Adventures in the Middle East

The kids were on "February holiday" and we planned a trip to Dubai.  Our quest was to journey to a faraway place that would be less likely traveled to, if we were living in the US.  We packed our bags, and headed to Heathrow...flew Virgin Atlantic through the night and seven hours later, landed safely in the United Arab Emirates.  Wow, we were really in the middle east and our first sights in the airport confirmed it.  The UAE flag (did you know the black stripe is for oil?), the burqas, kanduras, Arabic language, turbans, dirhams, etc.  Forging ahead...American passports in hand...we were ready to learn about a whole new land.

Our hotel was the Atlantis The Palm, basically paradise.  Just as beautiful as in all the pictures.  Enormous fish tanks, white sandy beaches, and those crazy water slides...which by the way include a conveyor belt to bring you to the top of the slides...no more standing in lines and dragging a tube in tow AND some rides can last up to an hour.  We were quickly upgraded to a suite, thanks to our dear friends the Sasso's.  Bring on the fun, the sun, and all the good stuff! 

Within minutes, Jack catapulted from The Leap of Faith, which is a 28 meter steep slide.  The rest of us choose option B...to wait until tomorrow. And yes, all five of us absolutely took the challenge and survived.  Lots of fun was had around the pools, slides, ocean, and cabanas.  Many leisurely hours drifted away...

We decided to leave paradise for a bit of culture.  We headed to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi.  This mosque was pretty incredible.  It had 80 domes, but the main outer shell dome is the largest in the world.  The materials, crystals, gold, and architecture would stun you.  It really was massive.  We were able to tour it as it wasn't "prayer time" yet.  Now here's the interesting part...before entering, all shoes must be taken off and women needed to put on a burqa.  Say what?  See below...don't laugh at me.

Our next outing was to go "behind the scenes" in the grouper tank and to the fish hospital in the Atlantis.  Kyle, Kate, and Nick took part in this.  There are over 65,000 marine animals throughout the aquarium.  The kids loved their tour, fed the groupers, and learned a lot.  Jack and I had an adventure of our own awaiting...I somehow found myself boarding a helicopter with one very excited kid.  We saw "the world" (man-made islands) from above the Atlantis, The Burj Khalifa (world's tallest bldg), and many other amazing sights of Dubai.  I must say...VERY COOL.  We could have stayed up there all day. 



Now comes Arabian Adventures.  Our highlight to our trip.  This was about four wheeling in the desert.  We had our family and a driver in a Tahoe SUV.  (Yes, a little piece of America)  The air was quickly drained from the tires and before we knew it we were flying around the middle of what seemed to be no where. Thick sands and lots of dunes.  Everyone loved every second.  We even got stuck at one point and needed a tow, but we were back in bounce motion in no time. Wow..it can take a toll on a stomach...mine at least!  At sunset we stopped for an Arabian dinner, camel rides, henna tattoos, belly dancing....(not us...them) and lots of pictures.

Lastly, if you're still following, (I realize I'm going on and on, but I promise I'm leaving a ton out!!) our final excursion was swimming with dolphins.  As you can imagine, the kids were more than a tad excited.  With the help of Sol, a male dolphin, we all had some fun rides and lots of interaction with him.  I know that memory will stay alive a long time xo!

So...that was Dubai, but believe it or not, there was much more I didn't mention.  We saw the gold souk, the Dubai and Emirates Malls which are CRAZY BIG & busy, the Marina and walk, and even a sandstorm. Kate and I had a tour of the penthouse suite where many of the royals and celebs stay...aka Kardashians.  The resort was so accommodating, had loads of fun stuff for everyone, and we enjoyed some delicious restaurants.  For being so far from America, Dubai shares so much of what we have.  Every sign seemed to be written in both Arabic and English.  Can you just picture the three littles begging to go back?  An unforgettable week spent in a new land very far from home. Fondest memories Dubai!  (Oh yeah, gas...dirt cheap.)

