Paty Gomez and Jaime come to Abu Dhabi!

We were so excited to have Patricia and Jaime come for a visit!  We rented a car and got a couple rooms up in Dubai, where we would spend our first night.  Gail and I got to the airport and waited for what seemed an eternity for them to get through customs.  Finally around midnight we spotted them and had a hug-fest in the middle of the airport.  We cabbed back to the hotel and had a welcome to the UAE beer, then headed down to the pub.

Time went by way too fast and before we knew it they were asking us to leave so they could close up....at 3am!

Next day we hit the pool for a while, then lunch and shopping at the Hard Rock.  Next it was on to the Dubai Mall and a trip up the Burj Khalifa.  We were running short on time so we drove them out to the end of the Palm Jumeirah and a peek at the Atlantis Resort, then on into Abu Dhabi for rooftop nachos and margaritas!

The next day I worked, but Gail took the ladies went out to Saadiyat Island and walked the beach and swam.  The days have blended together by now, but here are the highlightes:

• Coffee with gold flakes at the Palace Hotel
• Chicken and beef fillets at Al Farah
• Fajitas at Le Meridian
• A visit to the Grand Mosque
• Lunch at the Shangri La
• Dinner at Spacanopolis (with our over cooked tuna)
• Dune bashing, camel petting and riding, Henna tattooing,   falcon holding and traditional BBQ
• Beach day on the corniche
• Catamaran trip
• And a long cab ride back to Dubai

Paty getting amped up to bash some dunes!

Worlds fanciest coffee at the Palace Hotel

Jaime riding a dune

The ladies out at Saadiyat Beach

Patricia and Jaime on their first camel ride

Patricia holds here first falcon

Shisha!

Gail and Jaime on the cat cruise

We had an incredibly fun week with the girls and wish it could have been longer, but we squeezed a lot in!

Prague

We are so far behind on our blogging!  In November I had a couple day holiday and Gail and I booked a trip to Prague.  This wasn't our first choice, but what a great surprise we got!

Prague was occupied by the Germans in WW2, but not destroyed as so many other European cities were.  The architecture is unbelievable and the city is very clean and welcoming.

Being November, we had all kinds of weather.  Rain, Sun and finally snow!

We flew all night and hit the ground running in the morning.  The old city is easily walked, but there are many alleys and side streets that needed exploring.

Church of Our Lady of Tyn from the clock tower

Poised on a hilltop across the river is a magnificent castle.  Inside the castle walls there are several majestic churches that you can wonder in.  (Just take your hat off...I forgot to and got scolded)

Gail and I did a tour that went to the castle, the town square and a boat ride on the river.  Very informative.  The next day we met up with friends from Abu Dhabi for a lunch of pig knuckle and beer, and booked a brewery tour with them for later that night.  The beer was great and the guide super informative.

The next day we did an underground tour and went to dinner with Jim and Christie.  I highly recommend that you include Prague in your list of must-see's.  But don't go during the summer, I hear it is super crowded.

One of the best things about Prague is "hot wine" on a cold day.  We did a lot of comparative sampling trying to find the best.  The other thing I liked is that you never have to wonder where your next meal or beer is going to come from.  There are pubs and restaurants everywhere!

Although we only had three days there, I feel like we squeezed in quite a bit.

Gail beneath Powder Tower

Astronomical Clock

Church within the castle walls

Sunny and warm from the castle on the hill

Wet and cold