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Travel home

Vidareidi, Faroe Islands

We woke up early again, this definitely means vacation is over….but the boys were delighted that there was some snow on the ground. Too bad they didn’t have time to play, we didn’t even have time to eat breakfast at the hotel. So they were trying to make snowballs out of the tiny bit of snow in the planters at the airport. They were happy that it was lightly snowing though and didn’t want to go inside. Of course I was freezing, I’ve seen enough snow in my life! Thankfully we got through the airport and into the lounge pretty quickly. Leaving us time to eat, have a Bloody Mary and relax. The boys were sad to be going home and the snow turned to rain so the dreary weather didn’t help. They were fascinated with the fact that sunrise wasn’t until around 8:30-8:45am so I reminded them of how the tilt of Earths axis causes the changes in amount of daylight and darkness. The science teacher in me never goes away, always looking to apply it to everyday situations. Our 11 hour flight back was uneventful, no one slept, although we tried. So we took off at 10am and landed the same day at 11:45am…ugh! How are we going to get through the day? By the time we got home it was 2pm and we were all asleep by 6pm! It was another amazing family adventure we will never forget. So where to next? We have our ideas but never know until a month or so before….we will have to see! Thanks for following our journey 🙂

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Amsterdam 2017

Amsterdam, The Netherland

We got up early and boarded a 7 hour flight to Amsterdam. We were sad to leave the Middle East, we had such a great time. We decided to make the trip home a little easier by spending a night in Amsterdam to break up the long flight. Wow I forgot what real cold feels like, it was damp and chilly and raining a bit. We bundled up with hats and gloves and coats and I remembered how much I hate this weather! Of course the boys didn’t mind much but I did. I wanted to show them so many things in Amsterdam that I love, but with one night it wasn’t possible. We ate at Café Hoppe, a traditional Dutch pub known as a ‘brown café. They are a quintessential part of Amsterdam’s culture and are known for their dark wood and smoke-stained walls. The atmosphere is cozy and this one is one of the most famous and founded in 1670. It was pretty awesome to drink an Amstel while standing in a National Monument. We ordered some traditional food like savory Bitter Balls, they are battered in a crunchy breadcrumb coating and filled with a gooey mixture of chopped beef, beef broth, flour, butter, herbs and spices. They were served with mustard for dipping and really good but super hot inside! Tasted amazing with the beer. Kaasblokjes are bite-sized cubes of aged Gouda cheese. They are firm and almost crumbly and served with mustard for dipping. Of course Stroopwafels for desert, it’s a waffle cookie made from two thin layers of batter with a sticky syrup filling in the middle, soft and crunchy and so good! I really wanted the boys to try the herring, since they love any kind of raw, cured or smoked fish. It is raw, gutted and the head taken off. You hold it by the tail and put your head back and put it in your mouth and bite it off by the tail. They are usually served from outdoor carts throughout the city. If you don’t think you can eat it like that, they also cut it up and serve it on bread with chopped onions. Unfortunately we didn’t see any, maybe next time. Home tomorrow…

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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

