Tel Aviv – cycling with a Brompton
The Israelis are special!
A mixture of Arabic, French, Austrian, European, Eastern European… from Yemen from Iran, from Germany from England. They are Jewish, Muslim and Christian.
Somewhere between antique and modern.
All this is reflected in their food. They are convinced that they have their own Israeli food, invented here. However, their favorite dishes, like shakshuka, come from Tunisia and hummus? Does it come from Lebanon or Syria.
What about falafel? Maybe even from Palestine?
So the food doesn’t care about religion or origin. Then why can’t they do it together?
I am sitting here in a square at the end of the famous and popular Rothschild Street. Today are elections and that means a day off for many.
Ingenious… at this place there are tables and sockets and a free internet.
Annoying: the Israelis are incredibly loud. Not only the children.
We were looking for a coffee to work, but you can forget that, it’s because you are hard of hearing. There is loud music everywhere and people have to drown it out for entertainment.
The Israeli people seem to be on the road on their days off. Some jog, cycle, surf, others sit in the countless cafés or are busy with their many children. 4 children seem to be a kind of standard. Of course, Israel must grow, you need offspring.
3 years everybody goes to the military. Refusal is not an option.
Isrtael is small and yet in Tel Aviv you don’t notice the problems with the neighboring countries Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Gaza Strip and West Bank.
While bombs are falling all around and the world seems to be coming to an end, in Tel Aviv on the beach people fly kites, celebrate parties and live a colourful life.
Bicycles and cyclists in Tel Aviv
Wow, the Israelis are sporty. Seen on the beach in Tel Aviv.
There is jogging, biking, surfing, playing matkot (similar to beach tennis) and everybody is somehow in motion in full sportswear.
The equipment is excellent!
We want to meet other Brompton riders. There are 2000 Brompton in Israel and certainly most of them in Tel Aviv.
Our inquiry on the Tel Aviv Brompton platform, who wants to go on a bike trip on the beach ends with an answer.
More answers got to the things, which all do not go.
Now I was surprised. A Brompton makes most sense if you take it with you on the train or bus, or if you go to a coffee or a museum or a gallery and are allowed to leave it in the dressing room.
Somehow there is no real Brompton community.
Yes, they have the small bikes, but maybe more because they saw them in London.
Then we did participate in a Critical Mass. Wow, there were max. 25 participants and we rather rode the side streets. Of the 25 participants, maybe 4 were real cyclists. All the others had a rental bike, or one that you rather don’t put on the streets or electric bikes.
The latter are the most popular means of transportation in Tel Aviv.
A bit disappointing. Unlike in Germany, they don’t need to pedal at all. The electric bikes are more like a moped.
One of the participants of the Critical Mass also thought about a Brompton, but he has his scooter.
You can find a small video here.
Israelis are sporty, are outside a lot, friendly, but for them „owning“ is much more important.
Their interest in the environment, political difficulties, a human togetherness (with everyone), are rather subordinate.
Of course, this is not true for everyone, but I had hoped for more, at least among the cyclists.
The older generation is more motivated to go to demonstrations, to express opinions, to think new.
Today are elections and as a good friend said: we try to minimize the damage instead of fighting for our ideals.
Conclusion: cycling in Tel Aviv is ok and the beach promenade is a dream. Otherwise without electricity you are actually too slow and more in the way than an enrichment for the traffic.
But… of course there is a but: without the Bromptons we wouldn’t have such a map of Tel Aviv in our heads now. 4 weeks we have visited the city and the surrounding area. What a wonderful experience.
Israel is different. I can tell you that. We do miss our friends over there and I would love to come back for a visit, but Israel right no is no option for living.
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