A place of gathering

A very good friend of mine from my high school years, Carin, live in Rome since more than 20 years now, and also works as a Tour Guide. She was really supportive when I started guiding here in Abu Dhabi, and gave me lots of great advice.
Although one thing she told me was "Don't stress too much, as soon as you have done ONE trip, you've got it all down"... Well, that might work in Rome, where you usually take the tourists around the same old ruins every time... Here, it's a different story. This town evolves so fast, it's almost a full time job just to keep up with all the changes, new buildings, new museums and happenings!

The latest addition to the sightseeing route here in Abu Dhabi is the new 'The Founder's Memorial':

It was finally opened to the public this past Sunday. Officially it was inaugurated at the end of February, but the public has had to wait to be able to visit this park until now. 'The Founders Memorial' was established to coincide with the Year of Zayed-initiative celebrating 100 years since the birth of Sheikh Zayed.

The memorial consists of a park full of indigenous trees, plants and bushes; with the centerpiece being this large sculpture called 'The Constellation'. It's a rather unique 3D portrait of Sheikh Zayed, made up of 1327 geometrical shapes suspended on 1100 cables inside a 30 meter tall cube. It is one of the largest installations of its kind in the world.

There is also a small Visitors Center on site, where you can find Cultural Guides to tell you more about the monument. The memorial is free to visit and open daily.

It might be getting just a little bit too hot at the moment, but I can really see this park becoming a popular spot amongst tourists and residents. It's beautifully laid out, feels very peaceful, and the monument is spectacular, especially at night. Don't miss it if you are coming to Abu Dhabi!