Tel Aviv is another city that never sleeps

“The flat is just for sleeping,” he says. “We are always going out to eat and have coffee.

“Or shop. It is hard to go a day without buying something. Even if it is just a shirt.”

It is Friday lunchtime and Igal is leading us on a walking tour, which starts at the Carmel Markets. The place is heaving as locals do their final shop before Shabbat the Jewish day of rest. People are pushing past me. I’m strolling, trying to take in the sights and smells of the market, and I feel like I’m in the way.

Israelis are not good followers. They won’t wait behind you. They say nothing but find a way to squeeze past.The market stalls are overflowing with people selling flowers, fresh fruits, seafood, prepared meals and “fast food” stands that turn falafels into an art form.

Everyone tastes before they buy. Fruit, tabouli, olive oil, sweets. You can almost eat a meal while you traipse about and fill your bag with things to stock the pantry.

City is easy to navigate on foot

Central Tel Aviv is not a traffic-friendly city and the roads get congested quickly. But thankfully it is an easy city to discover on foot (but you will need a guide, otherwise you will get lost) and no matter which way you turn there is always a good spot to buy coffee or get something to eat.

Our next stop is the Nachlat Binyamin artists’ market. Everything is made by hand. It is more about trinkets than paintings, but it is easy to find a souvenir.

From the markets we turn down Sheinkin St and enter the city’s yuppie area. This is where Igal lives.

It is where he used to own a coffee shop, and where his brother now owns one of Tel Aviv’s most successful hairdressers. His brother stops cutting hair when we arrive, grabs us a glass of water each, and comes outside for a chat. Everyone wants to talk about the complicated politics of Israel.

What do you think about Israel?

They are interested in your perspective on their country’s fight for peace. They listen with interest when you tell them how Israel is perceived internationally.

The big brands are absent from this part of Tel Aviv. It is more likely that you will find something different and exciting from local designers you have never heard of before.

Tel Aviv, Israel’s commercial capital, is an expensive city to live in.

Thankfully, though, coffee is cheap and good. We stop for a break at a sandwich stall on Rothschild Blvd one of the city’s grand tree-lined streets, which has a central lane for cyclists and pedestrians. Despite some graffiti, it is very clean and the architecture is in the international style.

I remark that it looks and feels surprisingly like walking down a German street. Igal smiles before explaining that the architects of this area were Jews who had escaped from Germany in the early days of Hitler’s Nazis, hence the similarities.

The past is never far away.

At night we come back to this area to dine at a trendy modern bistro called Social Club.

Local food critics rate it as one of the city’s best. Some restaurants in Tel Aviv stay open 24 hours, but this one closes at 4am. People tend to dine late here. The food is very familiar to us salmon, ribs, prawns (all around 78 shekels or $20).

The next morning we headed to Jaffa, one of the oldest cities in the world, where we have our first dose of biblical tourism through the story of Jonah and the whale. Jaffa is where the prophet Jonah set sail from before he ended up spending three days and nights in the belly of the whale.

In 1799, Napoleon captured the town, ransacked it, and ordered his men to go on a spree of raping and pillaging after the locals had angered him. Apparently Napoleon had sent a messenger asking the good folk of Jaffa to surrender.

The locals answered by cutting the head off the messenger, sparking Napoleon’s rage.

Jaffa is a complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of Tel Aviv and the town itself has changed dramatically in recent years. It used to be a haven for thieves and prostitutes but now it has been cleaned up and its maze-like streets are filled with tourists seeking to buy art.

Where to Stay in TEL AVIV

The Dan Tel Aviv Hotel is right on the popular city beach. Our room had a huge balcony, with two sun beds, that looked straight over the ocean. See danhotels.com

Useful App

HebrewNEXT Guide to Hebrew from Birthright Israel is available for the iPhone. It offers an easy-to-use Hebrew vocabulary that will help you with everything from ordering a taxi, to ordering a meal. Most people speak English but knowing a few phrases never hurts.