We arrived back in Abu Dhabi this morning and disembarked the ship. We headed back to Le Royal Meridien, the boys were sad to leave. They both met a few other boys their age onboard and had fun with them. After 10 days of comfort and being taken care of onboard, it’s hard to go back to normal life! After the brash, glamorous and cosmopolitan Dubai, it was nice to get back to the more traditional, conservative and gentler pace of life in Abu Dhabi. Not to say it’s without its own modern developments like the sumptuous Emirates Palace Hotel and Sheik Zayed Mosque. So we spent the day exploring these gems that we didn’t see in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of the trip. Emirates Palace was over the top and one of the most spectacular sights in Abu Dhabi. It lives up to every one of our Western cliches about the oil fueled opulent life in the Gulf! It’s possibly the most expensive hotel ever built at the cost of around $3 billion. It’s total Arabian excess and opulence. The sheer size is breathtaking, over a half mile long with 1000 Swarovski crystal chandeliers, 150,000 cubic yards of imported marble, 114 domes, and 102 elevators! We spent so much time walking around and exploring. The Emirate Palace Cappuccino is topped with gold flakes at the cost of about $20, but you have to do it! Next stop was the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque. Is gargantuan and holds up to 40,000 worshippers! It has 57 domes and four huge minarets, and cost around $500 million and was completed in 2007 after 12 years of construction. I also has the worlds largest carpet. It’s 60,000 square feet and weighs 47 tons. There is also the worlds largest chandelier that is 33ft in diameter and 50ft high with a million Swarovski crystals. I had to cover up in one of their Abayas before I could enter the grounds. As you walk in they have a ladies entrance then a men’s entrance. But only the women had the required “uniforms”. I felt like a Jawa from Star Wars! We spent so much time exploring and taking pictures, around every corner was an amazing view. After we left, we went across the river to a Hotel and Souk to see the Mosque from a distance as the sun set, it was spectacular! We also passed by the Capital Building, also known as the Leaning Tower of Abu Dhabi. It is known as the worlds most tilted tower with an 18° slant, more than four times that of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. But this was built this way. It is also home to the Hyatt hotel. Dubai boasts some of the best Indian food due to the sheer number of them here. We ate at a highly recommended place called India Palace. It was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed it. When we got back to the hotel, he went up to the top. They have a great cocktail lounge called Stratos because it’s a 360 degree area that slowly spins in about 1.5 hours. The boys loved watching it move while Jeff and I had cocktails and enjoyed the views from so high above.

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The third day in Dubai was leisurely. We started with a huge breakfast in bed with Mimosas. Then spent the rest of the morning scouring the Souks for more goodies, mainly the gold Souk. Then some relaxation by the pool in the afternoon. We considered skiing at Ski Dubai, an indoor ski and snowboard mountain, but figured we could ski at home and instead immersed ourselves in the last day of Dubai culture. That evening we had dinner at the Tuscan Grille, another Celebrity restaurant that specializes in seafood, steaks, chops and homemade pastas. We started at the Martini bar and met Ray and Rachel for a drink. Then proceeded to the Tuscan Grille for an amazing three hour dinner. We sat in a beautiful spot by the window with a gorgeous view of the Dubai. Each course took time and was well worth the wait as it was freshly prepared. I asked them to raise the wooden slatted blinds that fell halfway down the floor to ceiling windows so that we could see the top of the skyline. The waiter said, they don’t go up…I found this strange so I asked the manager and he explained that last week while cruising through the Gulf of Aden there were pirates so all the lights on the ship were turned off and blinds were drawn. Since there were diners in the area where we were sitting near the window, they tried to get the blinds down quickly. They couldn’t do it quick enough so someone cut the strings so they would fall to the ground immediately. Hence, broken shades can’t move up and down. He said it took about an hour to move each one up a few feet…so they weren’t going anywhere! Oh well, didn’t matter, the ambiance, food and company was top notch. Another Celebrity jewel! We watch the production show in the theater and really enjoyed it but we’re so tired by this point-Dubai wore us out!

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Today we decided to see Dubai from the water. We took a ferry along the coast and saw the city from a different perspective, just as beautiful. Went past the Palm Jumeirah, as we call it Palm Island, there are other man-made island complexes we passed like the World, a bunch of islands made to look like a map of the entire world. We made our way to the Dubai marina, it was constructed in only five years between 2005 and 2010. It was just untouched desert 10 years ago, and now you’re surrounded by high-rises and million-dollar yachts. While none of the skyscrapers have any sort of architectural merit, well besides the infinity tower with its twisted look, the area is known as the tallest block in the world. We walked around the promenade and looked at the shops and restaurants and drooled at the amazing yachts. The Palm Jumeirah was next, we know it as the crazy man-made islands shaped like a palm tree. Everyone also knows it as the island that has the Atlantis resort on it. Same owners as the Atlantis in the Bahamas, and looks same too. It is the worlds largest artificial island so we had to see it. We took a 15 minute elevated monorail ride across the trunk of the palm tree which gave us views of the fronds of the palm with their amazing homes and real estate. The boys were dying to see the Dubai version of Atlantis, so we spent some time exploring there and of course it was beautiful. For sunset we went to the Madinat Jumeirah, I huge complex with landmarks, hotels, restaurants, a gorgeous Souk and beautiful views. The architecture is pretty with tall wind towers and framed by palm trees everywhere, a real Arabian feel. We spent so much time wandering around the Souk we kept getting lost and finding really pretty things to buy. The Burj al Arab is the sail shaped landmark that put Dubai on the map. It’s one of the most memorable, beautiful and astonishing buildings. It’s claimed to be the world’s most luxurious hotel and it promotes itself as the worlds only seven star hotel. The lobby has dancing fountains decorated in gold leaf, it also has a restaurant that appears to be underwater that you take a submarine to get to. It was built in 1999 and it’s outline is inspired by the shape of a local Dhow’s sail. It definitely is a beautiful sight.

