Hello friends! I'm wrapping up another short week of work - the beginning of May has two public holidays here in Switzerland, so I had this past Monday off for Pentecost. Many months ago, my friend Amy invited me to go on a trip to Israel for the long weekend.
For a while, I was on the fence about whether or not I would go. After what happened to Justin and Stephanie, I was really torn up mentally. I know that anything can happen anywhere, but Israel has a reputation as being less safe than somewhere like Switzerland. So I was very hesitant. Amy, who works in the counter-terrorism space, was totally understanding, but very reassuring, and in the end, I decided to still go.
So last Friday, very early in the morning, we boarded our direct flight to Tel Aviv! We landed around lunchtime and immediately set out to find some lunch. You guys - the food in Israel is SO good. I was really stunned by how flavorful everything was even when the dishes seemed so simple. It was great to eat such fresh and healthy fare!
The next day, we hit the beach! To be honest, it seemed like there wasn't a ton of stuff to see in Tel Aviv (maybe I just didn't do any research?), and the beach was just okay. I mean, it was a nice beach, but it was pretty crowded, and really - it was just a beach. Nevertheless, this Florida girl always enjoys the chance to soak up some sunshine! After our day on the beach, we cleaned up and went out for dinner and drinks in Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, Amy and I went on a day trip to Jerusalem. For me, this was the highlight of the weekend, and I actually wish we had gotten to spend more time there. We did a free walking tour to get the lay of the land, along with some information, and then we spent some time visiting some of the holy sites on our own. There were some very moving moments of the day.
For a while, I was on the fence about whether or not I would go. After what happened to Justin and Stephanie, I was really torn up mentally. I know that anything can happen anywhere, but Israel has a reputation as being less safe than somewhere like Switzerland. So I was very hesitant. Amy, who works in the counter-terrorism space, was totally understanding, but very reassuring, and in the end, I decided to still go.
So last Friday, very early in the morning, we boarded our direct flight to Tel Aviv! We landed around lunchtime and immediately set out to find some lunch. You guys - the food in Israel is SO good. I was really stunned by how flavorful everything was even when the dishes seemed so simple. It was great to eat such fresh and healthy fare!
This salad - omg. Amazing.
Amy and I met up with two other girls, one of which has been to Israel several times before and has some Israeli friends. Thus, we were able to experience some local recommendations and culture! We were invited for a Shabbat dinner on Friday evening - my first one! Meg's friends hosted us for a lovely barbecue feast. It is always great to be invited into someone's home, and our hosts were so gracious and hospitable. And the food was excellent as well!
Of course, we came bearing gifts.
The lighting here is terrible, but the dinner table was so lovely!
The next day, we hit the beach! To be honest, it seemed like there wasn't a ton of stuff to see in Tel Aviv (maybe I just didn't do any research?), and the beach was just okay. I mean, it was a nice beach, but it was pretty crowded, and really - it was just a beach. Nevertheless, this Florida girl always enjoys the chance to soak up some sunshine! After our day on the beach, we cleaned up and went out for dinner and drinks in Tel Aviv.
On Sunday, Amy and I went on a day trip to Jerusalem. For me, this was the highlight of the weekend, and I actually wish we had gotten to spend more time there. We did a free walking tour to get the lay of the land, along with some information, and then we spent some time visiting some of the holy sites on our own. There were some very moving moments of the day.
On the left - the Golden Dome and in the center, the Western Wall
In the distance - the Grey Dome
Sunday falafel!
The long weekend went by very quickly, and then it was time to head back to Geneva. One thing that I found very interesting is that I spent significantly more time going through security / immigration when I was leaving Israel than when I was coming in. On the way in, they scanned my passport, asked a few questions (are you here for business or leisure?), and the whole process took less than five minutes. When I was leaving Israel, the security process was much more comprehensive! They checked all the pages of my passport and asked questions about my travels to various countries like Malaysia, UAE, Indonesia, etc. (Why did you go there? Who were you with? What are their names?) It was very thorough.
All in all, an interesting experience. This weekend, I am home in Geneva!!! I am super excited to be able to spend some time relaxing and catching up on life. I also need to get started on organising my things for my move! Eeek!
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