They call it Yafo now, but I prefer “Jaffa.” It sounds way more Crusader-ly. This is pertinent because I am certain that many hundreds of crusaders strolled along the section of beachfront that I strolled along this afternoon.
Jaffa is a port of great antiquity — Jonah the prophet began a most grotesquely ill-starred sea voyage from this port. (The waters were much calmer today.) It was a major port in Crusade times, and hence of some slight interest to the Christian armies.
Today, it caters to families out for a bit of sun-and-fun, as well as American bloggers who insist on collecting only shards of beach glass and not seashells. It’s October now, so the beach was mostly empty, though the weather was ideal. There were “No Swimming” signs posted in a variety of languages; this meant that a significant percentage of those at the beach were, indeed, swimming. Not me — no bathing suit. Lovely water — I’ve taken baths that were colder than that surf. Not many, but still…
Yes, I took pictures. Will post later, since I haven’t downloaded them from the camera yet. Who wants some beach glass?
white pebble 