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Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai’s warm climate, beautiful beaches, lively souks, and upscale modern luxury is what makes it so popular. It’s the financial hub of the Middle East and Asia and its location on the Persian Gulf is what attracts so much wealth and trade. Dubai’s modern skyline is home to the world’s tallest building, the stunning Burj Khalifa. Emirati cuisine is a fusion of Middle Eastern and Asian flavors. Fresh caught seafood is the staple of the Dubai diet, but lamb stews spiced with saffron, turmeric, and thyme are also popular. We are arrived by ship at about five in the morning, so when we woke up we ran to the window to look out. Rowan was amazed at how tall the Burj Khalifa was. We were so excited to get up, eat a quick breakfast and head off the ship. Wow what a difference from Oman, a traditional old city full of history to a glitzy and flashy new city. It’s exactly how people describe it. We started in Old Dubai at the Creek, a river that runs through the middle of the city. This is what Dubai was like when it was a small time trading and fishing port up until the 1950’s. We started at the Gold Souk, it was gold rather than oil that powered the economy of old Dubai and even today it generates enormous sums of cash. The Souk has quaint shops that are clustered around a main alley and then spill out into the surrounding streets. There is an ornately carved ceiling with gorgeous hanging lamps. The amount of gold in this place is staggering, it seems to be crammed into every single space and window! From here we easily made it to the spice Souk. Well we actually smelled it before we saw it. Just like the gold Souk, you navigate through narrow alleyways and all of them overflowing with herbs and spices beautifully arranged. Besides the spices there also other things like frankincense which you smell burning all over the place. The shops here are run by Iranian traders. They were very nice and spent a lot of time to explain all of the different mysterious spices. Coming out of the spice Souk, we were right at the edge of the creek and it was bustling with energy. Abra’s, old-fashioned wooden passenger ferries, goes back-and-forth across the creek. You see all types of people from Emirati’s in their flowing white robes to Pakistani day workers to tourists with cameras. Many Dhows still sail the Arabian Sea and go to neighboring Emirates, and over to Iran, Pakistan and India. So you see loading and unloading of so much cargo like strange things like washing machines to the more common contraband cigarettes. We took the elevated metro line down Sheik Zayed Road because it has a spectacular view of the massive skyscrapers, a real contrast to the Souk and the old part of the city we were just in. The Burj Khalifa is our next stop and you can’t miss that! It is the worlds tallest man-made structure and we are going up to have a high tea with a view of the whole city. Dubai is considered the tallest city on the planet with 20 of the world’s 100 highest buildings, and 4 more in Abu Dhabi. Other high-rise cities like New York and Hong Kong have 7 and 6 top 100 buildings each. When the Dubai World Trade Center opened in 1979 it was the tallest building in the Middle East, now it’s only at number 92 of Dubai’s top 100. The worlds fastest elevator whisked us up to the 124th floor in 45 seconds! You can see all of Dubai and the huge Skyscrapers we passed on Sheik Zayed Road, they actually look tiny from up here! Looking down you can see the beautiful Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa Lake. The fountains are similar to the show at the Bellagio in Las Vegas with colored lights and dancing water and music. We had a very nice High Tea at At.mosphere, the world’s highest restaurant. We spent a leisurely two hours over tasty finger sandwiches, scones, pastries, different teas and cocktails. All while gazing at the beautiful view. Just that kept the boys occupied the whole time. Of course we had to stop at the Dubai Mall, the largest mall on the planet. So many tax free high end designer stores, a full-size aquarium, a waterfall, Olympic size ice rink and a lot of other fun kids activities. It’s a tourist attraction in it’s own right!

