YabbadAbuDhabi!!

Hey Air Canada – yeah, you guys. I mean the whole company. Go take a ride on an Etihad flight. You might learn a thing or two. Great airline. 

When I started planning this journey and was trying to nail down cheap flights, I began to realize that airline ticketing rules can be weird. And good luck trying to understand them – no rhyme or reason. 

Sometimes if you want to overnight somewhere, it costs you a lot more. In our case, it was exactly the opposite - stopping in Abu Dhabi for more than just transit would shave several hundred dollars off the total cost of the flights. 

Not one to say no to a deal, I thought, hell yeah, I've always wanted to check out these unique emirate cities in the middle of the desert.  So gang, we've got 48 hours in the UAE. As I planned the itinerary I thought I would check the weather forecast – 42 degrees ?!?! Okay guys, let's cross the desert safari off the list of activities.

First rule – dress like a local. 

Anticipating some culture shock, we steeled ourselves for whatever might come our way – language challenges, dress codes, and even the odd hostile stare. Would anything seem familiar? 

Oh, sweet Jesus. It’s manna from heaven! 

Was NOT expecting this. 

Double double happiness. 

We expected to play it mostly by ear in terms of sightseeing – Abu Dhabi is not overflowing with world attractions, with the exception of this place – the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque... 

It's not the largest mosque in the world (but close), and it doesn't hold the most number of worshippers (but close again), but it may be the most ornate for its scope. This place is mind-blowing. 

To date, we have spent a lot of time on this trip in Muslim countries, but we've never been interested in entering any mosques, mainly because of the hundreds we've seen so far, none has been anything but simply a place of worship, and with so many prayer times throughout the day, going for a visit felt a bit intrusive. Indeed, some of them even had signs prohibiting non-Muslims from entering. 

But the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi is different. There are strict visiting rules regarding dress code and behavior, but it is nevertheless extremely welcoming to guests. 

But of course it only took a mere 5 minutes for the Boltwoods to be scolded by the staff. As it turns out, men and women are not to touch each other in the mosque, and within seconds of having my arm around Shirley’s shoulder for the original version of this photo, the ‘mosque muscle’ moved in and sorted us out. He lingered for a while to make sure we didn't reoffend (that's the dude on the left).

As I have said many times before, when there is a guided tour available, take it (especially when a cool Arab dude in a dishdash and shades is leading it)

We learned so much – like how much gold leaf was used for decorative purposes, how many Swarovski crystals were in the chandelier, and how many different types of marble were required to construct this massive mosque, and how the carpet is one of the largest in the world – it did come off as rather boastful, but you get the sense that being ostentatious is just part of the way of life in the UAE.

But we also learned a great deal about the timing of the daily call to prayers, as well as the main prayer rituals and some of the basic tenets of Islam.

With the only 'must see' off the list, we spent the rest of the day avoiding the heat – kids got another movie, and we got another mall. Perfect. 

By evening it had cooled down just enough (only 35 degrees now) to stroll the Corniche, a lovely stretch of ocean front where locals go to finish the day.

And let me explain the concept of 'locals', as I later learned from my friend who is living in Dubai. Of the total population of the UAE - there are seven emirates in all, with Abu Dhabi (the capital) and Dubai (the glitzy destination city) being just two – only 15% is comprised of true locals, or 'nationals'. 

A staggering 85% are expatriates, a mix of labourers primarily from South Asian countries and Indonesia / Philippines, and professionals from Europe and East Asia, North America and other Middle Eastern countries.

With the money from vast oil reserves combined with the imported skills from 'the west', the UAE has successfully developed into a modern first world country at a rapid pace. It’s a neat place.

But with that huge number of expatriates, there didn't seem to be enough authentic 'local' restaurants where we could go to sample true Arab cuisine. So the closest we got was general Middle Eastern cuisine. Not complaining. Definitely over-ordered tonight but hey, I'm up to the challenge!!

YabbadabbaDubai!!

I was lucky enough to make contact with a friend and classmate, Gil, who recently moved to Dubai, and so as a bonus we were fortunate to spend the afternoon with him and his family and enjoy an impromptu visit to Dubai, only 90 minutes away from Abu Dhabi.

At the largest mall in the world, everything is bigger and better. The 'fish tank' is the largest aquarium I've ever seen. Guess I needn't have bothered with that whole Maldives thing.

In our travels so far, our kids have been impressed with visits to skyscrapers which have previously held the distinction of being ‘tallest building in the world’ (Taipei and Kuala Lumpur), but you can tell that they really want to be able to say that they have visited the current title holder. 

Well, thanks to my friend Gil, today they can do that. The Burj Khalifa is an amazing structure – it seems less imposing than the Taipei 101, but more elegant, as it triangulates up to the top and disappears from view.

Today wasn't a day meant for touring around, but we saw enough to realize that Dubai, at least on the surface, is really just a place to come and spend money. Beautiful hotels, gigantic malls and high end designer shops, attracting every nationality you can think of. It feels a bit like Las Vegas, but with more class.

The rest of the day saw the kids relaxing in the pool at Gil’s admittedly oversized villa. Gil is an executive for a large drinking water company in Dubai, and having spent many years in the US he has chosen the ‘Texas model’ as his template for living – his house is beautiful and has the added feature of being situated in lots of greenery – a bonus in this part of the world where deserts rule the landscape.

And true to the desert theme, Gil and his wife Cindi made our short visit similar to finding an oasis – did not want to leave!!

But sadly, before we had time to digest our first steak and red wine in three months, it was time to head back to the airport for our night flight to Milan. But not before Annie and Owen were given their first ‘care package’ from Cindi and Gil’s kids Isabella and Alex. So unnecessary but so thoughtful. Thanks guys!!

After a restless and sleepless overnight flight from Abu Dhabi, we arrived early in the morning in Milan – welcome to Europe!! The kids artfully avoided looking at the scenery and immediately raided the care packages. Gummy bears at 7:30 am. Could life be any sweeter?

A quick transit at Milano Centrale Station and we would be on the way to Verona – a little hard to focus on the departure board – typically Italian advertising, I must say.

And here we are in our apartment – this will be home for a week. It didn't take long for Shirley to roll up her sleeves and start cooking. This will be her first homemade meal in over three months.