Tel Aviv’s historic Old Jaffa neighborhood was founded more than 4,000 years ago, and is one of the oldest port cities in the world. Over the centuries a virtual Who’s Who of civilizations and leaders have conquered and ruled the city, ideally perched on the Mediterranean Sea, including the Egyptians, Alexander the Great, the Greeks, the Romans, the Crusaders, the Ottomans and Napoleon.

Many of the buildings in Old Jaffa date from the Ottoman rule, between the 1500s and the 1900s, following their traditional architecture of thick sandstone walls, domed roofs, and arched windows and doors. Narrow, winding flagstone-paved streets separate buildings that are barely an arm’s span apart.

The history and atmosphere impressed James greatly when he visited decades earlier, and he’d always wanted to take Jennifer there. That chance finally came on a business trip to Haifa, where we flew in a couple of days early and spent time exploring Tel Aviv, particularly Old Jaffa. We also took the opportunity to meet up with our dear friend Jacob Slonim, our Master’s degree thesis advisor, who we’d not seen for years.

Below are highlights from Jan 23rd through 29th, 2025. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a map with our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.

1/23/2025

Seattle to Dubai Position: 47°26.96’N, -122°18.53’W Our flying route from Seattle to Dubai, en route to Tel Aviv, as we wait for takeoff.

Emirates Position: 47°30.00’N, -122°5.93’W Dinner on board our Emirates flight from Seattle to Dubai en route to Tel Aviv. We’re wearing sunglasses to adjust our circadian rhythm to the new time zone, which is ten hours ahead.

Hotel DXB Position: 25°14.83’N, 55°21.80’E Our room at the Hotel DXB for a 15-hour layover in Dubai. The hotel is inside the security area at the Dubai Airport, so is super-convenient for departures and arrivals. We just walked from our arrival gate directly to the hotel, then reversed the process the next morning, without any customs or immigration checkpoints en route.

Dinner Position: 25°14.86’N, 55°21.78’E A great dinner at the Hotel DXB restaurant overlooking the terminal area. We enjoyed our meal, and the convenient location, so much that we had breakfast there the next morning, skipping the upscale Emirates Dubai lounge entirely.

1/24/2025

Gym Position: 25°14.91’N, 55°21.69’E Getting our morning exercise in at the Hotel DXB gym before our flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv. We aim to work out every day, including weekends, and will generally miss only if travel precludes it. And when we are traveling, we favor hotels that have good exercise facilities.

The Palm, Dubai Position: 25°10.93’N, 55°10.36’E Flying over Dubai’s famous artificial island, The Palm, en route to Tel Aviv.

Jacob Slonim Position: 32°4.49’N, 34°45.95’E Lunch at the David Kempinski hotel in Tel Aviv with our dear friend Jacob Slonim, who headed the Center for Advanced Studies at the IBM Toronto Lab where we both worked from 1986-1997. Among his many achievements, Jacob spearheaded the CONGESE program, a consortium of Ontario engineering companies and universities to support computer science master’s degrees for full-time engineers. Jacob encouraged us both to join the program, was our thesis advisor, and shepherded us through to completion. He moved to Israel years ago, and we’ve not seen him since our Toronto days. We’ve kept in touch, and it was truly wonderful to see him again after all this time.

Dusk Position: 32°4.48’N, 34°45.94’E Enjoying a sunset drink on the terrace at our Tel Aviv hotel, the David Kempinski, with a view to the Mediterranean Sea.

Sunset Position: 32°4.48’N, 34°45.93’E A spectacular sunset over the Mediterranean Sea, viewed from the terrace of the hotel David Kempinski Tel Aviv.

Bar 51 Position: 32°4.52’N, 34°46.00’E An exceptional meal at trendy Bar 51 near our Tel Aviv hotel. The food was delicious and we enjoyed their edgy vibe.

Bar 51 Kitchen Position: 32°4.52’N, 34°46.01’E The diminutive, and busy, kitchen at Bar 51 in Tel Aviv.

1/25/2025

Rainbow Position: 32°4.48’N, 34°45.96’E Rainbow over the Mediterranean Sea, viewed from our room at the hotel David Kempinski Tel Aviv.

