Iftar

Iftar is the break-fast meal eaten once the sun goes down during Ramadan.  It is most common to break fast at home, but it's also popular to have iftar at tents which hotels set up.  We have been eyeing the gigantic tent that Emirates Palace since it was put up, and this week Nick had a chance to file a report from the inside.

It seems the experts will load up a plate before the call to prayer in order to avoid the rush.  There is more than enough food to feed the fasters and non-fasters alike.  Most people who fast during Ramadan have their own strategy for breaking fast, but it always involves one or three dates (never two!) and some liquid.  Unlike most menus in Abu Dhabi the food was primarily traditional Emirati dishes, with a few Egyptian ones thrown in.

But more impressive than the food was the venue -- all of this happened in a tent!

Our empty nest

It has been over a MONTH of living in a hotel. And though the hotel is dignified and such - it has a very grand lobby, and looks kind of like an MC Escher print from the elevator....

....we are so excited to move to our new house, a block away.

Which house, you ask? We are living in one of the blue towers on the right hand side. Doesn't look like a house, does it? It is a bit funny looking, we admit. At least one of our parents thinks that the architecture is absolutely hideous. But it has a Waitrose (yes, the Waitrose that gave us our groceries on trust) and ... a lot of jewelry stores. And we like it.

It is near our favorite camel burger joint....

....and across the street from the Corniche and our windsurfing/paddle board rental spot....

...and best of all, it has room for visitors, which isn't true of our current abode. Here is the guest room. It is the most furnished room in the whole house (the process of said furnishing was an epic cross-city adventure from which we are still recovering).



And here is where your breakfast gets cooked. No windows, but there is a washer-dryer and an ice maker - all the better to make smoothies!

 Based on our current habits, this is what you will get.



And this is our study/yoga room/mini-library. That's Coconut Island behind the two buildings.



And here is the bedroom. We haven't figured out how to cover the extremely creepy window from bathroom to bedroom (not pictured), but there's time....



And this is the future room of ping pong, movies, reading, and lounging of all kinds. Nick is happy because he can see Coconut Island from here. And I am happy because I can see the Emirates Palace helicopter pad. To each his own. We can also see a football field (not the American variety - poor Nick), the real palace (where the Sheikh lives), and Marina Mall.



We can't wait to settle down, play some ping pong, and get some bikes to hang on the wall like trophies. Nick's sister Katie has got us dreaming of indoor hammocks....and Margaret is contemplating electrical DIY projects to spoof the local chandeliers and testify to the glory of the mason jar....but those things may wait a while. In the meantime, come play!

Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi

Across the way from us is a seven star hotel (for better jokes than we can make about Abu Dhabi's claims to seven stars, check out The World's Only Seven Star Satirical News Source), complete with camel lattes, an ATM that dispenses gold bars, and a massive selection of jewelry and watch stores. There are cases and cases of ancient (several thousand years old) ceramics.  Sitting inside makes us feel as if we're dining in Versailles.

During our first week here, Margaret went for a camel latte, and did a massive amount of work because of her supreme fear of being caught gawking. Seriously. Like a whole grant application in one day. That ten dollar latte was worth every dirham.

We went back together this weekend to celebrate the beginning of Eid. There are a lot of restaurants, many of which are out of our price range, but the cafe is reasonable and almost impossibly tranquil. We both ordered the camel burger, which comes with gold flakes and delicious chick pea fries!

Gold, we've been told in the morning news, is health-neutral. Phew.

  After dinner we went for a wander around the grounds. Margaret found a gold hat for Nick and and enjoyed the view of the massive hallways.

It is impossible to capture the place properly in photos - the way the city skyline opens up as you stand at the top of the steps - the way the obscene number of fountains playing becomes peaceful and elegant, rather than tasteless - the way the great green fields of grass and trees attracts so many birds that there is constant birdsong of all kinds. We were ready to be disgusted at ostentation, but were instead charmed.  You will just have to visit.