Well, it is our last Friday in my favorite city in Israel – Tel Aviv. I went to two of my favorite places – the Carmel Market or shuk, as it is known, and its neighbor on the next street over – the craft market.
The shuk is divided into two sections. The beginning is clothing, toys, supplies of all kinds including religious articles and souvenirs. The second section is filled with fruits, vegetables, breads, cakes, prepared foods, olives, candies and nuts, etc.
The sites and sounds are wonderful, the people come with shopping carts, bicycles, strollers with babies, elderly people comes with canes and walkers, even the odd wheelchair – all shopping for Shabbat. Even sounds of the vendors calling out their goods, prices and people buying, waiting their turn to pay – not always typical of Israel!
One very special sight is people buying flowers for Shabbat and this is one thing I try to do when I am back in Canada. Perhaps it reminds me of Shabbat in Tel Aviv, especially when it is cold and snow is on the ground.
The craft market brings out a variety of crafts people from jewelery to wooden objects, ceramics, toys, fancy soaps – it runs the gamut. Also, on Friday various musicians perform on the street. Today, the most unusual was a young lady playing to two reed instruments thru her nostrils, making music. One never knows what one will see on Fridays in Tel Aviv.
Shabbat Shalom,
Anice
