Amsterdam, the Netherlands

December 21 through 29, 2022

"We were together. I forget the rest." - Walt Whitman

Seeing my girls after 6 months away was absolutely wonderful; I needed those hugs 🤗 and those talks and those moments of soaking up their vibes. In spite of some travel challenges (lost luggage, delayed bags, logistics issues, transportation confusion, etc.), it was so worth it to see them both, even if only for a week. 

This is kind of a strange post for me to write since I mostly write this for the girls to read and they were present for this whole part of the trip! I will just list some highlights and thoughts I had along the way.

1) Amsterdam wasn't as brutally cold as I expected (the weather forecast said cold and rainy every day but that didn't happen). We were all prepared clothing-wise and it mostly stayed in the 40's so not freezing and no snow. ❆

2) Amsterdam is definitely more affordable than Tel Aviv so we felt much more free to spend money. Plus we had a lot of euros to use up anyway 💰.

3) I want to thank my girls for the wonderful idea of going bike-riding and especially for the idea of getting a tandem. Although I am not a strong cyclist (and chose not to ride myself), I did manage one minute of riding on the tandem and it was exhilarating (and a bit terrifying 😜) but fun. Ariel and Art were quite good at it.

4) I want to thank Laurel for taking the reins on leading us and organizing the activities. I don't know how we would have managed without her (and how we are managing the rest of our year!). Her leadership and navigation skills are unmatched 👩.

5) Our hotel turned out to be a nice 2-bedroom with a living area setup which worked out pretty well for 4 people sharing space. Only downside was the flaky wifi which seemed to affect me the most. (I couldn't complain too much since I'm always saying we should get off our devices more. 😏)

6) Over the week, we visited a Christmas Market (fun food, cool vibes), went to the Moco Museum (modern/digital art), the Anne Frank house (3 of us), took a canal night ride (part of the Amsterdam Light Festival), went to a trendy Foodhallen ("food court"), saw the Red Light district (2 of us), visited the Escher Museum (2 of us), had the best Stroopwaffels in the world (actually), checked out a "coffee shop" (2 of us), and went bike riding in VondelPark. We also wandered around (and photographed of course) all of the charming and picturesque canals and neighborhoods of Amsterdam, which I loved 💗.

7) We were able to find the grocery stores so we had a few meals 🥘 in the hotel apartment, which made me happy. Food can sometimes be a challenge in our family but I felt like we made it work on this trip. We also had an amazing Indian dinner out on the last night, which I'm still dreaming about.

8) We encountered more English speakers on this trip (vs Israel) and that was a lovely change for us. I know way less Dutch than I do Hebrew 😀.

9) We figured out the public transport quickly and loved how accessible it all was (and you can pay on the tram by credit card!). I wish LA was as easy to get around.

10) My new favorite airport is Schiphol Airport. It is warm and welcoming and beautiful and has everything you need including a grocery store (all reasonably priced, especially compared to Israel 😐).

We went back to Israel and the girls went back to LA at the same time (albeit with some flight delays). Laurel was kind enough to bring us a bunch of stuff we needed from LA and we transferred a bunch of souvenirs and winter stuff to her to take back home. And special thanks to Ariel, my traveling hairdresser, for taking care of me in Amsterdam. That worked out really well! 👍.

I hope I got enough hugs in 💕 to last me until we see each other again in June.

Deena and Art

Ariel and Art on the tandem bike

Amsterdam Light Show canal ride

Moco Museum

Schiphol Airport Christmas tree

Deena at one of the many canals

Art, Deena, Ariel

Amsterdam canal

Christmas Market

Indian dinner (3 types of chicken, yummm)

Mini-pancakes at Xmas market

Deena with ChipStix at Xmas market

Ariel at a cafe (not a "coffee shop")

Laurel on a bike ride

Amsterdam building :-)

In VondelPark

Laurel, Ariel, Art on bike ride

Amsterdam vibes

Art trying Ollieballen (fried dough)

Laurel and Ariel at Stroopwaffel shop

Escher Museum

 Art at Escher museum

Israel (part 5)

December 14 through 20, 2022

This week was a real testament to our Israeli hospitality and knowledge. Jeff Passe (friend from TBI) came to visit and we pretty much showed him all around Tel Aviv and Israel in one week (which is not nearly enough time 😏). This was mostly enjoyable and at times challenging 😐. I helped him plan his itinerary and wound up joining him for more than half of it. I still feel like a newbie here so playing tour guide was a stretch; I did my best 👩.

First I showed Jeff all around Tel Aviv and the beaches 🌴, or at least stuff that was walking distance from our apartment. I also took him to the "best falafel in Tel Aviv" (everyone says so; I think it's pretty good 👍). Art joined us for an afternoon/evening of seeing Jaffa which worked well but also involved a LOT of walking. I learned along the way that the Carmel Market claims to be open til 7pm but really starts to close up at 6pm (at least in the winter). And I learned that putting my trust in Google Maps is not always a great idea here. Note to self: restaurants on the map may not exist in real life 😒.

