We're now sailing to the south of Lanzarote, and I’m trying to get back to my writing routine, after a month and a half of a "vacation." The last post was written on the eve of our departure for our first visit to Israel, or as it has already been defined: "vacation at home."
On the way we had an enjoyable stop in Madrid, for me a first visit, to Udi first as an adult. Madrid has been a pleasant surprise. For me one of the most fun cities in Europe.
Maybe later I will try to recreate and write in points the highlights.
So what did I enjoy so much - the liveliness of this city that really does not rest and wakes up to a stormy nightlife after 9 at night, when endless restaurants and bars are filled with locals of all ages, more and more tapas bars, good wine, good food, at affordable prices. And also - interesting museums, music, a lot of culture. Something in it felt at eye level, simple, happy, unpretentious.
On the way we had an enjoyable stop in Madrid, for me a first visit, to Udi first as an adult. Madrid has been a pleasant surprise. For me one of the most fun cities in Europe.
Maybe later I will try to recreate and write in points the highlights.
So what did I enjoy so much - the liveliness of this city that really does not rest and wakes up to a stormy nightlife after 9 at night, when endless restaurants and bars are filled with locals of all ages, more and more tapas bars, good wine, good food, at affordable prices. And also - interesting museums, music, a lot of culture. Something in it felt at eye level, simple, happy, unpretentious.
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| One out of many |
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| The best ice cream serving ever |
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| Park at the hart of Madrid |
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| Museum of illusions |
The first thing that happened in Madrid before I had time to think twice, a moment after we placed the backpacks at the cute Airbnb we ordered, was surprising and life changing… 🤗 On the doorstep appeared Sally the barber, cutting my hair for a boyish haircut, one that accompanied me until 18 years ago. The decision was made in preparation for the trip home, and the execution was faster than I thought. Until we arrived in Israel we avoided video calls and uploading pictures of myself to surprise the kids. Succeeded! The children, friends and family were indeed surprised and it was fun to get responses of "suits you", "rejuvenates you", despite the grey hair.
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| Sally the barber |
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| A bit shocked but quite happy |
The first visit to Israel is another milestone in the new lifestyle. Each such milestone is treated as a period of experimenting and learning. Predictions, thoughts and apprehensions that before retirement from an intensive work life, have once again been proven to not predict reality. I was afraid I would not be able to fill the time, I would feel "empty". I now realize that the period before the trip raised more and more concerns, which at one point overcame the excitement leading up to the change in life that we had so longed for.
So what did we have…
An exciting encounter with the children, (almost) fully available for them, something I did not have during the long working years, except during periods of going on vacation, which was always outside the borders of the country. The feeling of being at home at ease is really unfamiliar and very refreshing. A phone call from Gili at noon offering to come to us for a "chat and snack" was answered with a big "yes”, had not been possible in the past. Available to Roni when it suits her, to help build the "new nest" in Tel Aviv. Babysitter for the perfect dog Kashem, preparation for grandchildren. Mid-week meals and occasional coffee conversations with Shye and Eliana. We also had quality time with Tomer who shortly after we arrived, was released from four years of military service, and towards the end of our stay came to rest at home, after running around the country, celebrating the great freedom. Friends and family, arrived morning / noon / evening, sometimes planned and sometimes spontaneous, and fun for us to entertain. And also "encampment" jobs that I always wanted to study and did not have time for. I found a tutor on Youtube who taught me everything I wanted to know about painting and plaster repairs. I fell in love with the new "profession" and enjoyed investing time with instant gratification as peeling walls within two days became "new”. And also time spent working on the design work of Nir's new lab, the "boss" / friend who jumped at the chance that I was available and knew it was easy to drag me into planning and architecture work. This is how our joint career began, when we built the lab together.
So what did we have…
An exciting encounter with the children, (almost) fully available for them, something I did not have during the long working years, except during periods of going on vacation, which was always outside the borders of the country. The feeling of being at home at ease is really unfamiliar and very refreshing. A phone call from Gili at noon offering to come to us for a "chat and snack" was answered with a big "yes”, had not been possible in the past. Available to Roni when it suits her, to help build the "new nest" in Tel Aviv. Babysitter for the perfect dog Kashem, preparation for grandchildren. Mid-week meals and occasional coffee conversations with Shye and Eliana. We also had quality time with Tomer who shortly after we arrived, was released from four years of military service, and towards the end of our stay came to rest at home, after running around the country, celebrating the great freedom. Friends and family, arrived morning / noon / evening, sometimes planned and sometimes spontaneous, and fun for us to entertain. And also "encampment" jobs that I always wanted to study and did not have time for. I found a tutor on Youtube who taught me everything I wanted to know about painting and plaster repairs. I fell in love with the new "profession" and enjoyed investing time with instant gratification as peeling walls within two days became "new”. And also time spent working on the design work of Nir's new lab, the "boss" / friend who jumped at the chance that I was available and knew it was easy to drag me into planning and architecture work. This is how our joint career began, when we built the lab together.
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| Before |
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| After plaster before painting |
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| Udi doesn’t miss an opportunity to have fun |
A few days of diving in Eilat that were cut short due to a long and not nice flu (not Corona !!), and Udi who fell ill as well, brought our 24/7 couple to the extreme, when we both "spent" a few days in bed and not for the right reasons…
And there were plenty of reasons to party: Tomer's release, a late celebration of Roni's end of service, and my birthday, all of which were a great excuse for a weekend of fun with the kids, including an unforgettable visit to the excellent “Joze and Loze” restaurant where Roni cooks. For those who do not know it, highly recommended!
