• Hiking & Scrambling,  Metro Vancouver & North Shore,  Trip Reports

    Wreck Beach: A Different Kind of Trip

    UBC is the only university I know of that has a nude beach. Imagine yourself, on a mid summer day, clambering down the wooden stairs to Wreck Beach, through pristine forest, coming out to a scene in the spirit of the free love atmosphere of the 60’s. There are volleyball nudes, beer hugging nudes, sunbathing nudes, ice cream selling nudes and even magic mushroom and pot selling nudes. They come in all types. If you return at the end of summer, Wreck Beach transforms completely. A wilder, undeveloped and more pristine beach: the nudists disappear, and the beach is reclaimed by quacking seagulls. On a beautiful sunny fall day, the…

  • Food,  Urban

    Tel Aviv the Bike City

    When I was in high school I used to cycle everywhere. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do in Tel Aviv, although this city is actually perfect for cycling: it’s flat, the distances are short, and the climate is convenient. However, riding my bike was always a battle between the parked cars (sometimes parked half or fully on the sidewalks), the dog shit and other obstacles such as human beings (I did not dare to ride on the road). Lately, every time I visit Tel Aviv I see an improvement in the biking field, and this time the biggest change was the shared bike system. It’s really cheap and convenient,…

  • Baking,  Food

    Plums, Plums & More Plums

    We always say that my friend Mari knows everyone, and in a way it’s sort of true. So when I mentioned at work how much Gili and I love picking fruit, and that we would be happy to pick some plums, she immediately connected us with friends of hers in Burnaby. We cycled to their place on a beautiful Sunday morning, and we weren’t sure what to expect. When we arrived, we knew we didn’t ride for nothing – the tree was absolutely full of fruit. We immediately got started and as soon as I tasted one plum I was in heaven. These dark purple prunes were so sweet and…