Friday was relaxed during the day. Mostly it consisted of recovery from the previous evenings shenanigans. That night however we went by taxi to the artist's colony, Ein Hod for drinks and dinner. Our first stop of the evening was at Danny Shlyfestone's Art Bar for some home made beer. Danny - who is quite a character - makes his home brews in giant vats and then bottles them in recycled soda bottles. Really good stuff.
"The brewmaster, Danny Shlyfestone, in his natural habitat"
Photo by Nadav Bloch
Our next stop was to the Argentinian steak house, Doña Rosa. This place is - to this point - the dining highlight of the trip. Steaks (we all shared a mixed grill) came perfectly prepared on mini charcoal grills at the table. If that wasn't enough, the wine was fantastic and desert was amazing. This is one meal I will remember for a long time.
"Hands down, one of the best meals ever"
Photo by Kristin Thompson
On Saturday, everyone had a relaxing and chill final day in Haifa. I spent the majority of the day at the beach - taking in the sun, drinking iced coffees and smoothies, and generally doing nothing of value. In the evening, we ate the remains of the lamb from our schecting (see here). Some we cooked as steaks, the rest as an Irish stew. Altogether, it was delicious. Afterwords, we watched the World Cup runner-up match between Germany and Uruguay.
"Sunset on Karmel Beach in Haifa"
Photo by Stephen Kushner
Sunday morning we left Haifa for the last time. In many ways, it was sad to say goodbye. That being said, the remainder of the trip sounds great! Southern Israel, here we come.
After almost six weeks of work and travel throughout Israel, the team was ready for some down time and relaxation! For some of us, that meant an opportunity to travel to other destinations both in Israel (not included in the main agenda) and abroad (e.g. Europe), while for others the weekend was time to catch up on sleep and visits to the beach.
Three members of the team - Stephen, Sean, and Kristin - decided to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and the West Bank. Departing early on Friday morning, the group arrived in Jerusalem after about an hour and a half. In Jerusalem the three went to the local bus station for transfer into the West Bank. The trip south was relatively without incident - though there were two brief stops by the Israeli military - who checked Palestinian work permits. In Bethlehem, the group stayed overnight at a hostel located in the Dheisheh Refugee Camp. Established in 1949, this camp is currently home to about 14,000 residents. On Saturday the group visited the Church of the Nativity, the Mosque of Omar, as well as other local historical sites - before returning to Jerusalem late that evening. In Jerusalem they stayed at the Citadel Youth Hostel - which had an amazing view of Jerusalem's Old City. Sunset on the roof was quite spectacular! Late on Sunday - after some more exploring - the group caught the late bus back to Haifa. All in all, this trip was a pretty cool experience!
Photo by Stephen Kushner
For me, this weekend was an opportunity to see my wife, Kim. After changes to Kim's work schedule, we decided last-minute to meet up in Europe during my free weekend. I flew out from Tel Aviv early Friday morning, arriving in Zürich, Switzerland around 8am (Kim had arrived from the US the previous day). After renting a car, I drove to my wife's hotel. We had a quick breakfast and then hit the road for Lausanne. I opted to take us through the Swiss Alps - from Zürich to Luzern and then on to Gstaad via Interlaken. Once we came down from the mountains, we drove along Lac Léman, arriving in Lausanne around 5pm.
Photo by Daniel Branscome
On Saturday, Kim and I went to Broc and Gruyères - the chocolate and cheese capitals of Switzerland respectfully. After lunch in the town of Charmey, we toured the Cailler factory. Now a subsidiary of Nestlé, Cailler was the first Swiss chocolate company, founded near Vevey in 1819. Afterwords we toured Gruyères Castle and sampled some local cheeses. Dinner was back in Lausanne. On Sunday, we had a pretty casual morning, then an afternoon BBQ at a family friend's place in Lutry. Monday found us on the road to Chamonix-Mont-Blanc - where we had an hour long hike to a beautiful alpine glacial lake.
