I was not quite sure where to put this post but I think it will be the first of many on our explorations and experiences in Tel Aviv. My first Friday in Tel Aviv started with a fun 8ish mile running tour of the city. The city has an incredible amount of greenways, parks, and boardwalks along the beach, so it is pretty friendly to runners, bikers, rollerbladers (still waiting to see the elusive rollerblading Rabbi) and it seems like ever Israeli is always ready to go to the gym.

After the nice run, Josh and I hit the town with the goal of making it to the legendary Dr. Shakshuka… but more on the Doc-ta later. We left our apartment and headed in the general direction you needed to go. Along the way we found…

Bezalel Market which has been open since the 1920s and is full of lovely finds of stalls selling cleaning equipment, clothes, decorations, house ware, jewelry, sewing materials, shoes, and other knock-off products.

Then we found this cool art/craft fair, where for once I was glad Kelley was not with me because there were lots of knick-knacks she would have wanted to purchase. 

Then there was this guy rocking out. He should audition for Stomp.

After getting lost a bit Josh randomly spotted another market, which turned out to be Carmel Market. The market is squeezed between dishevelled streets but it is a gem and probably one of the busiest street markets in the city. It is the total opposite of the Dizengoff center because it is a “crowded and noisy place where vendors hawk everything from cut-price beachwear to knock-off designer accessories, and where locals come to buy olives, pickles, nuts, fruit, vegetables, cheese and freshly baked bread” according to Lonely Planet.

The funny thing is Josh and I did not buy anything because it was just such an overwhelming experience. There were just so many choices and we were beginning to get hungry! With rumbling bellies we finally made it to Dr Shakshuka, which sells Shakshuka… what is Shakshuka? Well it is a dish that traces it orgins to Tunisia but is a staple in Libyan, Algerian, Moroccan and Egyptian cuisines as well… and now mine. It is quite tasty and has a low ratio of work to deliciousness. It is made of eggs poached in sauce of tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onions, cumin and paprika. I am still perfecting my version and will post it in time. Dr Shakshuka is in Jaffa and is set in an Ottoman-era building. The doc-ta has been working his shakshuka magic since 1991 but it is still just as delicious.

After consuming a loaf of bread and shakshuka to our hearts content, Josh and I slowly entered a food coma and headed home.

It was a fun day in the city but there are lots more places to explore.

Matt Davis