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Discovering Jaffa: A Memorable Day Trip from Tel Aviv
Jaffa is an ancient port city near Tel Aviv in Israel. Jaffa is known for its association with the biblical stories of Jonah, Solomon, and Saint Peter as well as the mythological story of Andromeda and Perseus, and later for its oranges. Today, Jaffa is one of Israel's mixed cities, with approximately 37% of the city being Arab. We had a chance to visit Jaffa and meet with our Latvian friend there at the start of 2023 during our latest trip…
The Carmel Market in Tel Aviv, Israel
The Carmel Market (also, the Shuk Hacarmel) is the largest market, or shuk, in Tel Aviv, Israel. It’s a vibrant marketplace where traders sell everything from clothing to spices and fruit to electronics. Visiting the Carmel Market is a fascinating thing to do in Tel Aviv. The hustle and bustle, vibrant noises, and its reputation as the largest shuk in Tel Aviv all combine to make the Carmel Market a favorite. I first visited this market at…
Mayer House Hotel in Tel Aviv
Mayer House Hotel in Tel Aviv is located on Dizengoff Street 98. It featured an outdoor swimming pool, a terrace, a restaurant, and a bar. We booked this hotel for a 2-night stay at the start of 2023, before returning back to Tbilisi. We paid about USD 430 for a 2-night stay here. Thsi small hotel has an excellent location, from here we were able to explore the neighbourhood, visit the Tel Aviv beach and more. The property is close to…
The Nachlaot Pearl/ King Salomon apartment in Jerusalem (Be'er Sheva Street)
The Nachlaot Pearl / King Salomon room is an apartment we booked via Airbnb for a two-day stay in Jerusalem on New Year's Eve of 2023. The price we paid seemed a bit high, paying about $350 for a small studio room, but as we didnt know what to expect from Jerusalem rental market and were not into extensive reserach, we agreed to book this place. And the stay was actually really excellent. We agreed to book over AirBnB insetad of booking.com…
Beruwalage Gems & Jewelry Moonstone Mine in Sri Lanka
During our latest trip to Sri Lanka at the start of 2022, we visited this small and interesting Moonstone Mine - Beruwalage Gems & Jewelry. We were taken here by our driver / guide we ordered back in the hotel for the day trip to Galle. Moonstone is a fascinating gemstone that is found abundantly in Sri Lanka. This gemstone has been revered for centuries for its unique beauty, metaphysical properties, and historical significance. Sri…
Paul French Restaurant on Paliashvili street (near Vake Park in Tbilisi)
There is a lovely French restaurant and bakery located on Paliashvili Street near Vake Park in Tbilisi. We keep heading here for delicious French-style desserts and one of my favorite vegetable soups. We come here occasionally, after visiting Vake Park or during the lunch break at the office nearby. There are several Paul Restaurants located across the city, check out my previous review about Paul restaurant on Abashidze Street Latelty we hae…
Jerusalem - Tel Aviv Train via Ben Gurion Airport in Israel
The highly anticipated new high-speed train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv via Ben Gurion Airport is now operating. The final destination of the Jerusalem train is Tel Aviv. The new Jerusalem to Tel Aviv train service is officially called King David Line. I have traveled by train from Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem on New Year's Eve of 2023. The ticket price per passenger was about ISL 15. The train station is actually located inside the terminal…
Statue of Medea in Batumi
The Statue of Medea is located at Europe square in the Batumi city center. The Statue is dedicated to Medea, Colchian Princess from Greek mythology. Statue was opened to the public back in 2007. I have visited for many times Europe square and the statue of Medea, especially in the recent years when a McDonalds is opened next to the monument, so I decided add this pictursque place to the blog. A must have place to visiti once in Batumi: It is…
Grill Town Restaurant in Batumi
Grill Town restaurant in Batumi is among one of my best finds in recent years. Located close to the Sheraton Hotel on Rustaveli Avenue in Batumi. We first discovered this restaurant in some of our previous Batumi trips, so this time it was a no-brainer to visit this place. During our latest visit here in April 2023, it turned out to be the restaurant 1 year anniversary and we got some free Sangrias and very smiling staff members. Grill town…
Ben Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport, is the main international airport of Israel. Situated on the northern outskirts of the city of Lod, it is the busiest airport in the country. It is located 45 kilometers (28 mi) to the northwest of Jerusalem and 20 kilometers (12 mi) to the southeast of Tel Aviv. I first visited it back in 2009, flying with Turkish Airlines from Riga (via Istanbul), and also have flown a direct flight by EL AL from Tbilisi and…