The following day Jeff and I headed out (with a rental car) to the north of Israel. We started with Rosh Hanikra which are gorgeous sea grottoes reached by cable car 🚠. The colors of the rock formations were beyond amazing 😍, and I've already decided I must visit them again before we leave Israel. Then we headed over to Tzfat (also called Safed and Tsfat and Tzvat...) to see this charming town filled with mysticism and artist colonies. We had such a struggle maneuvering the rental car in the narrow alleyways (thank goodness I insisted that Jeff drive) that a random stranger came to our rescue and literally drove us out of the tight spot. We may never see that man again but I truly believe he was an angel sent from heaven 👼. Our bed and breakfast place was super charming and we found a lovely and homey local dinner spot. Also picked up some jewelry souvenirs (not that I need more! 😅).

The next day Jeff drove me to Tiberias and I took the bus back to Tel Aviv. That timing worked well and allowed for a breather 😌. Plus I was able to meet up with one of my TBI friend's kids (Debbie Harris's daughter) for coffee the next day. She had made aliyah to Israel 10 years ago, spurred on by a great Birthright experience, so I got to hear all about the ex-pat experience. Mostly, she was eager to offer suggestions for good restaurants 🥘.

On Sunday Art and I headed to Jerusalem for 3 days, overlapping with Jeff for 2 of them. Our self-created tour included seeing Hadassah Hospital with the famous Chagall Windows 😀, the Dead Sea, a visit with Art's 2nd cousin (Lee) and his family for a Chanukah party (they live in the West Bank), Western Wall, Winter Lights show at the Botanical Gardens, and walks through numerous markets (which I never get tired of). Might have to return to Jerusalem again too 😉.

Our Dead Sea visit was perfect; it included direct transportation and 2 hours onsite. This time I got the hang of the floating and the mud soak, plus there were way fewer tourists (vs when we came 6 years ago). Highly recommend, especially before it all dries up from climate change 😕.

Our Winter Lights show was not as perfect since it was hidden on the campus of Hebrew University and very hard for our taxi driver to find (he wasn't a good taxi driver to start with). I almost wish we'd walked the 3 miles there 😒... the lights were similar to what we've seen in LA (Descanso Gardens) but a bit smaller and less showy. In retrospect, maybe we should have skipped it and found dinner sooner. (Interesting aside: the main restaurant at the Botanical Gardens happened to have a technical issue that night so they were completely closed. I feel like a restaurant in the US would never let this happen.😐)

We did get to see the Western Wall again (somehow it felt less magical than the first two times I saw it). Maybe it annoys me more now, seeing the separation of women and men, and knowing that women aren't allowed to read Torah there. We didn't even stay for the menorah lighting (though we did get the Chanukah vibe all around the city 🕎). 

The visit with Art's cousin Lee was interesting; he made aliyah about 30 years ago and now lives in Israel with his 8 kids and 11 grand-kids (most of whom don't speak much English). They were all lovely and welcoming! I was surprised that the meal did not include latkes or even jelly donuts but it did have many other Israeli dishes. And I was disappointed that there were no candles lit because we arrived after sundown and they all lit them before arriving. I was also surprised that he made us figure out the somewhat complicated bus logistics instead of driving to pick us up.😐

Lots of travel and logistics, but I think it all gave Jeff a decent overview of the country, and solidified some of my knowledge as well. I have no desire to become a tour guide though. Too exhausting. I'm sure Jeff needs a vacation from this vacation (especially after getting sick from swallowing some Dead Sea water - yikes 😨).

We are now back in Tel Aviv (yay), Jeff headed out this morning, and we are spending the day getting ready for our big trip to Amsterdam tomorrow to see our girls!!

Deena and Art

Jerusalem market (one of many)

Dead Sea

You can get low but you can't get high

Winter Lights

Western Wall

Western Wall featuring random security guy with gun 😲

Deena in the Dead Sea (definitely needed a better zoom lens)

Random backgammon game in Jerusalem
 

Jaffa at sunset

Jaffa views

Tel Aviv jelly donuts (sufganiyot)

Rosh Hanikra

Grottoes

More grottoes

Rosh Hanikra ("elephant's foot")

Rosh Hanikra

Deena at the Israel-Lebanon border

Tzvat at sunset

Tsfat

Safed sunset

Or Zefat (why not?)

Sufganiyot

Hadassah / Chagall windows

Chanukah party at Lee's house (not a latke in sight)
 

Israel (part 4)

December 7 through 13, 2022

Fourth week here ... a recap with some observations.

