The Port

Last week, I happened to be near the Port of Tel Aviv. The heat was unbearable, so I decided to enter the area,  go to the promenade and get some cool, fresh sea air.   Alas, at 6 pm, almost no breeze; only an hour later it became a bit cool and a light breeze was felt.

almost no breeze

The port (Ha-namal, in hebrew) is no longer active;  you won't see any ship, perhaps, only some boat in the distance.Over the years, the big hangars that used to store  goods for shipping (oranges, for instance) have been converted into structures for commerce, entertainment, culture. Only their numbering reminds us of the past.

'Hangar' 9

'hangar' 11

There are lots of shops, restaurants, pubs, night clubs - both inside the hangars, and outside lining the promenade. The place has become one of the biggest  day and night attractions of the city - for families during the day, and for party revelers at night. And of course, tourists are always part of the happenings.

Upon entering the port people like to take photos near a stone structure with the letters TE IV and a heart in the middle, expressing love for Tel Aviv.

LOVE  Tel Aviv

The promenade is one  huge wooden deck. Why wood? I don't know, I only know I don't like that. I don't think it integrates well with the sea , the beach and the.whole environment.
At the northern end of the promenade one can see Reading, the power station and lighthouse; it stands out.

wooden deck;   Reading power station

Lots of people, adults and youngsters, are engaged in  various activities near and along the promenade: strolling, jogging, running, biking, taking photos. The noise is deafening. Only the sea is a big, silent witness to all that.

jogger

children driving toy vehicles

bikers

on rollerblades

Small kids are the big winners of the place.There's a huge sandpit and a carousel for them, ice-cream shops, and of course, McDonalds'.

sandpit

naked kid to the bucket of water- struggles with Mom

carousel

(On Fridays and Saturdays it's particulary crowded as there are special activities going on,  like yoga , and displays of a variety of market goods).

Well, crowded places are not my 'cup of tea' whether it's weekday or weekend. So, after having a bite, I took a couple of selfies and left the restless spot to go home.

Lake Kinneret - Water Level Indicator.

We usually don't have snow or particularly nasty weather here in winter to discuss or write about. Our daily, favorite topic is ...the water level of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). This lake is Israel's only freshwater source, so we depend a lot on it, and its water level has become something of a national concern and, sometimes...a national joke.

The Lake - calm and peaceful

On Tuesday, I went on a day trip to Tiberias (Tveryia, in hebrew), the town on the western edge of Lake Kinneret.  Among other things, I 'paid a visit' to the water level indicator, located at the southern part of the Alon boardwalk.

see its contour of the lake

It was a  pleasant stroll along the promenade as the weather was fine, but when I arrived at my destination, I got 'surprised' by flies; they landed on my face and annoyed me. Well  -  warmth ,  a big body of water, and probably poor sanitary conditions in the surrounding area, did it for me (yes, bees, flies and mosquitos always pick Me up).

In the background- a church; rowing club in its yard

The  water surveyor, installed by the israeli water company "Mekorot", is an interesting sculpture with the shape of the lake, and some inner mechanism.  It's both, an enviromental work of art made of metal , and - a practical digital device for indicating the water level of the lake. I was impressed by its simplicity and practicality.

close to the water level indicator 

digit segment  led display in the upper right part of the device

On my way back to the town center, in the little open -air art park across the famous Scottish compound, I noticed a replica of the water level indicator made of stone  (sadly, it already had a big crack).