Tel Aviv / Jaffa

It was back to Tel Aviv today, to enjoy a walking tour of the city, Jaffa (the muslim quarter of the city) and an afternoon at the beach. Starting with a visit to the site of Yitzak Rabin's assassination helped to understand the significance of the event to the people here. 

Jaffa is as much a part of the city as Bowness is of Calgary. In fact, the historic port city predates the modern metropolis that surrounds it, so I should probably more accurately describe Tel Aviv as the secondary part of the city. But, it's a place that feels somewhat lost in time, left behind, and it is dwarfed by the rapid growth and prosperity of Tel Aviv. The history and ancient architecture make it a lovely place to spend some time, and the food is great, too. 

The beach in Tel Aviv was packed with tanners and with people playing a bat and ball game. Interrupted by the violent "WHACK…WHACK…WHACK" of the bat and ball game that is apparently tremendously popular with the locals. 

Unusually, the game is cooperative, rather than competitive. Rather than trying to outscore each other, players work together to see how long and how skillfully they can sustain a rally. Beats sitting on the beach!