it be remarkably easy to break my lease terms by taking the wrong turn on the road to Megiddo (in Israel) and ending up in Jenin (in Fatah-controlled West Bank)?
4) Will the tire unexpectedly spring a leak and your emergency service staff tell me to change the tire to a spare and have the flat replaced myself?
Things I Learned the Hard Way:
1) Acco (aka Acre) is impossible to leave if the road you expect to get to the highway on is blocked by police with a bomb-disposal robot.
2) The Herzl Museum, on Har Herzl (and poorly signed) is not on the same Jerusalem mini-mountain as the Jerusalem Central Bus Station (which has all the charm and cheerful ambiance of the NYC Port Authority on 42nd St.). Nor is it a short walk.
3) The Herzl Museum requires reservations, and if you don't have one, they don't have any interest in helping you.
4) In Jerusalem, Yafo (Jaffa) Street is NOT perpendicular to King George Street. Even though they're really close. You make one wrong turn out of the Mamilla mall, and you're heading to the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. AGAIN.
1) Will I be unable to figure out how to turn off the radio?
2) Why can't I lift the seat above a "recumbent bike" position?
3) Will it be remarkably easy to break my lease terms by taking the wrong turn on the road to Megiddo (in Israel) and ending up in Jenin (in Fatah-controlled West Bank)?
4) Will the tire unexpectedly spring a leak and your emergency service staff tell me to change the tire to a spare and have the flat replaced myself?
Things I Learned the Hard Way:
1) Acco (aka Acre) is impossible to leave if the road you expect to get to the highway on is blocked by police with a bomb-disposal robot.
2) The Herzl Museum, on Har Herzl (and poorly signed) is not on the same Jerusalem mini-mountain as the Jerusalem Central Bus Station (which has all the charm and cheerful ambiance of the NYC Port Authority on 42nd St.). Nor is it a short walk.
3) The Herzl Museum requires reservations, and if you don't have one, they don't have any interest in helping you.
4) In Jerusalem, Yafo (Jaffa) Street is NOT perpendicular to King George Street. Even though they're really close. You make one wrong turn out of the Mamilla mall, and you're heading to the Jerusalem Central Bus Station. AGAIN.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Food Photo Post - Israel!
Here are our Israel food pictures!
Here's what the appetizer course at Samir's looks like about 2/3 of the way through. If you come for dinner at Samir's, there's still more food. Lots of it. Notice the multiple kinds of hummus and the foul, which my mom makes a version of.
This is what my meal at Burger Ranch looked like. Had I known that they also gave out packets of barbecue sauce and sweet and sour sauce upon request, I would totally have done so. Here they only gave me kosher for Passover ketchup and that most Israeli of condiments, thousand island dressing. No, really. They love that stuff on everything.
Here's what the appetizer course at Samir's looks like about 2/3 of the way through. If you come for dinner at Samir's, there's still more food. Lots of it. Notice the multiple kinds of hummus and the foul, which my mom makes a version of.
This is what my meal at Burger Ranch looked like. Had I known that they also gave out packets of barbecue sauce and sweet and sour sauce upon request, I would totally have done so. Here they only gave me kosher for Passover ketchup and that most Israeli of condiments, thousand island dressing. No, really. They love that stuff on everything.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Last Post From Israel
I am leaving for the airport at 3AM. I am not looking forward to driving the rental car back at that time; I suspect that there will be much fussing with the keypad as I am not Jason Statham at the best of times, sometimes turning the key after I hear two beeps just to hear the starter stutter because I must let the beeps ring out for their full length.
Got Burger Ranch today, including some for the plane. Super happy about that. The Sherbs's uncle tells me he'll show me real Israeli burger-smithing on my next trip to Israel; that, and "Mini Israel" (an attraction across from the Tank Museum that we did not have time to see) are reason enough to come back.
Also, Haifa. Still haven't been there since I tried in 2006 and Hezbollah ruined my vacation. Will go there next time.
Furthermore, the Sherbs mentioned that there was a really awesome "tel" (as in layered ancient city, not "show and") that puts the one we hiked all over today to shame. It even has underground waterways, which I enjoyed so much when I was in Caesarea.
So, definitely coming back. Just not soon - travel budget for the next five years already committed.
Got Burger Ranch today, including some for the plane. Super happy about that. The Sherbs's uncle tells me he'll show me real Israeli burger-smithing on my next trip to Israel; that, and "Mini Israel" (an attraction across from the Tank Museum that we did not have time to see) are reason enough to come back.
Also, Haifa. Still haven't been there since I tried in 2006 and Hezbollah ruined my vacation. Will go there next time.
