The changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace occurs every morning at 11am. At this point, the ceremony has no real meaning, except as a tourist spectacular. And boy, does it ever draw crowds. We arrived around 10:30. I sent Scott, Sherrie and Brianna to see if they could find a spot where they might see something. I stayed behind … Read More
London, England – Day 2
One of the first things I do in any new city is to take a hop-on-hop-off bus. It’s a convenient way to get an overall feeling for the place and, if I pay attention and am lucky, to figure out the geography. I know London so well that the only time I go on the bus is when I am … Read More
London, England
Though every seat on the plane was filled, the flight from New York to London was a breeze. After the 14-hour nightmare returning from the Middle East, this was very civilized. On this journey, I’m traveling with my nephew Scott, his wife Sherrie and their 12-year old daughter Brianna. This is their first overseas adventure. It’s fun seeing a place … Read More
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Short entry today. This morning I flew from Muscat, Oman to Abu Dhabi, UAE. Tomorrow morning I fly home. By the time i got off the plane, got through the airport and immigration, and to my hotel, it was afternoon. With a few hours to kill, I made my way to a local mall, home to the LuLu Hypermarket. I … Read More
Wadi Bani Khalid and Wahiba Sands, Oman
Today involved even more driving than yesterday. I wasn’t the one doing the driving, but I’m still exhausted. For more than two hours we headed south through areas that became progressively less populated. We passed loads of small villages, each backing up to the mountains, with perhaps ten or twelve homes. Not only were there fewer buildings, but there was … Read More
Nizwa and Al Jabal Al Akhdar (the Green Mountains), Oman
Today included a lot of driving, much of it through strikingly beautiful mountain ranges. The first stop was Nizwa, almost two hours southwest of Muscat. It is the capital of the interior and the birthplace of Islam in the Sultanate of Oman. First, I walked through the souk. It was surprisingly modern. I bought two of the local specialties, rose … Read More
Muscat, Oman – Day 2
This morning, I went on a city tour of Muscat. My overall impression is that it is a very livable city. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are flashy, ever growing, with their motto being bigger is better. Here the impression I get is of the balance between people and nature and an emphasis on quality of life. Except on the mountainsides, … Read More
Muscat, Oman
This morning I flew on Air Dubai to Muscat. It’s a short flight (50 minutes), but they start boarding very early so I was up and out before I’d had a good night’s sleep. Despite the shortness of the flight, the flight attendants passed out a lunch box. On flights in the states, you probably wouldn’t even get water. The … Read More
Dubai, UAE – Day 3
Today was spent going from one end of Dubai to the other, in each place viewing different perspectives of the city. First stop was “the old town.” It isn’t old, it’s a replica. My favorite part was the painted camels that reminded me of the artist decorated cows that were on display in NYC many years ago. Next was “the … Read More
Dubai, UAE- Day 2
After disembarking from the ship, the next stop was a transfer to the hotel. It’s a lovely hotel and the room is enormous—a welcome change after the tiny cabin on the ship. I’d wanted to visit a local souk, not the insanely over-the-top malls that Dubai is famous for. Google directed me to the Khan Murjan Souk. When the taxi … Read More