The day started at 5 a.m. with a siren and a race to the shelter.  

We probably should have gone back to sleep for the day, but because we needed a piece of leather to fix the Vassily chair Orit returned to us after years of service, and the upholsterers are all overwhelmed with work, we decided to venture to old Tel Aviv for a search.  The problem was getting there – traffic, parking, heat.  And maybe the banality of driving.  

So we decided to park at the train station, walk through to the light rail and take that to Allenby. 

This was my first time in the city light rail system and I must admit it was overwhelming – Everything above ground was dusty worn, and blinding in the sun, and everything below ground was spotless, roomy, automatic and clean.   

 I must have been so impressed that, although I wore my hat in the heat from the parking lot to the train station, I must have dropped it at Arlozorov as we entered the train, so when we walked from the light rail to the shop I was dazzled by the sun.  

And when we finally got to Begin St., the shopowner hadn’t opened the leather scrap store, even though it was almost ten, but when we called the number on the door he promised to open within the hour.  

So we went to Barzellai Street for breakfast and I began with a jar of water.

We headed home – in the sun – with the perfect piece of leather and three new belts, (just so the owner wouldn’t have wasted his day opening the shop – but they are impressive).

And feeling a little drunk with the stifling air in the dusty shop and the heat, we then began our return.  

Again I was overwhelmed by the size, the sterility and modernity of the train station.  “It’s like being abroad,” I said.  But as soon as we entered the train we knew we were back home.  Although there were few people traveling in the heat of the day, a group of ten came in the train together.  The loudspeaker announced:  “We have so many doors in this train and everyone has to come in on the same one door?”  All the passengers broke out laughing.  And when the group left at the next stop, they all called out together, “So many doors in the train and everyone has to use the same one door?”    I knew then no amount of modern architecture and engineering could cover up the basic Tel Aviv nature.

As we left the station in Arlozoroff it occurred to me to ask the security guard about lost-and-found.  “Oh, the hat!” she said, and directed me to the office.  At the office I was given my hat, and the security guard suggested I take a pair of sunglasses as well.

And thus we returned to our car, wondering whether we needed to go abroad to have adventures.