British Weighing Station Position: 32°3.06’N, 34°44.96’E The British built this truck weighing station in the 1930s while developing Jaffa’s port. The flagstones in the more recently-renovated port follow the same diamond-shaped pattern.

Fishing boats Position: 32°3.10’N, 34°44.93’E Looking across the multitide of small fishing vessels moore in Jaffa Port. The port is the oldest in the world, dating back more than 4,000 years.

Old Jaffa Position: 32°3.23’N, 34°45.01’E Waterfront buildings in Old Jaffa, the oldest part of Jaffa. Archaeological excavations date the city back to at least the early Bronze Age, about 3300 BC. This impressed James greatly when he visited decades earlier, and we were excited for Jennifer to finally be here.

Tel Aviv from Old Jaffa Position: 32°3.33’N, 34°45.14’E View to the modern skyscrapers in Tel Aviv from ancient Jaffa.

Kalamata Position: 32°3.27’N, 34°45.09’E An excellent lunch on the terrace at Kalamata overlooking Kedumim Square in Old Jaffa. It was a tough decision between this and a table inside that faces over the Mediterranean, but outside won out.

Zodiac Signs fountain Position: 32°3.27’N, 34°45.10’E Fountain in Old Jaffa’s Kedumim Square featuring the twelve signs of the zodiac rendered in a whimsical fashion.

Jaffa Port Breakwater Position: 32°3.25’N, 34°45.07’E Looking across the Jaffa Port breakwater to the Mediterranean Sea.

Powered paraglider Position: 32°3.25’N, 34°45.12’E Powered paraglider flying over Old Jaffa.

St. Peter’s Church Position: 32°3.26’N, 34°45.14’E St. Peter’s Church in Old Jaffa originally was built in 1654, but has been destroyed and rebuilt twice. The current building was completed in the late 1800s. The church was dedicated to St. Peter who, according to the New Testament, raised one of Jesus’ disciples from the dead here in Jaffa.

Gate of Faith Position: 32°3.25’N, 34°45.18’E The Gate of Faith, in Old Jaffa’s Abrasha Park by Jerusalem-based master sculpture Daniel Kafri. The gate represents the move to the Promised Land, with lessons from the bible carved into the surface.

Ramses Gate Position: 32°3.22’N, 34°45.18’E Reconstruction of an Egyptian military gate that was erected on this site in the 13th century BCE above earlier remains. It’s amazing to be in a place with so much history.

Mazal Dagim Alley Position: 32°3.21’N, 34°45.09’E We loved wandering through the winding flagstone-paved streets in Old Jaffa. Pictured Mazal Dagim Alley is one of twelve lanes named after signs of the Zodiac, this one translating to Pisces Alley.

Kandinof Position: 32°3.22’N, 34°45.22’E The restaurant Kandinof in Old Jaffa makes an elegant statement by adding tablecloths and candles to the bollards outside.

Mahmoudiya Mosque Position: 32°3.29’N, 34°45.31’E Mahmoudiya Mosque, built in the 18th and 19th centuries when the Ottomans ruled Palestine, is the largest in Old Jaffa.

Jaffa Clock Tower Position: 32°3.30’N, 34°45.36’E The “modern” Jaffa Clock Tower was built in 1900 to commemorate Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II’s silver jubilee.

Saraya House Position: 32°3.32’N, 34°45.37’E Remains of Saraya House, a neo-classical Turkish palace dating from the 19th century, that was bombed in 1948 by the Zionist paramilitary group Lehi targeting the Arab military.

Charles Clore Beach Position: 32°3.37’N, 34°45.33’E A few sunbathers on Charles Clore Beach in Jaffa, with Tel Aviv in the background.

Street Food Position: 32°3.34’N, 34°45.25’E Vendor preparing food streetside in Old Jaffa. The corn on the right smelled delicious.

Netiv HaMazalot Position: 32°3.24’N, 34°45.04’E Approaching Netiv HaMazalot lane. The name translates to “the Zodiac Path”, and its street sign includes all twelve symbols of the zodiac.

St. Peter’s Church interior Position: 32°3.28’N, 34°45.13’E The Baroque-style interior of St. Peter’s Church in Old Jaffa. Completed in 1894 with Spain’s sponsorship, the church features scenes from the life of Saint Peter along with depictions of Spanish saints.

