Our itinerary watched us splitting our time between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and was curated by The Ministry of Tourism. Only an hour apart from street, these cities couldn’t be more distinct, as we were to detect during the five day excursion. This is the full 411 on my voyage. TL? We’ll be releasing a snack sized variant in our Dress, Drink and Dine Guide .
JERUSALEM
My journey started at the hour of 4am when a car came to take me to the airport. I have to admit that I perked up immensely when I found my ride was a Jaguar! This is a happy accident, but it was made for a great beginning to the trip. Six hours later and we were ready to crash out in our home for the next four nights and hurtling down Israel’s streets — the renovated Herbert Samuel Hotel in Jerusalem. 
Our first order of the day proved to be a private visit to Ticho House. The home runs as a gallery space after the house of a physician and his artist wife. While we were there, we were treated to the days of a exhibition investigating Anna Ticho, the former inhabitants and the childless union of Dr Abraham. 
The exhibition, held at a outhouse round the back, was burtonesque bizarre and upsetting to look at occasionally, employing a wardrobe of children’s clothing that would never be worn along with dolls. 
By contrast, the main building was a place of cheer and light, with the first floor, previously the major apartment, currently serving as a café and refectory and the ground floor with an inspiring gallery space. The building retains its domed ceilings and tiles, exposing the house’s history. Truly worth a look if you’re ever in Jerusalem. 
Our next stop was a visit to Beit Alliance, a startup hub in the heart of Jerusalem, giving birth to a new creation of art, design and technology. 
Jerusalem is allegedly more costly than Paris, so many young men and women are discovering innovative ways of re-purposing spaces. Even abandoned bomb lands are now used as startup studios! Israel truly is this world’s capital and you really get a sense of that at a place like Beit Alliance. Few individuals under the age of thirty seem to occupy the space. It’s a place of community, where well-documented religious conflicts are dissolved to a movement for the improvement of town life. Total of studios and creative spaces, you receive a first-hand understanding of the ‘New Spirit’ that the organisation is attempting to attract to Jerusalem. 
A hop-step away from Beit Alliance was what was to become one of our all-time favorite places in Jerusalem: the Mahane Yehuda Market. 
In case you’re seeking the greatest multi-sensory adventure of Israel, head here. Only off Jaffa Road, it has all of the trappings of a traditional souk — the spices, the array of vibrant fruits, treats, the rainbow togs and tassels along with the scent of flowers in the air. Even the chorus of market stall owners hawking the faces and their products tempting you with titbits of halva is a real sight to behold. 
It is also a great place to pick up a date. Believe me guys are not bashful and Mahane Yehuda is more than 1 sort of market!
What’s remarkable about the sector is. Jerusalem is famous for its history and architecture, but rarely its nightlife. However, there is a new creation currently seeking to change that and today, by night, the majority of the stalls have been converted to bars and clubs. Truth be told, we went back two! 
Our final stop of the day was an all-too-brief trip to the Israel Museum. The biggest cultural institution in the nation, it is made up . All of the architecture of the museum is figured in steps of 11 and 7, with 7 considered a highly auspicious number in culture. The Israel Museum is really the kind of place where you’d wish to get lost for a couple hours. Sadly, we just had one — but it was long enough to encounter this magnificent statue which flanks several storeys of the building. Entitled “Gathering of Strangers”, the gargantuan sculpture is a tribute to the forced dispersion of individuals affected by war in the surrounding area. <img src="IMAG0356-577×1024.Jpg" alt="Jerusalem" width="577" height="1024" p
A Arabian gallery also houses some incredible originals of Pablo Picasso, while an Anish Kapoor sculpture graces the promenade outside, so it is a real treat for the art lover. 
We started to Hansen House with a trip the following day. After a hospital for lepers, it currently works to Beit Alliance, bringing. It was here that I struck YAYA designer Yael Gershon one of the many craft stalls out. I fell in love with silver illusion necklace and this brass and just couldn’t resist! 
Following this, the architect Bracha Chyutin, of this new campus gave us a tour of the Van Leer Institute. A location I’d describe as “architecturally indulgent”, I completely fell in love with it. I fell in love with all the expansive glass atrium and flowing stairwells, I fell in love and that I fell in love with all all the floor-to-ceiling library that was tranquil. It’s a miracle of architecture. 
Next we were taken to some fairly historic village named Ein Karem, famous for being the birth place of St John the Baptist. It was here, at a renovated family residence, that we were invited to venture underground to look at an ancient ritual bath. 
