After telling you about the year I’ve had – the heavy parts, the quiet parts, the learning and the healing – it felt right to come back to the good stuff.
Not to erase what was hard, but to make space again for moments that feel light. For beauty that doesn’t ask questions. For celebrations that don’t need to mean more than what they are.
So let me tell you about an afternoon in Jaffa.
About tea, pastries, and my sisters.
About turning 31 together.
We chose to celebrate our birthday with an afternoon tea at The Jaffa Hotel, held inside a breathtaking space that once served as the chapel of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. A place that carries history in its walls – arched ceilings painted like star-filled skies, marble floors that reflect soft light, carved stone details that make you instinctively slow down.
Walking into the chapel, we were greeted with glasses of champagne. Just like that – a quiet signal that this wasn’t about rushing anywhere. It was about sitting, tasting, noticing.
We took our seats around the table – me, my sisters, and one very special guest: one of my nephews, wide-eyed and curious, completely unfazed by the elegance of it all. There was something grounding about that too. Life, in all its layers, showing up at the same table.
Before the food arrived, each of us chose a tea from the menu – curated by Palais des Thés. There were classic black teas, aromatic herbal blends, and lighter options, and each of us picked something different. Once the teas were served, the three-tiered tray arrived at the table – the kind you expect from a traditional European afternoon tea.
The menu is fixed and includes everything, starting with brioche served with butter and jam, sugar brioche buns, and a citrus-glazed kouign-amann made from caramelized croissant dough.
The savory layer followed, with brioche bruschettas topped with kohlrabi gratin, sour cream, horseradish and za’atar; a parmesan croissant filled with parmesan cream, Granny Smith apple and lemony rocket; herb scones served with ricotta and yogurt cream; and a crisp potato pastry with roasted potatoes, yogurt and gremolata.
Then came the desserts: a semolina tart with cardamom, panna cotta and rose confit; brown butter and sage madeleines; petit fours made with toasted wheat mousse, praline and blueberries; and finally, dark chocolate and coffee truffles to finish.
Everything was created by pastry chef Alon Shabo, whose menu blends the structure of classic European afternoon tea with contemporary pastry techniques and local flavors. At one point, we even took a photo with him – a small but lovely moment that felt like part of the experience.
For the occasion, I wore a flowing dress from Zara – light, colorful, and effortless. The kind of dress that moves with you as you walk, and feels right for marking a moment like this. Not too serious. Not too casual. Just celebratory.
There was laughter around the table. Easy conversation. Small reactions to favorite bites. No big reflections, no speeches – just being together, exactly as we are, another year older.
Turning 31 didn’t come with declarations or resolutions. It came with presence. With beauty. With a table set inside a chapel by the sea.
And after everything this past year held – that felt like more than enough.