Al-Bahr Mosque Position: 32°3.31’N, 34°45.17’E Constructed in 1675, Al-Bahr Mosque is the oldest in old Jaffa. The name translates to “The Sea Mosque”, referring to its location at the edge of the harbor.

Street Art 1 Position: 32°3.20’N, 34°45.39’E Tel Aviv is full of edgy street art, with several in the Jaffa area, particularly near the Flea Market and the port. This one on 3350 St. at the flea market is by artist Muha Ack.

Street Art 2 Position: 32°3.20’N, 34°45.40’E Another Muha Ack mural at the Jaffa Flea Market on 3350 St.

Ami’ad Street Position: 32°3.20’N, 34°45.36’E Looking down cafe-line Ami’ad Street in Jaffa. We loved the outdoor social vibe of the area.

Street Art 3 Position: 32°3.20’N, 34°45.34’E Street art on Rabi Khanina St. in Jaffa.

Street Art 4 Position: 32°3.19’N, 34°45.34’E More street art on Rabi Khanina St. in Jaffa.

Jaffa Light Position: 32°3.11’N, 34°45.06’E The Jaffa Light was built by French engineers in 1865 as part of an Ottoman project to improve port facilities. The light was deactivated in 1996, but still serves as a day mark for navigation.

Grey Tiger Position: 32°3.09’N, 34°45.01’E Blue-eyed grey tiger by South African artist Sonny Sundancer near the harbor. The mural was created as part of “Patron of the Arts”, a Patron-sponsored event that brought international artists to the city during the Sukkot Holiday in mid-October of 2019.

Container House Position: 32°3.06’N, 34°44.94’E The Container House, completed in 2023, is part of a four-year Jaffa Port revitalization project. The building is full of artist’ spaces and is a popular concert venue.

Ilana Goor Museum Position: 32°3.06’N, 34°44.98’E The Ilana Goor Museum, perched atop the hillside in Old Jaffa, is housed in a building dating to 1742. The museum collection includes over 500 pieces of art that founder Ilana Goor over 50 years either created or collected during her travels.

Orot Rabin Power Plant Position: 32°27.48’N, 34°53.69’E The Orot Rabin Power Plant, viewed as we drive from Tel Aviv to Haifi, is the largest in Israel. The six coal-powered thermal generation units can produce 2.59GW of electricity.

Caesarea Amphitheater Position: 32°29.82’N, 34°53.50’E The Caesarea Amphitheater outside Haifi is part of the ancient Roman port city of Caesarea, built between 22 and 9 BCE. The ruins of Caesarea are now a National Park of the same name, and the theater is a popular concert venue hosting performances by Israeli and international artists.

1/26/2025

Sunset Position: 32°47.14’N, 34°57.45’E Sunset over Haifa, viewed from the roof of the Annapurna Labs building there. Annapurna is an Israeli semiconductor company that joined Amazon in 2015. We are here as part of the 10th anniversary celebration.

Colony Grill Position: 32°49.13’N, 34°59.36’E A delicious meal at the Colony Grill in Haifa following James’ day with the Annapurna team.

Selecting wine Position: 32°49.08’N, 34°59.32’E James and our server going through the wine selection at Hotel Botanica, where we are staying in Haifa.

Hotel Botanica Position: 32°49.08’N, 34°59.33’E Enjoying a glass of on the wonderful rooftop deck at the Hotel Botanica, where we are staying in Haifa. In the background, steps lead up Mt. Carmel to the Shrine of the Bab, a 19th-century spiritual leader.

1/28/2025

Airport Bus Position: 25°15.92’N, 55°20.46’E On the bus to the main terminal after landing in Dubai from Tel Aviv. We’ll again spend a night at the Hotel DXB before our flight back to Seattle tomorrow morning.

1/29/2025

Emirates Position: 25°14.75’N, 55°21.90’E In our seats and ready for take-off before the nearly 15-hour flight to Seattle from Dubai. The Emirates business class seats don’t have doors and completely adjacent seats like the Qatar QSuites, but they are spaced away from the aisle with a minimal divider between them, and work well for those traveling together.

Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map. And a map of our most recent log entries always is available at mvdirona.com/maps.