Dating to the first days of Christianity, it might also have been used by John the Baptist himself! It’s in Ein Karem’s elevated heights that you can find some of the views. Ein Karem is also home to the church of St John the Baptist, in which nuns and monks in conventional garb roam giving it a feeling of authenticity. 
Our day finished at the very first Station, a converted railway station that now plays host to a selection of pubs, restaurants and boutiques, as well as a entertainment area. We soaked up the atmosphere on the final night of a music festival before diving at Adom restaurant in some Levantine fare.
By now it was the Sabbath, so things were silent when I afterwards took a stroll about town, but it was a good chance to appreciate the colourful decorations giving each road a novelty motif. It was funny that the night’s area appeared to be a local Mexican restaurant, which was not kosher. It seemed strange that in a town of history that individuals ought to be actively trying to ‘create culture’. The ambition to deliver art and lifestyle to Jerusalem is one of the problems for town. As one artist poignantly put it: “The hope is that we do better for Jerusalem”.
Saturday was a big day for us, as it was the day we went into the Old City, that is an unmissable excursion for anyone visiting. A pilgrimage site for Jews and Christians the Old City takes you back into the times of yore, when King David was about the throne and ruled during a period of prosperity. 
This nugget of history is equally important when you consider how many occasions Jerusalem has been destroyed and rebuilt by wars. It is the city with much more and nine lives, which is fitting, given Jerusalem’s abundant cat population. (They keep the rats away!)
The Old City is where you walk the two Stations of the Cross, after Christ’s pathway and may go to the site of the Last Supper until he was crucified.
However this area, while considered sacred and holy, is both crowded and touristic, detracting rather a great deal in the symbolism of the website. Our guide Eli lost most of us between the first station and the Wailing Wall! 
At the center of the Old City, directly outside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, market stalls line the streets and you may also find a money changer or two — slightly ironic since I appear to remember Jesus wasn’t too happy about individuals trading beyond the temple!
Nevertheless the church is well worth battling the traffic, as it houses frescoes glass windows, some amazing ancient art and artefacts. It’s easy when you enter with all these visitors expressing their religion inside, to feel a sense of awe; it can be quite an experience. 
The Old City is absolutely a must-see for history buffs, especially if you’re interested in seeing the ruined pillars across the road dating back into the Roman-Byzantine period. 
From here you can also get some stunning views of the Kidron Valley and the Dome of the Rock. On the other hand, the very best view of this valley is by the Mount of Olives on the other side, where pilgrims from around the world of the Abrahamic faiths converge to take in the panoramic scenes. 
The day was spent visiting many regional residents in their personal homes to have a taste of how Jerusalemites really live. The highlight of these, for me, has been an experience with celebrity Birgitta Yavari-Ilan. Swedish by birth, Jewish by choice, this amazing woman was filled with love and warmth. Aside from the recovery of her home that is beautiful, she has an extraordinary story to tell, having fostered eleven kids! It was a real treat to get an intimate glimpse of Jerusalem’s lives.
TEL AVIV
On the morning of the final full day in Israel, we transferred to Tel Aviv, in which the differentiation from Jerusalem is instantly apparent. The metropolis is considered the financial capital of Israel, once a tiny Mediterranean town. 
It is a city of skyscrapers and trade, from marketplace vending to plush multimillion pound penthouse apartments. Following a tour of some of Tel Aviv’s most iconic buildings and a lunch stop in the food market that was Carmel, we checked in to our lodgings — a boutique hotel that had been open for just a couple of weeks! 
The 65 Hotel Rothschild has been a welcome escape from our hectic itinerary, with quirky interiors and a rooftop terrace ideal for relaxing. It was that a handful escaped into the shore and of us went off-plan. It was bliss lurks after all our bustling about! After in Tel Aviv…
For our final night, we dined at Tel Aviv’s G Tower. The Italian cuisine is served against a background of timber interiors embracing the proprietor’s admiration for roosters. Seriously, you can find chicken ornaments everywhere. 
After a hearty supper, we retreated back to our hotel, where we toasted the trip and made sure to do the essential Facebook deals with all our new friends. In our group of twenty or so, lots of us had forged.
In the morning, I was able to squeeze into a walk up the Rothschild Boulevard for some snaps of Leonard Bernstein Square, where you’ll discover the Hall of Culture as well as the Habima Theatre. The round façade is imposing, although the square boasts a surrounded by buildings that are enormous, making it look completely out of place. 
A sense of despair took over as I walked back to the hotel, knowing that I’d shortly be departing Israel. However, I was sure I’d be. There’s so much more to view of this nation.
Picture From:seeninthecity.co.uk