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Khasab, Oman

Khasab, Oman

The Sultanate of Oman, also known as “Oman”, is the second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula. This area of Oman, the m Musandam peninsula, where the town of Khasab is located, is also known as the “Norway of Arabia”. The setting of this port is spectacular, a fjord as you would imagine seeing on the moon, no vegetation at all! Khasab is still relatively unknown to travelers but with its dramatic landscape of towering cliffs and fjords it’s destined to become a major resort in the future. It is a very peaceful town overlooking the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. Khasab in Arabic means fertility which refers to the large produce of dates and the freshwater. Due to where it’s located and is geographical position and mountainous terrain, it was isolated from the rest of Oman and the region developed at its own pace. In contrast to the stark beauty above the water, Musandam has an underwater world treasure. It is rich in the colorful marine life that is very inviting for fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving. As with everything in Oman, everything is very clean and the people are the nicest he will ever meet! The cuisine is a mixture of several staples of Asian foods, mostly based on chicken, fish and lamb with the ubiquitous rice. Most of these dishes contain a rich mixture of spices and herbs and marinades. We decided to take a traditional Omani Dhow out for the day. This was an amazing experience, the boys really enjoyed watching the dolphins follow the Dhow and putting on a show. With the Omani fjord as the backdrop it was breathtaking. We stopped at Telegraph Island where in 1864 the British built a Telegraph station. They laid an underwater cable from India to Iraq to get a connection between England and India. The corals and reefs surrounding this island are one of the best places to swim and snorkel in Oman. The water is crystal clear and a deep emerald green, while it’s a bit chilly, it was very refreshing. The boys got in right away and started snorkeling it took me a while because everyone else was saying how chilly it was. I got in pretty quickly and was surprised that it wasn’t so cold, and I’m a total wimp with cold water, I prefer bath warm Caribbean waters. Rowan and Grant had so much fun being surrounded by all the tropical fish, we couldn’t get them out of the water! We practically had to pull them out as the Dhow was leaving. Since we are so close to Iran, it was fun to see the Iranian smugglers at dusk. Small little speedboats would be coming in and out and trade goats for American cigarettes. Of course we watched this from the safety of our ship, I told the boys not to point at them or bring attention to it bc you never know!

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Day at Sea

Sohar, Oman

Today was a really relaxing day, the weather was beautiful so the kids spent a lot of time in the pool and we just sit back and relaxed with a cocktail or two. We also seem to eat our way through the day. We started at Sushi on Five for lunch and it was really good! Back to the pool to digest then to the spa for the Persian Garden which has an aromatherapy steam room, heated tile loungers, sauna and more. It’s the perfect peaceful place to unwind. For dinner we went to Oceanliners, it’s designed like a restaurant on the old Titanic-like ocean liners. Very old fashioned, dark woods, nautical theme, formal settings and crisp white tablecloth’s. It is gourmet French and the menu is amazing, the waiters in their tuxedoes were very attentive to every aspect of the meal. Somehow we managed to eat a lot again, it was so good we couldn’t help it! Rowan especially enjoyed it!

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Muscat, Oman

Muscat, Oman

Today was a great day exploring the town of Muscat. Ibrahim took us everywhere and was a great guide, he taught us so much. We started the day at the breathtaking Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. It is the third largest mosque in the world and has the worlds largest handmade Persian carpet. Before I could go in, I had to be covered from head to toe, even my ankles and wrists. I wore a long sleeve dress that went to the ground and covered everything so I really only had to wear a head scarf. Upon entrance to the mosque there was very brusque man with a turban checking everyone to make sure they were appropriately dressed, he was very scary! The size of the mosque is amazing, it can hold 20,000 worshippers. Everything is white and gray marble and is very cool in the sun, felt good on our feet. The gardens surrounding it are spectacular with bright tropical flowers and there are pretty splashing fountains. There is an exquisite Persian carpet inside the main hall that took 27 months to hand weave right in place so that it is all one piece and absolutely gorgeous. There are huge Swarovski crystal chandeliers from Austria all over. Then we went to the Sultans Al Alam Royal Palace for a look. It is the office of the Sultan Qaboos, ruler of Oman. It looks like a crazy 70’s style building and it is guarded on either side by two 16rh century Portuguese built fortresses. It was heavily guarded today because the Sultan was there so we couldn’t see much. The Muttrah Souk was our next stop, I was very excited for shopping! It is known as one of the best souks in Gulf region. This is an old Arab market with a maze of narrow alleys that smell of incense. It’s full of traditional Omani handicrafts and food, spices, silver daggers, pashmina shawls, jewelry, incense burners and many artifacts. Even though Omanis are traders by nature, they are gentle and dignified people and didn’t hassle us. I picked up a bunch of nice things and Ibrahim did all the haggling for me and told me what not to buy and what was good to buy. We also visited the Royal Opera House, that was beautiful! And finally stopped at the fish souk. The boys loved looking at and touching all the fish.

