Long time no see

I love living in a place that the rest of the world comes to explore! So many people travel here for holidays or stop by during their journeys elsewhere, which means - I get to catch up with said people, sometimes friends I haven't seen in a really long time.

This week, I was actually booked to do a tour for an old guide colleague of mine from my Lefkas days, Therese, and her family. They are in Dubai for the week, but wanted to come see the museum and explore Abu Dhabi, so I helped them arrange a driver for the day and got to give them a tour.

They also went to the mosque, and did a bit of a drive around in the city center, and then Nathan and I met them for Taco Tuesday dinner down in Yas Bay before they head back to Dubai. A quick but such an enjoyable catch-up!

From Brunei to Al Zeina

Misuzu has been here to celebrate New Year, with some friends visiting. We managed to catch up down our beach café this morning before she returned to Singapore.

It is just so lovely how we are a whole little group from Brunei here now, and not just in Abu Dhabi, but right here in Al Zeina. I can't wait until she finally moves for good, and we become proper neighbours again!
 

Our beach café is so nice, a great spot for a morning refreshment.

The Brunei gang! It's crazy how time flies, almost 20 years of friendship with these chicks!

Old school buddies

I met up with my cousin Johan and his family today, at a new café in Skara - Lilla Lokalen. It was super cosy, and had a really lovely terrace where we decided to sit.

Good food too, this place really fills a hole in the restaurant scene in Skara. They serve a bit more than just café food, but is not a big restaurant. I had a shrimp sandwich. I can't help it, if it's offered, I have to have it! Yum!

And, it brought me on a little trip down memory lane, as it's owned by an old school buddy of mine, Claes. We went to school together from grade 1 to 9, so that was a good chunk of time ago!

Greek evening in Stockholm

So Pia arrived Friday lunch time. We had lunch at the lovely Sally Voltaire & Systrar restaurant at Åhléns before we did a spot of shopping. Then Pia and I went to check in at our hotel, and had a little recharge. We stayed just next to Avicii Arena (or Globen, as most people still call it!).

We met up again at Söder, at a Greek restaurant we had booked for dinner. Erika joined us of course, but also my childhood friend Jenny who had come into the city especially for this from Uppsala. 

We had such a nice dinner, the food was super tasty, the service really friendly and the company amazing of course. 

After dinner we went up to Mosebacke for a nightcap and to enjoy the view, before it was time to call it a night and go back to the hotel.

Lunching with the Saaps

We had a sweet reunion during Easter with some of our best Brunei-friends, the Saaps.

It turned out they actually live only a few stops with the boat further down the river, so we decided to have lunch at the Sydney Rowing Club, which was close to both of us.

Gemma was traveling but both Sean and Kate came along, which made us really happy. It was so good to see them, and to get to hang out with these awesome young adults that they have become.

Certain friendships really are for life, no matter the distance or the time in between we get to see each other! 

The Roses

I came back straight into a full on weekend with work. That's what happens when you have been gone for three weeks!
But, I still had time for a very important pizza-date on Friday night, with this bunch - the Roses!

The last time Misuzu was here, I was away myself, so it had been quite a while since last time. Six years later (?!) and she looks exactly the same - how is it possible??

The kids were here for the whole week as they were on school holidays, but Misuzu only had the weekend. I was really happy that they chose to come to the museum one of their afternoons, especially since I had some time in between tours to spend with them.

Ashley was dressed for the occasion:

Lunch date

Many moons ago, long before we met, Nathan used to work for an airline called Pegasus and was based out of Turkey. First a few months in Istanbul and then a short while in Dalaman.
He had come over with a bunch of his Kiwi mates who used to work for Garuda. Amongst them was Mike, who ended up marrying a Turkish girl and staying put, having lived there since back in those days 25+ years ago.

We met up for lunch, went for gyros and a catch-up. Good for Nathan to see an old mate!
We really do have friends in all places!

