Israel Winter 2012-13

Two falafels and a sabich.

The first falafel was at The Levi Brothers in Mahane Yehudah. Actually, there's only one brother left, but the falafel is still awesome.

The second falafel was in Binyamina. Solid operation there. The guy has a tiny place on the road from Pardes Hana to Binyamina with one of those machines that drops newly formed falafel balls into oil. Salad, tehina, pickles and cabbage are the only topping options. Hot sauce is self-serve. The line moved quickly and the falafel was crisp.

The sabich came from Oved in Givataiim.  He's known around the world.

We stayed with Tamar's grandparents who were awesome. Their home is like a living museum with phones, radios, kitchen jars and shaving cream from the British Mandate Era. The artwork was painted by Sabba Mordechai, or "Motke" as I call him. There are also all kinds of plaques and awards from his long career in the aircraft industry. Fine touches of the home include swinging doors and a collection of fine china, curated over decades of international travel and displayed at a convenient toddler height.

I visited with one sixth of my cousins.
Saw three army buddies.
Saw no concerts, but visited Doni Kosluk at the studios of Kol Hacampus to do my annual cameo on The Groove Box.

Spent some time in a cafe called Lool where there is a rock and roll pantheon painted into the wooden bar and they infuse their arak with genuine Israeli Bazooka Gum.

Our six month old daughter was awesome, even in transit except for some complaining in the car. She handled the flights well and made friends with all the stewardesses. The flight staff at US Airways offered us a cardboard box for her to sleep in for that international hobo baby look.

It's nice to back in Philadelphia, but I miss Israel already and can't wait to go back.