French Invasion of Tel Aviv

This summer has seen lots of tourists in Tel Aviv. The vast majority of these tourists were French. Tourists are always welcome, but all this French music in bars and restaurants is sometimes too much.

I’m used to hearing foreign languages around my house. There’s a fine Italian restaurant under my house. Many European tourists and businessmen dine their every day. I enjoy hearing occasionally some Italian, Spanish, German, French and English of course. I usually slow down and try to overhear the language that they’re speaking.

Tourists can also be seen around Tel Aviv’s promenade. Many of the city’s hotels and hostels are located near the sea, and most of tourists enjoy the sea and the sunshine.

This summer, and especially in August, there’s a feeling that there is a larger amount of tourists around. In past years I’ve heard mostly English (Americans). This year, French is spoken everywhere. Unfortunately, I don’t speak French. I only understand a few simple words.

There are so many French tourists, that some places, not those that are near the sea, adapt themselves to tourists. I was quite surprised to sit for a few hours in a restaurant and to hear only French songs. I was especially surprised hearing a blues song in French. That sounded quite strange.

Well, last summer there were hardly any tourists, and I was writing mostly about anti-war demonstrations in Tel Aviv , so I can’t really complain about blues songs in French…