Spring inspiration from Tel Aviv

When the most parts of Europe and North America are still dominated by cold weather at this time of year, it is spring on Israel's Mediterranean coast.

I love to walk on the Tel Aviv streets in spring. The sun is still gentle and the trees look magnificent in bloom. I often photograph my work on the streets of my lovely city.
 

 This cheerful Mediterranean metropolis is a country's largest business and cultural center and it is often described as "The City That Never Sleeps". You can always find something unusual and interesting here!
 

Tel Aviv is more than 100 years old. It was founded in 1909 by the Zionists right on the sand dunes of the beach near old Jaffa and was named Tel Aviv ("Hill of spring"). The population grew extensively and the city has that special look thanks to the Jewish immigrants who receive their education  in modern architecture in Europe and moved to Tel Aviv in 1920-1930's. The Bauhaus style goes well with the city's culture & climate. The White City of Tel Aviv declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, includes over 4,000 buildings in the Bauhaus style.
 

Let me take you for a walk on the southern part of Tel Aviv.
 

The first neighborhood of Tel Aviv is Neve Tzedek (Oasis of Justice). It is a simply quiet oasis and the coziest area of the city. The low old houses and luxurious modern mansions are side by side here on the narrow streets.
 

Come visit and you will forget you are in the metropolitan city. There is a surprise for you on every corner, a tiny cafe with only two tables or a sweet homelike shop with bath accessories and essential oils or a lovely fashion shop with the entrance protected by the lazy dog.

In the heart of Tel Aviv are Allenby, Shenkin, King George and Nahalat Binyamin streets. They are like rays from a small square in all directions. The famous Carmel Market begins here with a wealth of southern fruits and exotic smells of spices.

We walk on the Nahalat Binyamin path, which on ordinary days is a street of fabric shops. Here oriental silks and exquisite laces are laying side by side with the low-cost cuttings and remains. For a break you can stop for a delicious coffee at the open cafe. Everything changes on Tuesdays and Fridays when it's time to decorate for the craft market. This is a festival of arts, crafts and street performances where you will find fine jewelry, unusual kaleidoscopes, decorative gourds, painted ceramics, glass Passover plates, delicate bells, fun toys and handmade soap. The indescribable atmosphere of the market will give your imagination a thousand new ideas!
 

Allenby street is full of souvenir shops. Go to the store of the Cohen brothers, who owned it for over 45 years, and everyone will find something here to suit your taste and wallet. You will see a unique Jewish wall handing for the home and lovely post cards. The friendly owners who are fluent in 5 languages will be glad to tell you some family and country stories. 
 
Jaffa and ha-Aliya streets are the crossroad of Allenby Street. They will take you to the Treasure Island where dozens of jewelry and craft shops are located. You will find semi-precious stones, colorful crystals, natural pearls, corals, glass beads of all shapes, metal charms here. There are simply no words to describe the abundance of shops and products! You might spend all day here!
 

Come visit Tel Aviv, the new city for the enthusiastic traveler that is is like a grandmother's attic with old chests full of treasures. You never know what can be found but any discovery will bring a great joy!


By Marina (miopupazzo)

Let me take you to the fairytale…

Story by Tanya (CozySeason)

Imagine gabled red rooftops, half-hidden courtyards, medieval churches, narrow streets and a city wall dotted with guard towers … You are in Tallinn's Medieval Old Town.


A couple of steps further on the cobblestones and the sounds of the contemporary town are left far away. You can look back and you can not see the modern buildings anymore, just the medieval ones.


Thanks to the city wall the centre of Tallinn survived in an excellent condition. In the 16th century the wall was 2.4km long, 14-16m high, up to 3m thick and included 46 towers that gave city good protection from the frequent attacks.


The Old Town offers a great collection of gothic, baroque, and renaissance buildings. Just take a walk and feel the beauty of Tallinn's architecture.


Some streets in the old town of Tallinn are so narrow that two ladies in the huge crinolines (when still wearing crinolines) could not get by each other. A cavalier had to fight for the right to his lady walk down the street first.


Wandering the Old City you can find a large number of churches. One of the most eye-catching is the Church of St. Olav. It has a 159-metre spire that used to be the tallest building in the world from 1549 to 1625 years. Such an extremely tall steeple was probably meant to be a maritime signpost which made the trading city of Tallinn visible far out at sea. However, it turned to be a very effective lightning rod. Throughout the church's history the steeple of St. Olav has been hit by lightning at least eight times and the whole church construction has burned down three times.


Tallinn is a living example of the influence of two cultures: European and Russian. Wandering the streets of the city you cannot miss the main and the most opulent and grandest Orthodox church in Tallinn - Aleksander Nevsky Cathedral.
The church's towers hold Tallinn's most powerful church bell ensemble. The ensemble consists of 11 bells, including the largest in Tallinn, weighing 15 tons and you can hear it playing before each service.


Being located on a sea cost, Tallinn has a local beach, Pirita, that is situated 5-7 kilometers from Tallinn's city centre. Nowadays Pirita is one of the favorite places in Tallinn for spending free time and not just during the summer. In a winter people enjoy visiting Pirita to watch the seaside winter sunset and to feed local swans and gulls.


Don’t be afraid of visiting Tallinn at winter time! A cup of hot and spicy Glühwein and a pair of warm wool socks will make your stay in a fairytale town even more enchanting!