A big, fat Greek reunion

The evening I landed from Portugal, another plane had got in from Athens just a few hours earlier; with a dear old friend of mine and his family - Kostas!

They had come to Abu Dhabi only for a long weekend, and we were so happy that they wanted to spend one evening with us!
We invited them to Craft - of course, where else?

Kostas was my the owner of the night club I worked at in Lefkas back in the day (yes, we are talking in the nineties!) and we have kept in touch ever since, for nearly 30 years now! Last time we saw each other was as the kids and I visited Athens in 2020, on our last trip before Covid shut the world down.

It was so nice to have Kostas and his family on my home turf! Next time I hope they stay for a little bit longer!

Roof top fun

By chance, our friends Claudia & Fredrik, who normally live in Germany, were also in Stockholm this week, although one night only. They were on their way up to Siljan, where their daughter was going to get confirmed.

After a mussel dinner...

... Erika and I met up with them and their whole extended family at the roof top bar of their hotel for a night cap after dinner. Nice to see them, and lovely way to spend an evening.

Down the rabbit hole

Ever since the Turners moved here to Abu Dhabi, I have been looking forward to our kids reunion, and finally, yesterday it happened! Look at them! How time flies!!

Ben normally lives in NZ where he goes to boarding school, and is about to start on his last semester; and Hannah is studying in Bath in the UK, but they are both out here for a couple of summer holiday.
Linnea and I are back in Abu Dhabi for a couple of summer weeks too, and on Sunday night Lucas came as well, so our family is also in the same place now for a bit (which is super nice!).

These kids have known each other since our very first day in Brunei, when they were 3,5, 3, almost 2 and 1,5 years old. Ben and Linnea ended up in the same class, and Lucas and Hannah as well; and they stuck together as besties all our time in Brunei.

Of course I had to go looking for a few old photos, and here are some I found down the rabbit hole, with all four of them. Starting a very long time ago in Brunei, on the boat our families owned together:

Hannah's 7th birthday in 2011:

One of many, many sleepovers, in 2012:

Our last big party together, New Years Eve 2013, just before we left for Abu Dhabi:

They soon came to visit us though, this is April 2014 in Abu Dhabi:

We returned to Brunei to visit in 2017:

Last time we met up was in Singapore in 2019:

But now that Will and Tash live here, we are happy we will hopefully see them both more often!

A day in Brighton

For our Friday excursion, we had decided to go to Brighton for the day. We took the train down, and started out by walking about in The Lanes.

There was a little bit of shopping being done, lunch was had, but mostly we just browsed, as there was just so much to look at!

Eventually we broke apart and let the girls go shop on their own, while we found a quiet backyard bar to chit chat and share a bottle of wine:

Then we walked down to the water. This is about the only part of Brighton that I actually remember from our previous excursions here when we lived in England. The pier and the boardwalk.

It was a really windy day, pretty - but cooold.

Once we got back to Horsham, the girls went back home, and us Mums stayed up at the Carfax square as there was Music Night. We managed to get a table (as I'm not a fan of standing up and having wine out of plastic cups...) and enjoyed both some wine, and the music.

A great day!

Band back together

Normally we meet up with Anna, Linda and their kids in Sweden each summer in August. We have mostly been in Karlstad since Linda has a big house, but we have also caught up in Skara, Malmö and on Gräsö throughout the years.

This year, we united in Horsham the last weekend of June!
Ever since Anna had her pergola built two years ago in her garden, we have been talking and dreaming about sitting there together and enjoying a G&T, or two!
Ta-daaa!

Linnea and I were back in Horsham in December, so not that long ago. But Linda hadn't been back many years, so she was actually quite emotional while walking about.
So much have changed and the town has certainly grown a lot since we used to live there. BUT, the small-town-feeling is still the same. It is such a nice place and I cherish all the memories we have from our life here, and am happy we get to return and visit thanks to Anna!