Last Posting!

Jean writes:

We're home now after a wonderful two months.  

It seemed "normal" to be at an airport (Dubai) and on the move - but here we are back in FOG.

We said a fond farewell to Marie, Craig and Harris on Thursday​ morning - but should be with​ them in the not-too-distant future at Dave's 70th birthday gathering so won't have to wait too long before seeing them again.  

We took coffee on Thursday​ morning at one of the "Baker & Spice" cafes, a favourite of Marie's, beside the fountains.  Although they weren't in operation, the maintenance guys were.  I believe they are out every morning in the lake, tweaking things or giving major repairs if nec​essa​r​y.  I counted twenty of them and is a conservative estimate.  Some of them are divers in wetsuits who have to descend to the jets on the bottom.  

The flight back went without incident and we arrived back at Gatwick on time, to be greeted by Ian, who kindly met us and transported us home - a definite improvement 

​o​n waiting for the train!  Thank you Ian.

​I can't reduce my highlights down from thirty to ten, so won't post them here!  ​Suffice it to say that it's a mixture of landscapes, wildlife, views, people, buildings, gardens and sports.

Super finale

Dave writes:

Italian restaurant overlooking the fabulous Water Fountain in Dubai was a dazzling way to mark the end our trip on Wednesday night.

Grandstand view of the half-hourly evening displays which are a visual and audio delight.

Our thanks to our brilliant Dubai hosts Marie and Craig - and young Harris, who slept through it all!

Writing this at Dubai airport with only my top 10 to follow and, cheating, I'm making it a top 12.

1. Bottle-feeding Harris
2. Halong Bay
3. Sydney - from 61 storeys up
4, New Zealand v Australia cricket at Hamilton
5. Ho Chi Minh tomb
6. Ferry crossing from Picton to Wellington
7. Running round lake in Hanoi
8. The Great Ocean road
9. Last night in Dubai by the Water Fountain
10. St Kilda
11. Hobbiton
12. Kaikoura

Dubai 3

Jean writes:

It was good to be able to have a swim this morning.  

Apart from the pool Marie uses and where Harris has his lessons (a fitness club), there are also "public" pools dotted around some residential areas where anyone living locally can turn up and swim.  The one we used is just a few minutes from the apartment, is at least twenty metres long and has loungers with palm trees for shade.  I swam twenty lengths, which 

was refreshing, although I was a little sluggish after a gap of about two weeks.

We took a taxi to the Old Dubai and, after a visit to the museum, took lunch at a cafe beside Dubai Creek, which separates Bur Dubai from Deira.  

We were slightly perplexed at the ingredients in Dave's Greek salad,  and even more so at the non-appearance of my Bourekas.  Eventually two dishes arrived and we realised the vegetables and pancakes had been starters provided on the house!  

The food was great, but we were a little disturbed by some people feeding the gulls, who squawked, squabbled and bullied each other every time something was thrown over on to the creek side.

Top of the charts

Dave writes:

I plan at the end of our trip tomorrow !! to put on the blog my top 10 of the last few weeks.

I'd made mine up a few days ago but a new entry has come straight in at number one.

Enter Bottle-feeding Harris.

I've not done such a task for well over 30 years when Marie and Chris were babes in arms.

Glad to repot the old magic is still there!

Museumed in again

And talking of top 10s, Lonely Planet makes the Dubai Museum in the old part of the town its number one so off we went.

Previous attack of museumoutedness (qv) now a thing of the past, we took a taxi and were dropped off outside.

It's in an old fort in fact with plenty of interest but some of the material and information from days of yore was down below and the narrative not greatly lit for my eyes at least.

Most fascinating though Is the dynamic rise of the city from the 50s and 60s into the wondrous economic powerhouse it has become.

Sport too with the world's richest horse race, the Dubai World Cup, on again at the end of the month.

Maybe I should stay on a bit longer!!

Dubai 2

Jean writes:

Three highlights for me today in a largely relaxed atmosphere today.

1. Watching Harris having his swimming lesson, which involved a fair Amount of dunking/dipping.  What a star!

2. Watching the Dubai Fountain on the Burj Khalifa Lake.  We saw them yesterday too, but today managed to position ourselves in a more advantageous location.  The fountain jets or "shooters" are choreographed to music so they sway and swirl appropriately twice in the middle of the day, and every half hour in the evening.   A great show.

3. Marie bought me an early Mothers' Day present, and what a present!  A pedicure and massage.  I came back to the flat fully relaxed with lovely painted toe nails.  

Dubai

Jean writes:

Had a low key day, just going out for brief walk and snack.

Took meal this evening at local sports bar, where Harris slept and someone else paid!

Dave writes:

Lovely day but stayed local after tiring flight.

Dubai as pristine as ever.

Dubai Arrival

Jean writes:

We left Auckland with some sadness as we hadn't seen enough of the city, but the flight to Sydney and then Dubai went without a hitch.  It was just rather long!  

The entertainment on Emirates is first class, though, and for once the person sitting in front of me on the plane did not recline her seat right back into my face! 

Arrival in Dubai was at 05:10 and we took a taxi to meet Marie at a hotel almost next to her flat.  

It's the first time we've seen this flat, and the balcony has a great view of the Burj Khalifa.  

Harris has grown a lot since we saw him in December and is, of course, a little poppet! 

Homeward bound

Dave writes:

Three-hour flip from Auckland to Sydney then 14 1/2 hours to Dubai on Emirates A380.

Great service as ever and time passed quite quickly thanks to five movies and two episodes of The West Wing.

In at 0515 and made it to Marie and Craig's an hour or so later.

They had got back only a few hours earlier from skiing/snowboarding in the Alps.

Harris looking super at breakfast before being taken out in warm sunshine. big contrast to the minus 10C of last week.




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