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Wadi Shab, Oman

Sur, Oman

South from the U.A.E. on the Arabian coast is the Sultanate of Oman. Oman’s capital city is magical and quite a contrast to its bustling northern neighbor. It is situated on a striking cove on the Gulf of Oman, ringed by striking volcanic mountains and guarded by two ancient Portuguese forts. Muscat’s architecture, most of which is fairly modern, from the Grand Mosque to the Sultan’s 1970s-esque palace, is elegant and features Islamic design. No buildings are higher than 8 floors. The old port city boasts one of the region’s best souks. There are lovely beaches for swimming, gorgeous scenery beyond the city and genuinely elegant resorts. The Arabic traditions and the influence of Islam run deep. The call to prayer echoes out over the cities five times a day. The people are genuinely friendly and fascinating to talk to. Everybody has a story there, our driver Ibrahim was so fascinating, the boys loved him. And with 5 kids of his own, he could really relate to my boys. Well, we made it through the Gulf of Aden and into the Gulf of Oman, phew, I was a little worried. Although rare, pirate attacks against ships have taken place in the region, particularly in the Gulf of Aden or when the ship travels from the Arabian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman. We didn’t get any warnings so there was no cause for alarm, but they say when you are warned, the warnings are not to be taken lightly :-l Since I’m still not acclimated to the 12 hour time change, I was up at 5:30 again this morning. So instead of tossing and turning and trying to go to sleep, I decided to go have coffee on the outside deck and watch the sunrise over the Al Hajar mountains which form the backdrop of the city of Muscat. To hear the morning prayers blaring from the speakers in all the minarets in the city was a real magical experience. We ventured to Sur to visit Wadi Shab. After driving on the barren plain, the vista of mountains opened into a pea-green lake and we were here. Aptly named in Arabic the ‘Gorge Between Cliffs’, Wadi Shab is known as one of the most lovely destinations in Oman. During a 45 minute hike we passed turquoise pools, waterfalls and terraced plantations. Native kingfishers splashed here and there and brightly colored pink oleander bloomed by the water’s edge. Luckily we had some shade because it was in the low 80s and it would’ve been pretty hot to do this hike in the sun! We were rewarded with a glorious crystal clear swimming hole to swim and splash in! Then we navigated through a keyhole into a huge cavern that reminded us of the Goonies! The boys climbed up the waterfall, they slid down natural slides, they jumped off of huge rocks near the top of the cavern into the deep water. Our next stop was Bimmah sinkhole, a stunningly beautiful limestone hollow that had the most beautiful colored water. It’s about 60 feet deep and attracts swimmers and scuba divers. We got there too late and weren’t able to swim. The boys were a little disappointed but still thought it was amazing. It is listed as one of the most beautiful sinkholes in the world and I can see why. On our way out we had to stop and drink some Arabic coffee and eat dates. Everywhere you go they offer this, even when you are paying for something in the souk! You take a few minutes to talk and enjoy. The Omanis are very hospitable and friendly. I really enjoy this tradition, the coffee is very different than ours. It’s made with cardaman and smells very good. I was never a fan of dates but the ones I have been eating here are delicious. I guess it’s because they are grown right here. Date palms are everywhere. Our driver Ibrahim even brought me a big bag of them from his home. He sealed them all up so I can pack them to bring home. He also gave me Date syrup and said it’s good to drizzle on fresh bread in the morning.