Furthermore, the Sherbs mentioned that there was a really awesome "tel" (as in layered ancient city, not "show and") that puts the one we hiked all over today to shame. It even has underground waterways, which I enjoyed so much when I was in Caesarea.
So, definitely coming back. Just not soon - travel budget for the next five years already committed.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Pre-Breakfast Post
Last day in Israel - probably going to be low key as my flight leaves tomorrow at what is officially TOO EARLY. May see a "tel," or huge mound o' piled up past civilizations. Will try to eat more Burger Ranch. We will see what happens.
Forgot to mention the big food surprise yesterday, which is that the cafeteria-style restaurant near the Latrun Tank Museum / Fallen Tank Officers Memorial is officially Not Bad, exceeding Mediocre by a wide margin. The salads were tasty and they can roast a kebab.
The tank museum is also worth going to if you, like me, love to look at tanks. They had three, count 'em, three, mobile bridge deployment vehicles. I think I had a GI Joe version of one. I impressed The Sherbs with my ability to determine the country of origin and special features for post WWII tanks; sadly for those single guy readers of the blog out there, I do not think she would have been as impressed had she not already been engaged to me - the tank museum is not a good first date unless your date operates a tank herself.
Forgot to mention the big food surprise yesterday, which is that the cafeteria-style restaurant near the Latrun Tank Museum / Fallen Tank Officers Memorial is officially Not Bad, exceeding Mediocre by a wide margin. The salads were tasty and they can roast a kebab.
The tank museum is also worth going to if you, like me, love to look at tanks. They had three, count 'em, three, mobile bridge deployment vehicles. I think I had a GI Joe version of one. I impressed The Sherbs with my ability to determine the country of origin and special features for post WWII tanks; sadly for those single guy readers of the blog out there, I do not think she would have been as impressed had she not already been engaged to me - the tank museum is not a good first date unless your date operates a tank herself.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, and also the Cheesiest
In Israel, Cheetos are advertised as being fortified with Omega-3 fatty acids. The Israelis are evidently more concerned with Chester Cheetah's health spiel than with his exhortations to vandalism and assault, which is the current American ad campaign.
An elaboration about Samir's, which has great food and is worth a trip to Ramla for. Samir does meat very well; he does chicken hearts quite tastily (they're the ones in the dish that don't taste like chicken livers, the other organ meat) and kebabs even better. There's a chicken with onion dish that is indescribable other than oil-fried delicious. Dessert may include a custard with rose water that is, if you like rose water, creamy and worth it. The baklava are so-so; there's plenty of other great food, just leave those be.
An elaboration about Samir's, which has great food and is worth a trip to Ramla for. Samir does meat very well; he does chicken hearts quite tastily (they're the ones in the dish that don't taste like chicken livers, the other organ meat) and kebabs even better. There's a chicken with onion dish that is indescribable other than oil-fried delicious. Dessert may include a custard with rose water that is, if you like rose water, creamy and worth it. The baklava are so-so; there's plenty of other great food, just leave those be.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Salads and Knife Fights
Mostly touristy foods yesterday; we saw the Israel Museum, which was jam-packed, half-closed for renovations, and had some tasty kosher for Passover salads (the sandwiches, I heard, were a little disappointing). Once again I am impressed with the mixed greens of Israel.
Also tasty was the shwarma place called "Big Shwarma" 1/3 of the way down the pedestrian part of Ben-Yehuda Street. The chopped meat on a rotating spit was well-spiced and quite tasty, and served with fries and veggies (no pita this week, for obvious reasons).
I also discovered, while scanning the local cable channels, that Israel has its own version of Iron Chef called something like "Knife Fight." In Knife Fight, each chef prepares a course for a celebrity panel, and they vote yay or nay; the yays and nays are tallied up per course throughout the five-course meal. Sadly, the French chef ("Stephan") beat the local hero, even though he made what looked like sweetbreads. As I've mentioned before on this blog, you can make sweetbreads taste good.
Also tasty was the shwarma place called "Big Shwarma" 1/3 of the way down the pedestrian part of Ben-Yehuda Street. The chopped meat on a rotating spit was well-spiced and quite tasty, and served with fries and veggies (no pita this week, for obvious reasons).
I also discovered, while scanning the local cable channels, that Israel has its own version of Iron Chef called something like "Knife Fight." In Knife Fight, each chef prepares a course for a celebrity panel, and they vote yay or nay; the yays and nays are tallied up per course throughout the five-course meal. Sadly, the French chef ("Stephan") beat the local hero, even though he made what looked like sweetbreads. As I've mentioned before on this blog, you can make sweetbreads taste good.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Coffee Break!
