The first breakfast in this hotel was simple but enjoyable. A small selection of vegetables, pastries, and yogurt/cheese products were accompanied by a beverage station. I was pleased with the freshness of the food, but I know that some others weren't too impressed by the selection. After breakfast, we drove to TelAviv where we had free time to explore the city for a few hours.
I love markets, and the ones here are amazing. Stalls with food, produce, spices, and teas line the street. I was excited to see churchkhela at one of the spice shops. This traditional Georgian dessert consists of walnuts and fruits. For 15 shekels? A steal. I immediately bought some to share with my friends, none of whom had tried it before. My lunch consisted of roasted vegetables, potatoes, and sweet potatoes from an Iraqi (?) food vendor. Well, the stand had a flag of Iraq, so I assumed that's what the cuisine was. The vegetables were a bit oily for my liking, but tender and flavorful. Subsequently, an hour-long silent dance tour followed, but that was much less enjoyable than actually exploring the rich culture of the city.
Once back in Netanya, I set it with the goal of familiarizing myself with the area. Along the way, I picked up another watermelon popsicle. The environment here really is perfect for them. Shabbat dinner was at the hotel but was not particularly vegetarian friendly to be honest. All the main dishes featured chicken, fish, or beef. On the other hand, hummus, beets, and cabbage are a pretty filling dinner, especially when topped off with a delicious chocolate pudding.
My sweet tooth struck again as I walked the evening streets. I stopped by the ice cream freezer of the first convenience store I passed and found some chocolate and hazelnut coated chocolate ice cream. I'd been planning on a lighter snack, but the packaging said "plombir". I couldn't remember what exactly this meant but recognized the word and had to try it. Unfortunately, after discussing this I found out that this plombir didn't match my parents' childhood recollections.
Extra Thoughts: I don't know what the secret to their hummus is here. Perhaps they add more tahini? It seems thicker and creamier than the American store-bought options. Also, whereas the hummus section in grocery stores is filled with countless flavor varieties like roasted red pepper, etc, the hummus (humusi?) I've had here all let the chickpea flavor be the star.
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