In the meantime

While we were away having a good time in Lisbon, my cousin Johan and his family were having a good time in Abu Dhabi!
Because of changes in Nathan's schedule and our trip to Lisbon happening earlier than initially planned, we only ended up overlapping with one day before we left. Ah well, we made the most out of that day!

Then they stayed in our apartment, which meant they had access to the pool and the beach; even some old toys and Swedish books; and could cook their own food some days, which made their holiday easier.

Johan and Beatrice have been to visit us twice before in our old house, but that was many years ago. This time it was with the addition of Ralph, so their choice of activities were slightly different.
They went to the National Aquarium, to the desert to ride camels, and to the Louvre Abu Dhabi to explore the Children's Museum, amongst many other things.

It was also Bea's birthday, which got celebrated on the beach! Happy Birthday!

Next time you come, we promise to be home!

Top 9 in 2023

Traditionally I look back at my Instagram year each December with the help of the Top 9-app.
Having a look through the most liked posts this year I see some lovely memories - a really happy girl on her first day of school many moons ago, our wedding anniversary post, a freshly turned 18-year old, some family photos, a nice visit to Lund and bringing guests to the desert.

Brings big smiles to my face. ♥︎

Sandy sunset

One thing that Lars and Dorte really wanted to do was to get out into the desert. As they weren't that keen on dune bashing or had a need to meet camels, we opted for driving ourselves out into the dunes, just to enjoy the views. We didn't have the coordinates anymore for our usual spot, so we picked another, there is lots of sand to choose from...

Sunset in the desert. Always stunning.

1001 nights

Last week I ventured away from both Abu Dhabi and the museum, and worked at a 2-day gig with a big group booking in Dubai. They had planned two very different evening events, the first one took place at a desert camp just outside Dubai. A really beautiful location!

The set up, for 1500 people..!

Here's almost the whole team, all Swedish chicks, and super pros. Such a dream team!

Beautiful welcome along the red carpet, by 8 camels and their carers.

What a feast the guests came out to! Like a scene from 1001 nights!

The guests could try henna, they could listen to oud playing, and enjoy traditional food. They also enjoyed amazing entertainment with belly dancers, traditional Emirati dancers, and the "twirling men" in all their glory, with lights and all! They all had such a good night! And so did we!

Al Madam Ghost Town

Yesterday we went on a road trip with the truck to explore a few things I have had on my bucket list for a while. We started by aiming for the Al Madam Ghost Town, about two hours from Abu Dhabi out in the desert of Sharjah. We put the truck to good use driving across the sand dunes to get there, saw a few friends on the way:

This is an abandoned and buried village that has been taken over completely by the sand dunes.

Not much is known about its history but it is believed to have been constructed in the 1970s or 1980s.  According to one theory this village was part of the Sha'bi housing project which was initiated to provide the Bedouins with a permanent settlement, and inhabited by the Al Kutbi tribe. Somehow, it didn't go to plan here, and the inhabitants abandoned their houses, maybe because of the lack of infrastructure and electricity.

It was quite an eerie place to visit, the silence is striking. I wouldn't go as far as to say it was scary, but certainly rather spooky and with a very special atmosphere.

Some locals believe that the reason the village got abandoned was that it was haunted by 'jinns', a supernatural creature that Muslims believe exist in a parallel world to ours, not visible to humans.

Others seem to believe there is something special with the sand in this area. The desert has certainly pushed through and consumed much of the houses, every building is filled with sand, some have even been engulfed completely.

The houses have stayed just as they were back then, some with beautiful decorative details and some even had pieces of furniture left in them. Unfortunately many are now covered in more modern graffiti, as this place has become a popular spot to visit.

Enjoying their 'momcation'

Annika and Ulle have now returned to the snow (Annika) and rain (Ulle) back home, but they sure enjoyed their 'momcation' here in Abu Dhabi, to the FULLEST, last week. Here are some more photos of their adventures:
One afternoon they took a desert trip with dune bashing, sand skiing, BBQ, belly dancing and camel riding, although Annika didn't quite seem to trust the camel that was following hers, ha ha!

Even though they had a full program every day, they managed to squeeze in two Ladies Nights:

Of course I showed them around Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque:

We did a Friday Brunch: 

Feasting on oysters, lobster and Russian caviar..:

Louvre Abu Dhabi: 

One of the newest acquisitions of the museum, a Rembrandt - 'Head of a Young Man':

Thanks for coming girls!

Linda & Stefan Day 3 / Part 2

After we had picked the kids up from school we packed up the car and took a drive. Linda & Stefan wanted to experience the desert, and we were aiming for our normal desert spot, to enjoy the sunset.

We set up camp on top of a dune, and enjoyed some snacks while waiting for the sunset.

Sunset in the desert, so beautiful every time.

And once we were ready to pack up and get back to the car, Linda finally got to use her head-lamp she had grabbed last-minute walking out the door from home! Ha ha!