As I am over jet lag, I have given up on coffee for the moment; caffeine is not good for me. However, while at the shuk in Tel Aviv (or, more accurately, in the cluster of Kosher for Passover certified restaurants on Allenby Street right across from the shuk), I stopped at a coffee shop whose name escapes me now (it's a chain) and had a "cheese salad."
It was roquefort, parmesan, and shredded Israeli salted cheese (there are "standard cheeses" in Israel by which others are measured; "salted cheese" and "yellow cheese" are two species, and you ask for them in the store under those names) on top of some red lettuce-heavy mixed greens. (I love the more watercress-y greens with texture and crunch, which this salad had plenty of. Lightly dressed, which was perfect.
It makes me sad for going back to the United States with its wilty "mixed greens" that are not crunchy or flavorful. I love romaine as much as the next guy, but it's not enough.
Dinner was fish. I had sea bream. It was pretty good, although I think I liked the pickled herring appetizers more. I love me some pickled herring. If the Sherbs would let me, I'd have a tub of pickled herring with cream sauce in the fridge. It is good stuff.
It was roquefort, parmesan, and shredded Israeli salted cheese (there are "standard cheeses" in Israel by which others are measured; "salted cheese" and "yellow cheese" are two species, and you ask for them in the store under those names) on top of some red lettuce-heavy mixed greens. (I love the more watercress-y greens with texture and crunch, which this salad had plenty of. Lightly dressed, which was perfect.
It makes me sad for going back to the United States with its wilty "mixed greens" that are not crunchy or flavorful. I love romaine as much as the next guy, but it's not enough.
Dinner was fish. I had sea bream. It was pretty good, although I think I liked the pickled herring appetizers more. I love me some pickled herring. If the Sherbs would let me, I'd have a tub of pickled herring with cream sauce in the fridge. It is good stuff.
Update
So if I don't blog tonight, The Pedant will be quite mad at me. So I will do this quickly as we had a busy day today and a busy one tomorrow. And I'm tired.
First and foremost, a hello to a fan we met today at BurgerRanch! YAY! :-)
Next, and importantly, the food. Here's a quick run-down:
Thursday/Friday: Plane food. Actually not bad. On the Iberia flight for the vegetarian meal I got a small bottle of lemon olive oil as a condiment. Quite delish.
Friday: Dinner at Aunt and Uncle's. Tasty. Plus an Aunt Belle's chocolate cake. Which is heaven in a cake. My mom makes it for special occasions and it's great, but my aunt (who is the great-niece of Belle) doubles the whipped cream and it's fantastic. Take a hint mom.
Saturday: Samir's for the best hummus ever. Really. This is the way all meals should be eaten - with hummus and pita and salads. We are hopefully going back this week for more. YAY! Passover meal was incredible. Hard Matzah balls, rice during the meal (usually a no-no for us of Eastern European decent) and tasty tasty sides.
Sunday: Leftovers - amazing. Plus a "light" evening meal and a walk on the marina. Fun!
Monday: A meal with distant relatives of TP. I was forced to eat the shakshuka which was amazing. (By forced I mean I was looking forward to just a hearty soup but was quilted into a soup and a shakshouka by the elder relative. I was also forced into a delicious coffee afterwords.) A nice walking tour of Tel Aviv. An amazing dinner at a cousin's house.
Tuesday: The BurgerRanch excursion was fun. I ate the fries. Not bad. Then a real meal at home base - Matzah, hummus, quiche, salad, etc. Then off the the shuk for fun crafts and a walk, an afternoon "limonana" - lemonade with mint - and a fish dinner (salads and "chips" (fries) for me!) and dessert here. Ready to burst!!
Only problem we've noticed is the lack of iced coffee. "Iced coffee" here is a blended drink with condensed milk and water and sugar and Turkish coffee. Since the coffee is all fabulous and Turkish there are no Starbucks on every street corner serving crap. Only the best here. It drove my father crazy trying to get an "American" iced coffee.
First and foremost, a hello to a fan we met today at BurgerRanch! YAY! :-)
Next, and importantly, the food. Here's a quick run-down:
Thursday/Friday: Plane food. Actually not bad. On the Iberia flight for the vegetarian meal I got a small bottle of lemon olive oil as a condiment. Quite delish.
Friday: Dinner at Aunt and Uncle's. Tasty. Plus an Aunt Belle's chocolate cake. Which is heaven in a cake. My mom makes it for special occasions and it's great, but my aunt (who is the great-niece of Belle) doubles the whipped cream and it's fantastic. Take a hint mom.