1) Spent a day wandering central Tel Aviv, specifically the library and art museum areas. I was in search of information to pursue my "am I related to Meir Dizengoff?" mission. Although I definitely found some people willing to help (a bit 🙂), and I was able to request help online from a local genealogy group, I made very little progress. The language barrier is indeed a barrier. So is the fact that Meir had no surviving children (really Meir ... 😐). I don't expect to find anything while I'm here which is kinda sad and disappointing.

2) While I was in the vicinity, I decided to pay the art museum a visit. I loved being able to spend as little or as much time as I wanted (since I was on my own 👍) and about 60 minutes was perfect. I was impressed with the breadth of their collection; quite a few names that (even) I recognized (Picasso, Monet, Gauguin, Matisse, etc.). I still don't have an eye for appreciating what's considered "great art" but I guess I know what I'm drawn to (pun intended) 😉.

3) The highlight of this week was my trip up to Tiberias. I decided to see the city and also run in the 5K race (part of the larger marathon/half/10K). So glad I decided to *only* run the 5K since I am not quite "in shape" these days (although my clothes still fit!). I also got to visit the tombs of some famous ancient rabbis and see the remains of some ruins. I took a boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (just me and a bored boat driver 😜) and wandered around the Little Tiberias shops area. Still loving the end-of-tourist-season vibe. 

4) Crazy aside: on my last day in Tiberias, I decided to visit a local-ish kibbutz with a Chocolate Farm onsite. They give workshops and sell the chocolate 🍫 as their source of income. I knew it was Shabbat so I ordered a taxi in advance (you can get them on Shabbat, they're just pricier). My taxi never showed 😕 so I went in search of one on the main road. I was about to give up when I finally (randomly) found one. The driver's English was weak and he'd never heard of the chocolate farm 😟 but we made it there. Then he offered to come back for me afterward, and even gave me his phone number. I called him 1.5 hours later and there was no answer. I texted, I left voicemails, but no response 😯. I tried to call for another taxi, but no luck. So, with no other options, I hoofed it back to the hotel... which was 7.7 miles away. That's right, I deserve a second medal (I practically did the 10K on my own 🏅). I was lucky to have enough time to make my bus back to Tel Aviv, and super lucky to get a seat since my feet sure were tired!

5) I have noticed in many places in Israel that once Shabbat rolls around, there are pop-up sidewalk booths with orthodox men (Chabad?) who try to convince other Jewish men to wrap tefillin. It's a sight to see, and I'm glad I'm a woman and never get wrangled into this 😑.

6) As Chanukah approaches, we've seen lots of donuts for sale (as well as menorahs) in the bakery shops and grocery stores. So many different varieties too. What we see far less of is latkes, which I find interesting 🥔. (And occasionally we also see Xmas displays...🎅)

7) We went out for a fancy Indian dinner one night in Tel Aviv, which was lovely and delicious 😋. However, apparently we didn't tip enough (huh?) and the server came over and called us out on it ("was there something wrong with the service? we just want to know... Are you new to Israel??"). We did give more cash before leaving, but it was super awkward 😳. I will never be going back which was unfortunate because I did enjoy the food.

8) Having visited Tiberias and Haifa, I can now compare cities and say that Tel Aviv is definitely noisier and livelier than both of those, it's much more like New York (as I've said before). I am glad we chose Tel Aviv to live in because it's easy to get to everything and I like having the beach so close by 🌴 (and of course, my namesake street is here).

9) We are/were hoping to get Covid boosters while in Israel, as well as travel vaccines for our upcoming far east travels. That is proving to be incredibly difficult; they seem to reserve them only for their citizens. Plus nearly everything is in Hebrew so trying to communicate or make appointments is a challenge (even with Google Translate) 😒.

10) I've managed to find enough diversity of groceries (which is sometimes a bit of challenge) to make eating in a regular possibility (which I'm very glad about), so I'm feeling more at ease with my diet and exercise these days. Hoping to keep that in check in the coming months 🤞.

11) We finally got to see the dancing fountain ⛲ in the middle of Dizengoff Square (happens twice a day and we perpetually miss it). It was lovely and (I'm told) will be even nicer when the lights are re-installed post-renovation. I took a video but it's way too big to include in this post, so you'll have to take my word for it 😁.

As always, missing our girls ... 💕💝💕

Deena and Art

Sea of Galilee coastline

My walking route back from the Chocolate Farm ;)

The walking route (it really was a 10K!)

Galita Chocolate Farm / kibbutz

Amazing breakfast at my fancy hotel in Tiberias

Trying to find Rabbi Akiva's grave (might be this? might not be?)

Post-race photo

Grave of the famous Rambam (aka Maimonides)

Pre-race boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (which is really a lake)

My bored boat driver

Sea level indicator at the Sea of Galilee

Sunset views in Tel Aviv

More sunset views in Tel Aviv

You can never have too much gelato!

Sufganiyot!