Lofty thoughts in Tel Aviv

After a while, the relentless white stone cladding of Jerusalem's architecture can start to hem you in. A good antidote is a quick drive down to Tel Aviv's Azrieli Center. That's the one that resembles futuristic building blocks: triangular, cylindrical and oblong shapes. From the roof garden, there's a panorama of the Mediterranean shoreline and a good slice of the cityscape. The mall is busy, with a cinema and plenty of food courts as well as the usual designer shops. People like to sneer at Tel Aviv, saying there's not much special cachet, and that little distinguishes it from any ordinary European city. Izzy disagrees. There's that invigorating sabra buzz, a casual sunlit confidence, a sporty ethos and a naughty urban nightlife, too. The population here seems younger and more adventuresome, and very cosmopolitan. Try it, you'll like it.