Saturday: Samir's for the best hummus ever. Really. This is the way all meals should be eaten - with hummus and pita and salads. We are hopefully going back this week for more. YAY! Passover meal was incredible. Hard Matzah balls, rice during the meal (usually a no-no for us of Eastern European decent) and tasty tasty sides.
Sunday: Leftovers - amazing. Plus a "light" evening meal and a walk on the marina. Fun!
Monday: A meal with distant relatives of TP. I was forced to eat the shakshuka which was amazing. (By forced I mean I was looking forward to just a hearty soup but was quilted into a soup and a shakshouka by the elder relative. I was also forced into a delicious coffee afterwords.) A nice walking tour of Tel Aviv. An amazing dinner at a cousin's house.
Tuesday: The BurgerRanch excursion was fun. I ate the fries. Not bad. Then a real meal at home base - Matzah, hummus, quiche, salad, etc. Then off the the shuk for fun crafts and a walk, an afternoon "limonana" - lemonade with mint - and a fish dinner (salads and "chips" (fries) for me!) and dessert here. Ready to burst!!
Only problem we've noticed is the lack of iced coffee. "Iced coffee" here is a blended drink with condensed milk and water and sugar and Turkish coffee. Since the coffee is all fabulous and Turkish there are no Starbucks on every street corner serving crap. Only the best here. It drove my father crazy trying to get an "American" iced coffee.
Burger Ranching Like John Wayne (or appropriate rancher stereotype)
I was at Burger Ranch. It was better than advertised.
Okay, so the hot dogs were mostly parts of the cow I don't want to know about, and tasted that way (bland - not offal-riffic, like, say, paté de tété or mortadella). But the potato rolls, despite being slightly greasy, were excellent burger buns. And the Burger Ranch burgers were pretty darned good; on par or better with the Whopper or Wendy's burgers.
Now I am thirsty. Off to drink a liter of water.
I did take pictures; hopefully they will be posted sometime.
Okay, so the hot dogs were mostly parts of the cow I don't want to know about, and tasted that way (bland - not offal-riffic, like, say, paté de tété or mortadella). But the potato rolls, despite being slightly greasy, were excellent burger buns. And the Burger Ranch burgers were pretty darned good; on par or better with the Whopper or Wendy's burgers.
Now I am thirsty. Off to drink a liter of water.
I did take pictures; hopefully they will be posted sometime.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Tel Aviv Melange
Things that still annoy me about Israeli traffic:
1. Police cars always have their top flashers on. So, if one's behind you, it's not a problem until he turns on his other flashers and then the siren.
2. Totally inadequate signage. Street signs are tiny and sometimes on a side of the street you can't see. Not good for navigation.
3. Tel Aviv was designed for maximum driver frustration. Lots of one-way streets ending in "T" intersections with other one-way streets. This is way worse than the whole "all highways branch" issue.
Things that were awesome today:
1. Tour of Bauhaus Tel Aviv. A lot of it was built in the 1920's and 1930's and looks cool.
2. The Sherbs and I can navigate Israeli highways with moderate success and a minimum of yelling at each other, which is good for the driver/navigator relationship. We did end up going to Karme Yoseph with a side tour through scenic Ramla (n.b. - Ramla is the Detroit of Israel, including a "Detroit Street"), but fortunately we did want to be on Highway 44 eventually, so it wasn't a big deal.
3. Dizengoff street in Tel Aviv is pretty darned cool, and not just for the cafes.
4. Israeli goths. Like American goths, but mind-bendingly inexplicable. Imagine stereotypical-looking Israeli teens, who are all looking army-ready and tough, in all black (in 80-degree weather) and with too much eyeliner. They look like bad vampire movie extras.
1. Police cars always have their top flashers on. So, if one's behind you, it's not a problem until he turns on his other flashers and then the siren.
2. Totally inadequate signage. Street signs are tiny and sometimes on a side of the street you can't see. Not good for navigation.
3. Tel Aviv was designed for maximum driver frustration. Lots of one-way streets ending in "T" intersections with other one-way streets. This is way worse than the whole "all highways branch" issue.
Things that were awesome today:
1. Tour of Bauhaus Tel Aviv. A lot of it was built in the 1920's and 1930's and looks cool.
2. The Sherbs and I can navigate Israeli highways with moderate success and a minimum of yelling at each other, which is good for the driver/navigator relationship. We did end up going to Karme Yoseph with a side tour through scenic Ramla (n.b. - Ramla is the Detroit of Israel, including a "Detroit Street"), but fortunately we did want to be on Highway 44 eventually, so it wasn't a big deal.