And there were plenty of reasons to party: Tomer's release, a late celebration of Roni's end of service, and my birthday, all of which were a great excuse for a weekend of fun with the kids, including an unforgettable visit to the excellent “Joze and Loze” restaurant where Roni cooks. For those who do not know it, highly recommended!
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| Tomer cutting his army ID card 👏 |
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Warriors’ rest
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And we even had two meetings of the extended family, a memorial weekend for my parents, including sleep out and a trip in the Arava; and traditional Hanukkah candle lighting at Tali’s (my younger sister), in the presence of almost the entire tribe, counting over 20 men, women and children…
Memorial weekend for my parents (39 years):
Starting with Humos, next visit to the cemetery and continue with family weekend
Hanukkah at Tali’s
And
Hanukkah with Udi’s family
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| Shye |
My birthday was also a great excuse, which my sister Ofra did not miss, for 24 hours of Tel Aviv, time together just the two of us, and two great photo exhibitions. Ofra is my "civilized sister" who knows about lectures / tours and exhibitions not to be missed. Despite being a full-time lecturer and grandmother at the time.
24 hours of cultural activity with my sister
Pics from photography exhibitions
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| The first prize winner A couple in Ashkelon right after a missile attack (May 2021) |
A series of photos with a personal touch:
The photographer, Raed Buena, a Palestinian from a village north of Jerusalem,
made a living in his youth from cleaning houses,including Udi's mother and brothers’.
Until one day, with the help of a family he worked for, he started studying photography at a school in Jerusalem.
And since then everything is history
He became a successful photographer with exhibitions all over the world!
Local Cinderella
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From a series of photos of couples, from all over the world, after long years of marriage
Just dancing.
(Eva Glan, Live Life)
This is What I wish for myself in 25 years
But there were also less happy and exciting "ocupations", tinkering with insurance (it turns out to be a significant expense in the family budget), handling a visa to Spain (will free us from restrictions on staying in the EU), and also - surprise! It turns out that thanks to the Aden (upgraded Yemeni 😉) branch of the family (mother) we were deported from Portugal and did not even know .. We dived into the relevant history, collected exciting documents (my parents' marriage certificate, mother's identity card from 1967 and more), and without too much preparation, We went through the process of issuing a Portuguese passport for me and the children (Udi in the next step). It will take several years, but worth it if you want to stay for long periods in the European Union (Pension B), or enter countries to which access is limited with Israeli citizenship (Pension A). Do not worry, we are not really giving up on our Israeli identity, which is deeply rooted in us.
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| My parents’ wedding certificate |
From this long list, and other events and occupations not mentioned, one can get the impression that we were very busy during those six weeks, but the feeling of freedom to choose, contentment and leisure, were new and exciting for me, perhaps familiar only to the retirees among us. And yes - I also practiced my new title "Retired" at every opportunity.
This period was less successful for Udi.
Of course he enjoined the opportunity to see his mother, children and siblings. Back in the kitchen, he filled much of his time, cooking and baking bread almost daily, not long after we were "punished" by gaining weight. However, the prolonged wait for the Spanish visa documents, among other reasons that we are not fully understand, led him to a sense of exhaustion of the holiday chapter in Israel. Therefore, in a spontaneous decision, before we have the visa, we decided to return to Ester for a limited period of about 45 days until we run out of time in the EU. When we arrived with the documents at the Spanish embassy after almost 6 weeks of annoying fuss, we realized it would take at least a month for the application to be approved. The cheap flight prices (50 euros from Tel Aviv to Lanzarote), the longing for Ester and sea life, put us on a flight via Berlin to Ester who was expecting us at the marina, after a month and a half of vacation at home.
Of course he enjoined the opportunity to see his mother, children and siblings. Back in the kitchen, he filled much of his time, cooking and baking bread almost daily, not long after we were "punished" by gaining weight. However, the prolonged wait for the Spanish visa documents, among other reasons that we are not fully understand, led him to a sense of exhaustion of the holiday chapter in Israel. Therefore, in a spontaneous decision, before we have the visa, we decided to return to Ester for a limited period of about 45 days until we run out of time in the EU. When we arrived with the documents at the Spanish embassy after almost 6 weeks of annoying fuss, we realized it would take at least a month for the application to be approved. The cheap flight prices (50 euros from Tel Aviv to Lanzarote), the longing for Ester and sea life, put us on a flight via Berlin to Ester who was expecting us at the marina, after a month and a half of vacation at home.
We will also sit together and analyze the conduct during this period, which was our first experience as a couple, as separate persons, and also for the children who moved between their busy lives and the desire to spend time with us. I followed a "face-out" strategy and sharply, compared to an intense couple life on Ester, we lived a parallel life. This was less suitable for Udi (probably he still likes to be around me 🥰), and that requires adjustment and redesign. Yet it is most important to us that our togetherness, and every chapter in the new lifestyle, be pleasant and right for both of us. And now back to the saying that at the beginning of the post, any experience in the various parts that make up our new life, are an opportunity for learning and correction and that is part of the fun in the new lifestyle.
On the return to Ester and our plans for the future, in the next post…
On the return to Ester and our plans for the future, in the next post…
Some moments from home
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| Kashem, our grandson dog with a friend |
A beautiful sunset from our bedroom window
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