It seemed like an age that I hadn't been to Tel Aviv, the Stamp Fair or the Philatelic Service shop. It felt like a few years had passed very quickly.
I guess I was a bit worried!
So armed with some hard-earned cash, a bottle of water and with a skip in my step, I set off for a rare day out.
My first stop was the Philatelic Service. Some new issues to pick up and some to buy for others. Not much had changed, even the Counter staff were the same !
I certainly don't remember the Logo being there before...or maybe it just didn't look so fresh
The Israel Post logo has always been the same...since the beginning. And talking of beginnings, this main Post Office had been there a long time too.
It had been re-bricked in more recent times but this whole area of Old Jaffa [Yafo] was like going back in time. I love it.
I did suggest that they return a missing letter from the wall outside. Some may think it's a public toilet !
They should spuce up their Old British Post Boxes too.
Not far from the Post Office, two more Old Post Boxes of Mandate fame.
Unlike the first two, one of these did have the makers name on the baseplate !
Nicely situated close to an Old Ottoman Minaret, and not far from the Ottoman Clocktower...it was like being implanted in another era....well, almost !
I'd done a lot of walking up to this point, time to catch the bus....a good reason to see if the tickets had changed.
Nope !
And so to the fair.
Sadly, not many sellers turned up, which I was assured was unusual. More so given the fact that I was attending and some spare cash in hand [well, pocket anyway]. Their loss, and there was always enough to peruse for an hour or two.
Puzzler would have liked the small display of Odd-Shaped stamps. You see, even on days out, one can cast their mind back to the SCF !
There was one very exciting moment though ! Close to the Fair, a seller of imported magazines was earning his lot. Would you believe it, he had two copies of GSM [Gibbons Stamp Monthly-UK magazine] for March and April which very quickly found their way into my bag
I was well made up.
On my walk to the big Craft Market taking place in the Centre, I came upon an old Stamp shop, tiny and messy...very messy. I spent an our cramped into this small space looking at JNF and other labels and talking to the elderly owner. It was Philatelists paradise, the likes of which I hadn't seen since Cairo over 20 years before.
Plenty of old delapidated buildings around in the Centre...
...and some nice renovated ones close-by.
Plenty of Stamp shops still in exsistance too
Some open.....
...and some closed.
Finally, it was time to head for home. I declined the offer of food from this Russian Chef......
...and hopped on one of those buses that talk the the route to you.It took me to the station.
One look at the Motorway told me it was good I didn't bring the car.
This was a much better option.......
...and the Tickets were nice too.
Yes, it was a nice day at the fair.
Londonbus1
PS. Purchases later! {including a nice freebie...get ready!
}
Posted 05/02/2011 02:18 am