3. Dizengoff street in Tel Aviv is pretty darned cool, and not just for the cafes.
4. Israeli goths. Like American goths, but mind-bendingly inexplicable. Imagine stereotypical-looking Israeli teens, who are all looking army-ready and tough, in all black (in 80-degree weather) and with too much eyeliner. They look like bad vampire movie extras.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Some Israeli Kvetching About Traffic
Opinions are mixed as to the quality of the Kosher for Passover Burger Ranch products. I have heard their buns described as "super-tasty" and better than the regular ones to tasting like they're "made out of spray foam insulation."
Israeli traffic requires some significant getting used to. Yellow lights last maybe 2-4 seconds; you slow down instead once the green light starts blinking. Nobody uses turn signals and every highway branches off in a "Y" shape instead of having a decent American off-ramp (at least I haven't hit so many roundabouts yet). Also, the speed limits are either 50 km/h or 100 km/h depending on whether a road is a major highway or not, but I am completely unable to tell the difference and the prevailing speed of traffic is not helpful.
Also, who designed the curves on these roads? When there is a speed limit sign, such as one reading 50, that is the absolute maximum speed for the curve or one will go spinning off the road (possibly why Israelis can't stay in their lanes when on curves).
The signs are trilingual, but like where I live in DC, most of the intersections give end points which are super-unhelpful. I-495 in Maryland splits into two directions: "Richmond" and "Silver Spring," despite the fact that I-495 is a loop (and doesn't actually go to Richmond) and most travelers want to go to neither of those places. So, regularly, I have to figure out whether I'm heading to Tel Aviv instead of Haifa, when I in fact want to be in neither of those places.
Finally, Israeli cars are regularly equipped with a keypad ignition lock as an anti-theft mechanism, as if I were Jason Statham in The Transporter. This is far less cool than it sounds, as repeatedly entering a five-digit combination, only to turn the key and hear the flailing of the starter that means that one failed to start the rental car, is not action-hero material.
Israeli traffic requires some significant getting used to. Yellow lights last maybe 2-4 seconds; you slow down instead once the green light starts blinking. Nobody uses turn signals and every highway branches off in a "Y" shape instead of having a decent American off-ramp (at least I haven't hit so many roundabouts yet). Also, the speed limits are either 50 km/h or 100 km/h depending on whether a road is a major highway or not, but I am completely unable to tell the difference and the prevailing speed of traffic is not helpful.
Also, who designed the curves on these roads? When there is a speed limit sign, such as one reading 50, that is the absolute maximum speed for the curve or one will go spinning off the road (possibly why Israelis can't stay in their lanes when on curves).
The signs are trilingual, but like where I live in DC, most of the intersections give end points which are super-unhelpful. I-495 in Maryland splits into two directions: "Richmond" and "Silver Spring," despite the fact that I-495 is a loop (and doesn't actually go to Richmond) and most travelers want to go to neither of those places. So, regularly, I have to figure out whether I'm heading to Tel Aviv instead of Haifa, when I in fact want to be in neither of those places.
Finally, Israeli cars are regularly equipped with a keypad ignition lock as an anti-theft mechanism, as if I were Jason Statham in The Transporter. This is far less cool than it sounds, as repeatedly entering a five-digit combination, only to turn the key and hear the flailing of the starter that means that one failed to start the rental car, is not action-hero material.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Across the Ocean...
Here we are in sunny Israel, having survived the fourteen hour plane ride. Our luggage is not with us, as our flight to Madrid was delayed, and Iberia Lineas Aeras refused to give us boarding passes for Tel Aviv in DC, so we had to stand behind some very irate Israelis at the Iberia customer service counter who would not let anyone else try to get on a plane until they had badgered the Iberians into making a connection for them to Miami. As a result, we were VERY late for the plane, and the El Al security officer told us that our luggage had not been cleared to fly with us. It will be delivered tomorrow.
Instead, we got two sizeable toiletry bags from El Al. These almost make up for not getting our luggage. They come in two genders; one has more shaving stuff, one has more moisturizer. They both include pyjamas, although they are size "M" at the largest. There are also socks with little nubblies on the bottom. I am very amused.
Instead, we got two sizeable toiletry bags from El Al. These almost make up for not getting our luggage. They come in two genders; one has more shaving stuff, one has more moisturizer. They both include pyjamas, although they are size "M" at the largest. There are also socks with little nubblies on the bottom. I am very amused.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)