Tel Aviv comes to London to mark new budget airline route

Tel Aviv comes to London

By JONNY PAUL, JERUSALEM POST CORRESPONDENT IN LONDON
LONDON - One of the British capital's most famous landmarks was transformed on Monday to a typical Tel Aviv scene, to mark budget airline easyJet's new route to Israel. Leicester Square was transformed to depict the bohemian side of Tel Aviv - including coffee shops, street performers and musicians. Israel's Ambassador Ron Prosor joined by easyJet general manager Paul Simmons at the central London landmark to celebrate the launch of the route to Tel Aviv and pay homage to the city's centennial anniversary. "Tel Aviv has always been famous for its oranges," Prosor said. "Now the orange planes of easyJet will give thousands more people the chance to enjoy the sweet taste of Israel's 24-hour city." For five days, a double-decker bus will tour London to advertise the new route, which will start next month, and give a glimpse into the many faces of Tel Aviv's character. On Sunday, the bus was at the famous Spitalfields Market serving coffee, mint tea, shakshouka, olives and baklava, and on Tuesday it will be on the Southbank of the River Thames, where it will recreate a Tel Aviv beach - with sun beds, parasols, beach balls, backgammon, matkot and a surfing simulator. In London's financial district on Thursday, the bus will show off Tel Aviv's Bauhaus architecture with an outdoor exhibition and lecture, before ending up with a party in London's multi-cultural Brick Lane on Friday.