Tel Aviv is a marvelous city. I’ve been living here my whole life, and I still discover new things about it almost every day. There’s a lot going on under the surface: a lively music scene, ambitious infrastructure projects, countless events, and people from all over the world (I shall expand on this issue at some other time). One of my favorite activities is to stroll around the city and to discover new places that I never knew about, such as an old alley, a hidden park, or a new pub. The things I find in those walkabouts never cease to amaze me.
Last week I walked across the Yarkon River, Tel-Aviv’s landmark creek, which has a beautiful park alongside its shores. I entered the Bavli neighborhood — the easternmost neighborhood in Tel Aviv that sits on the banks of the river — and followed the pathway along the park.
Apparently, a small outdoor cafe had opened there two-three months ago, right at the edge of the water. They lined several wooden sofas on the grass and now offer around-the-clock service. The place looks incredibly romantic.
Then I strolled on and arrived at the point where the Yarkon River divides into two separate streams: One continues to be titled the Yarkon as it delves into the Joshua Parks — while the second, smaller, sibling quickly aligns itself along the Ayalon Highway, and is appropriately titled Ayalon Creek (mind you, the creek was there before the freeway).
This is a relatively quiet area of the park, virginal and wide. If you continue across the bridge, you arrive at the ancient archeological site Tel G’risa, which is commonly known as the Napoleon Hummock. It is a beautiful place, hidden from view, even as your car shoots across the nearby freeway, and on top the hummock you arrive at a round reconstructed structure that slightly resembles Stonehenge — at least this is the association that I came across my own mind.
The city has done a superb job in redesigning the surrounding parks in recent years, and it is now possible to ride a bicycle or simply walk along the pathways all the way from the Mediterranean Sea to Tel G’risa, and even farther.
Map Picture by Walla! Maps , Tel G’risa photo by Joshua Parks
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