On Monday I spent the afternoon with a lovely and deeply intelligent young woman from Iceland, who goes by the nom de blog Hatshepsut. She is here on a short visit, but plans to start her graduate degree at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem next year. We sat at my local cafe, Ginzburg, and talked for hours. There is something deeply satisfying about a good conversation between two people who have disparate political opinions, but can agree to disagree with the utmost mutual respect.

Hatshepsut didn't want me to post the photos I took of her, so instead here are a couple I took of two guys who are institutions at the cafe.

This is Ronen, who knows how to make my coffee just the way I like it.


And this is my friend Avi. He sits in the cafe all day, writing a novel in longhand, smoking an endless chain of Rothman's, and drinking coffee. He's one of the smartest guys I know - and not only because he figured out how to live his life exactly as he pleases. He writes beautiful poems, and has a knack for showing affection without being false or effusive. His wife practices law from their apartment, and they learned how to make wonderful food during the year they spent in Paris.


After we left the cafe, Hatshepsut and I walked over to Dizengoff street so that she could do a little souvenir shopping. Here's the photo I took of the Dizengoff Centre, early evening.