Photo by Daniel Branscome
On our final day we departed Lausanne after lunch for the drive back to Zürich. This time, we went though the Jura past Lake Neuchâtel. Since we had some time before our flights, we decided to bypass Zurich proper and drive north into Germany to the Rhine Falls. After some time touring the site - Europe's largest waterfall - we returned to Zürich and grabbed dinner. Late that evening, I caught my flight back to Israel. Upon landing in Tel Aviv, I caught the train to Haifa, arriving at our house in Ramat Eshkol around 5am. What a weekend!
Once again, the Smith team found ourselves on the road - off to explore another part of Israel. Friday, after an early morning departure from Haifa, a relaxing drive down the coastal highway, and a morning meeting (detailed in the previous post), we were guided on a visit of Tel Aviv and the surrounding area.
The commercial and modern cultural center of Israel, Tel Aviv is a study in contrasts. The city itself is only slightly older than the modern state of Israel itself. Indeed, it was only founded a little over 100 years ago by a group of industrious Jewish settlers - literally built on top of a series of inhospitable sand dunes. However, Tel Aviv is directly adjacent to (and incorporates) the significantly older port city of Jaffa.
"Me, Sean, Anne, and Kristin by the seashore in Old Jaffa"
Photo by Kristin Thompson
It was in Jaffa that we spent the afternoon, strolling about and seeing the sights. In Jaffa, we saw St. Peter's Church, the Old Minaret, and the Ottoman Jailhouse. We walked past winding alleyways and half forgotten neighborhoods. Jaffa is no longer an active port, but its amazing location on the waterfront provides a beautiful view from the Mediterranean Sea back towards Tel Aviv proper.
"Me with the city of Tel Aviv in the distance"
Photo by Kristin Thompson
Adjacent to Jaffa is the Neve Tzedek neighborhood. Fashionable and trendy, this was a favorite section of Tel Aviv for many among us. Our walk back towards central Tel Aviv led through one of the city's largest open air souqs, the Hacarmel. In many ways, the market is no different from any other one might find in the world. Loud and crowded, and filled with all varieties of merchandise, both local and foreign in origin, markets like this one are a true experience for the senses.
"The sights and sounds of Tel Aviv's Hacarmel market"
Photo by Stephen Kushner
What really sets one market apart from another though is the local foods. For myself, this is the aspect of travel that has the most resonance. Really, look at these olives below and try and tell me it doesn't make you hungry! From vendors selling fresh produce and spices, to sidewalk chefs hawking hundreds of varieties of street food, this is where a market really differentiates itself. In Israel this means schwarma, falafel, and burekas. Not to miss out, I made sure to sample all three! Delicious.
"Some delicious looking olives in the Hacarmel market"
Photo by Stephen Kushner
To be honest though, these are really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Israeli street cuisine. As such, over the next few weeks myself and a few other adventurous teammates will be looking to try as many others as we come across. Personally, I can't wait!
Following our tour, we headed to our hotel. Our lodgings in Tel Aviv were pretty cool, too. Our hotel, the Hotel Cinema, was built in the famous Bauhaus style, and for years served as a movie theater (actually the city's first). After briefly showering and changing we headed out to sample the night life. Dinner was at Mike's Place - directly adjacent to the US Embassy. Then, we schlepped quickly across the street to La Mer - for nargila and drinks on the beach - a true Tel Aviv experience, not to be missed.
"The team enjoys dinner out at Mike's Place in Tel Aviv"
Photo by Brad Husser
On Saturday, we were free to explore the city. Some in the group opted to head to the beach, while others (myself included) decided to walk the promenade from Tel Aviv to Jaffa. Having toured the city with a guide the previous day, we had a chance to retrace our steps in greater detail. It was hot and sweaty, and though many shops were closed for Shabbat, we were definitely glad to get a chance to see the city for a second day.
"Chris, Kelley, Brad, and Don - looking like the A-Team"
Photo by Stephen Kushner
As we departed on Sunday, I believe the shared consensus among the group was that our tour of Tel Aviv was a great success! Without a doubt, Tel Aviv is a cool city - equal parts Miami, Rio, and Israel. It is a place to see and be seen. We'll be back.
The views expressed on this site are those of Daniel Branscome, hereafter referred to as "the owner", and do not necessarily represent those of the University of Maryland, the Robert H. Smith School of Business, or the Technion. All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this blog or found by following any link on this blog. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.
