DAY 1 : FRIDAY 15 JANUARY - JAFFA OLD CITY, TEL AVIV

Sadly our neighbours are living it up; eventually, at about 2am, the concierge persuades them to cut the music. Ho hum.  More happily, it turns into a light, bright morning and the hotel serves an excellent breakfast with an array of mezze helpings of feta, tapenade, tahini, aubergine... I'm not sure we'll manage this every morning! 

The old town and natural harbour south of Tel Aviv (Jaffa - Yafo in Hebrew) was formally absorbed into the modern city a few years ago.  

From a stop outside our hotel, we hop onto a #10 bus, having acquired and topped up our Rav-Card (Israeli Oyster-for-buses), to Clock Tower Square; sadly, the 1906 tower itself turns out to be under wraps 

but opposite is Mahmudiya Mosque and, what with the remaining Christmas decorations and next-door synagogue, you've three religions together.

At the fine flat facade of St Peter's Catholic Church; we're there at 11.40, just as it's closing, so sneak inside for two minutes

The Zodiac alleys are a maze of restored alleys leading to the harbour; arty ateliers with glazed road and house number signs. 

At the harbour is Andromeda's rock, from which Perseus was fabled to have rescued her from the sea-monster.

It's striking how many squaddies there are here. Two years of mandatory National Service for both genders with not too many exemptions.  We saw a lot of females in khaki, though very few with guns so presumably they kill with their bare hands; meanwhile, nothing says domestic bliss like showing your girlfriend how your submachine gun works...

And here's the view from our hotel terrace as the sun goes down on a Friday evening and the traffic stops dead. Shalom Shabbat, as they say...