Since moving here in December, I haven't appreciated living in Tel Aviv in these times. Yes, we had to find parking first, and only then an apartment near it - rookie mistake. But during the lockdown, I felt suffocated. Living in a "nonstop city", which is not only taking a full stop but is amid dying convulsions for the first time since receiving the title. But frankly, this is perhaps the most appropriate place I could have lived in during Covid. So compared to any other time, yes - Tel Aviv is nearly dead. But compared to other cities, when you go out on the street, it's full of people, and you don't feel like you're alone in the world. Luckily, I live not far from the Yarkon Park and the beach, and I could go out and sit in the park or go for a swim. I could ride a bike or sit on the river bank without, unfortunately, having to break the law and go more than a kilometre away from my apartment. Well, everything has a price.
Last Thursday, for example, I went to the beach. Not only did it not look like a city under lockdown, but it also didn't resemble midwinter. I got to meet a diver who gave me an enthusiastic description of the wonders he had seen underwater. On my way back, I met a fisherman, and I tried to bargain with him for a pair of mullets, but he had his heart set on eating them for dinner.
On Saturday, the day before lockdown ended here, T and I went out to the park, sat on the bank. We played backgammon, drank beer and enjoyed the sun whenever it emerged from behind the clouds. Around us, people on scooters and bicycles, couples canoodling on the grass, an air balloon in the distance, a speedboat making its way quickly along the river.
And now lockdown has ended, and I can get back to my undertakings, which is terrific. I need to finish things before we pack up and move on, but it's also put me under pressure. Now I'm behind, and I have to finish everything quickly, after a month and a bit where I've been mostly writing and taking long baths.
On the plus side, since I can get back to doing stuff, I'll have many more topics to write about, like before. And for you - new reading material.
