For the second Saturday in a row after my usual morning shopping, I took a seat in the same Israeli restaurant on the Westerstraat. The outside tables have the best sunlight for a little tan whilst this guarantees me the right spot for my anthropological experiment.
Israel is one of the most wonderful places in the world. I was so amazed when I arrived in the country, because even though I had imagined that the experience could be really special, nothing compares to the pleasant surprises this country holds.
All my friends I spoke to about Jerusalem recommended the same: you must know the Mahane Yehuda restaurant. And when I returned from Israel, they and others would ask the question: did you go to the Mahane Yehuda restaurant? Today I understand why. It is one of the most unique and special restaurants I have ever visited.
Just as you can’t miss Tel Aviv when going to Israel, the same can be said of Jerusalem. Similarly, you can’t understand, or at least begin to understand the history of Israel, without experiencing Jerusalem. I think it will never be possible to put into in words how intense, magical, energetic and beautiful this city is. And full of contrasts.
Some call it a village, others a moshav, which means a kind of cooperative rural community. Bethlehem of the Galilee is better known today because, according to archaeologists, it was where Jesus Christ was born, and not in Bethlehem of Judea. It is just eight miles from the city of Nazareth, where according to biblical records, Mary and Joseph lived their lives.
Just like in Brazil, the cuisine in Tel Aviv is going through a moment of great visibility and evolution. Food there is fashionable and much better today than it was a few years ago. People go out to eat more, spend more money, chefs become celebrities, food markets are a meeting place, street food has become cool.