Wine and Spirits Travel

It had been a long, full trip to Israel which was finally coming to an end. I managed to pack a lot into my final day in Israel , which actually stretched on for nearly two days. I woke up at the Dan Hotel Tel Aviv and lingered over my final Israeli breakfast. I was going to miss the fruit, salmon, cheese, and of course, the halvah and cheesecake. I could resist taking a final photo of the beach before heading off to the Carmel Market. I had loved this market on my first day in Tel Aviv and wanted to go back to pick up some items before I left. The halvah was at the top of my list, but I also picked up some of the Middle Eastern spice combinations I knew would be delicious over rice. Soon after I returned to the hotel my cousin Marge joined me. She had brought my mother to Tel Aviv as we were both flying home very early the next morning. Mom decided to stay and get organized for the trip while Marge and I headed to Nini Hachi, a top sushi restaurant

It was tough leaving the family, but it was time to join the group and explore Israel. I drove to Tel Aviv to meet the other writers and our tour guide at the Dan Hotel. The drive wasn’t bad from Jerusalem  even though everyone warned me about traffic. Considering I spent most of my life driving in New York, I’m prepared. Upon arriving in Tel Aviv, I saw the sea for the first time since arriving in Israel . Despite the fact that it is such a small country, Israel has four seas– the Mediterranean, the Dead Sea, the Red Sea and the Sea of Galilee. (The first three are often referred to as “The Med, The Dead, and The Red.) Tel Aviv borders the Mediterranean, but it’s also the most metropolitan city in Israel. It’s also the only city with a major airport. I was happy to find out almost everyone in Israel  speaks English. While most of my travels are usually in Europe and I can get by in the Latin languages, I don’t know any Hebrew. I parked at the Dan Ho