Shirley didn’t have any meetings today, so we stuffed our unemployed wallets with as many sheckels as we could afford to spend and made a beeline for the best boutiques Tel Aviv has to offer. While I was surprised to see NYC-equivalent prices in everything from food to beers to sunscreen, one place where great deals are to be had is at the small shops of Tel Aviv’s young designers. Handmade jewelry and handpicked fashion abound at relatively reasonable prices. One shop, Liliana, has become famous with Shirley’s New York friends ever since she sported some of her goods on her last visit to the States. I was one of the wooed, and, after trying on the entire store, I walked out with my own Liliana original. She promised me she would have a more user-friendly Web site up soon, which I will be sure to feature here.
We bobbed in and out of another handful of stores, and I fell in love all over again at each of them. I don’t shop too much because I’m picky, so when I find multiple items I crave on a single day, it’s epic. I found two necklaces I’m still deciding on, and bought a Romanesque cream-colored dress at a boutique called Israel Arie, owned by a fabulous former New Yorker-Israeli with a cuddly standard poodle. I love stores with dogs!
We caught the tail end of a great artisan bazaar on Nahalat Binyamin, and I decided to come back on Friday when it is open again.
Shirley had a commitment, so I went to a cafe, Loveat, for sandwiches, beer and WiFi. Home around 11 and getting ready fro bed, Shirl burst through the door, goading me into coming out with her to a local bar, Foster’s, to meet her friends. The bar was cool but too narrow, and we kept bumping into people’s passing legs. A quick drink and some late night pizza later, we were home. I had an early 7AM call for a tour to Jerusalem.
 |
| [08.06.24] Tel Aviv |