Curtain Call

Well, we're back in the swing of things here in 2012 and feel more comfortable than ever.  I guess things are becoming "old hat" as they say. We started out this month with celebrating my birthday...I swear January seems to come faster than any other month.  I lunched and shopped with friends, had a special birthday cake here with the kids, and then we headed to Lyceum Theater in London to see The Lion King.  The kids really enjoyed the show and it brought back memories of watching that movie over and over in days past.  Incredible actors and fantastic opening scene.  I hope to see more shows soon...

Next, we were off to watch Kate perform in her class play, "Once Upon a Hundred Years Nap" and she took on the role of Sleeping Beauty.  She impressed us and more importantly, she loved every minute of it.  The drama class deserved a big hand that night!  I believe they all felt like stars! 

And lastly, to stay within this drama theme...I feel compelled to share a photo with you of Kyle in costume.  And selfishly, I wanted this to be documented in our blog of Europe. (I know you're thinking...would you really forget an American dressed like that???!...hmmmm)  He attended a dinner in Scotland and a kilt was required and (rented).  Now this should bring on a good chuckle to most...it clearly speaks for itself. :)

Lapland UK...and a much anticipated trip across the Atlantic

LAPLAND, UK

Early Saturday morning, December 10th, the kids received invitations to visit Lapland in Bewl Water Estate, UK, which is a magical place where "Father Christmas" (aka Santa Claus to all of us) has a whole village...elves included.  The eight reindeer (Rudolph was on an errand) , Husky dogs, Mother Christmas, a toy workshop, a gingerbread cookie kitchen, skating rink, post office, and a lodge with cocoa and goodies were all fun stops along our way.  We spent the day with elves and finally...met the big guy himself...the real deal...Santa Claus.  He knew everything about us and gave us a holiday book as a souvenir.  The entire village was covered in fake snow although it looked very real.  All in all, we had a fun day out and it added to our Christmas spirit. 



Reindeer Parade, Windsor







There were many more holiday events that kept us busy in December.  From cookie bakes, chorus performances at school, holiday parties, parades, and luncheons...to getting ready to board that non-stop plane to AMERICA!  We were ALL pumped with excitement to arrive back to our home, family, and friends. Plenty of empty space in our suitcases was allocated for Santa's gifts that were sure to arrive shortly.  My parents headed from Boston to Atlanta to visit and "play dates" were starting to be scheduled. 

Turns out the trip was a whirlwind.  I mean two weeks went by in a flash...we visited with family, saw many friends, adjusted to the time difference, stocked up for our next six months, and rang in the New Year.  I can't even begin to tell just how much that trip meant to all of us.  A very warm welcome home from so many.  It felt great to see so many familiar faces, sleep in our own beds, eat US food, pay with dollars, and drive on the "right" side of the road.  It was also fun telling about our own adventures and hearing about all we missed. We didn't however, get to see everyone we intended to due to life's hectic ways.  We were far busier than we had imagined.  We all returned to London quite tired, but very happy from our visit back home. It sure was a memorable Christmas.  Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2012!  Lots of fun awaits this year!

 










Thanksgiving with an Irish Twist



Ashford Castle, County Mayo

The greenest place we've ever seen. We flew out of Gatwick on Thanksgiving morning to Shannon, Ireland.  Our destination was The Ashford Castle and we were all really looking forward to this trip...even Nick...he wanted to find a mischievous leprechaun.  We stayed two nights here and it was incredible.  The castle was built in the 1200s and the views were spectacular.  We all tried "falconry" and learned a lot about it's history.  We walked through trails with two falcons, all the while they flew on and off our arms.  Definitely a first for all of us, but really had fun.  The kids were fascinated.

Ireland's Falconry School







 





 

Next, we left County Mayo and drove three hours to Ireland's

capital city, Dublin.  The ride consisted of long, narrow, windy roads where we saw plenty of sheep, stones, Gaelic signs, and the

greenest pastures ever.  A truly picturesque ride to say the

least.  Upon our arrival in Dublin, we headed straight to the "Home of Guinness".   We had scheduled a tour and Kyle wanted to taste Guinness at it's birthplace.  We were taught all the beer ingredients, the art of pouring, and of course enjoyed the taste testing.  The top floor of the plant, "Gravity Bar", is where we saw 360 degree views of Dublin.  It was there that we poured, drank, and enjoyed our perfect pint...Slainte! (Slaan-cheh...which is the Irish toast to "good health"...and as you can imagine, it is said often here! 

