More Space Than I Thought

Israel is a very small country (at one point approximately 10km

 separates the West Bank from the Mediterranean). Nearly everything here is on a smaller scale and space is at a premium. Most Tel Aviv streets seem narrow with narrow sidewalks. There are, however, several boulevards that are fantastic. They are so welcoming because 60% of the street is for pedestrians and bicycles. The center portion is a large "sidewalk" with trees, a bike path, and benches. These boulevards leave only one lane for traffic in each direction on each side of the pedestrian strip. It is very pleasant to walk down these streets, where many other Tel Avivians congregate. 

I saw two other parts of town that were spacious today while Catherine and I were on a very, very long walk (probably four hours walking nonstop). We went by port, which has trendy shops and restaurants. The boardwalk there is quite large and includes open spaces for crowds to move about and for jugglers and "trapeze" artists to perform. The area, in addition to its spaciousness, was also nice because it was new, modern, and clean. I'll be riding my bike over there frequently, I think.

Then, when we finished up at the port, we cut through Gan HaYarkon (The Yarkon--a river--Park). The park was very large, had nice walking paths, a rock climbing facility, tennis courts, basketball courts, and an inline skating rink. It also had a nice bike trail and paddle boat rentals. It's a good location to get away from the congestion--and is an alternative to the beach.