Dublin was a busier city than I expected.  I guess the most well known street we visited was Temple Street.  Lots of Irish music and pints poured here.  So many pubs...all in a row...and all busy!  We basically did a walk through, but the kids were able to see & listen to Ireland's customary traditions.  Kyle conveniently had to use the restroom when we happened to be standing in front of "The Temple Bar"...so we all went in to check things out...it's known to be the "friendliest watering hole" in Dublin.  I can still hear the Irish band playing and those Irish accents :)...

We were running short on time and had to move on.  We walked to Trinity College Library where we saw the Book of Kells, a 9th century gospel manuscript famous throughout the world.  We continued our walk around the city (...and Nick's quest to find his lucky leprechaun.)  Such a fun place and nice people.

Although, we were only in Ireland for four days, we certainly saw a lot of new sights.  We wished we had a few more days to explore other areas, but unfortunately work and school await.  It was a cold week, but the bonus was all the holiday decor and lights.  A memory made as it was definitely a unique Thanksgiving for our family.  We'll have our pie when we return to the States!











Georgia Friends and Holiday Fun



Diana & Dodi Memorial at Harrod's Dept Store



Southern Girls take on London



Visitors arrive from our hometown.  Robin and Amy came for the week of Thanksgiving and we were so happy they took us up on our offer!  These ladies were up & out every morning and toured the entire city by day and by night!  They were quick to learn the train and tubes, and set off to see the sights.  They definitely got their exercise, along with a few new purchases and souvenirs to take home...these ladies do love boots! 

Midweek, Kyle & I brought the kids to Hyde Park to visit London's "Winter Wonderland". I later hopped a taxi to meet Robin and Amy at Harrod's...a department store where every woman needs to spend plenty of time and money, especially at Christmastime.  Thanks for all the shopping & the fun night out girls!

Glad y'all had fun visiting London and the pleasure was ours.  We'll see you both soon.



November Update

Wow!  Time is flying.  On November 5th, we learned about an English tradition -"Guy Fawkes and Bonfire Night".  It was basically a plot, by Guy Fawkes, to blow up the English Parliment, which later failed.  Every year, the English celebrate this with fireworks and parties...very similar to our Fourth of July festivites.  We were a caught by surprise seeing all the crowds, bonfires, and fireworks.  It didn't take us long to figure things out & join in the fun...after all, we did miss celebrating the Fourth of July over the summer.

Next, all three kids were playing soccer (football to the UKers), but the season has come to an end.  All enjoyed...it was the boys' first time playing and they had a LOT of fun.  The important part was they met new friends and jumped into something new.  And now basketball is right around the corner. 
Kate's arm still hasn't healed completely, so she'll continue to be out for awhile...  

Kyle and I met a friend, Everett Fernald, from Rhode Island in London for dinner.  He was returning from visiting his daughter in Turkey, also doing an expat thing.  It was a nice night out and fantastic to see him again. Happy we had the chance to catch up, although we missed you tons SueB!

Lastly, a big thanks to the Simpson Family for sending Jack a very cool "War Eagles" t-shirt.  Jack was so happy to receive it....his old team just finished up a terrific season.  It was a tough one for him to miss, so you can imagine the smile on his face when he received it.  He immediately put it on and slept in it.  Very kind guys, thanks.  The candy didn't hurt either...:)

"Are You Ready For Some Football"...at Wembley Stadium?

NFL Football in London?  Yes, it happens once a year and it is actually a big deal here.  The Bears and the the Buccaneers played last Sunday, October 30th at Wembley Stadium.  Jack and Kyle were lucky enough to score some tickets and enjoyed the day, along with 79,000 other people.  :)

Chicago Bears won 24-18.

Proud to be an American...in Great Britian.  Goo Goo Dolls were a bonus too.