Pre-Xmas Pizza Party

The day before Christmas, we had a low-key pizza party at ours. It turned out to be a bit of a Brunei-evening, with the whole gang. 
The Turners were all here, Matt and Ashley made it - literally on their way to the airport - and even Bevvan. All ex-Brunei peeps! (Unfortunately the Browns couldn't make it, as they were traveling).

Like no time has passed.

Pizza pizza pizza, before all the Christmas food.

Well, maybe some time has passed..!

The Natural History Museum

The day before Christmas we went on a family excursion. I had waited to go visit the National History Museum, even though it opened at the end of November, because I wanted to experience it all with the family.

Already in the entrance, you are greeted by the first dinosaur skeletons! A whole heard of sauropod dinosaurs. Quite impressive!

This museum takes you on a journey, from the very beginning of the universe to the formation of earth, and to the origin and evolution of life. It is covering 13.8 billion years of history.

There were plenty of dinosaurs! Fossils of T-Rex, Eoraptors, Smilosuchus, Stegosaurus and Camarasaurus... and much more!

Much to see, much to read about, much to learn.

The era that we are living in now is the Cenozoic Era, which began 66 million years ago. Here you get to take a closer look at the Miocene Period, where they present what happened right here in Abu Dhabi 7 million years ago, and who lived here then. F.e the giant four-tusked elephant Stegotetrabelodon. Interesting!

Lucy is currently on display here too. She is one of the most famous fossils ever discovered, a 3.2 million-year old early human ancestor found in Ethiopia in 1974.

We found our way up to the mezzanine, to see the big gallery from above. Spectacular!

Mormor found some cool crystals:

And Linnea found a cute hat in the souvenir shop. Roar!

What a great addition to Saadiyat Cultural District!

Xmas Afternoon Tea

The kids both arrived on the same flight a day later than Mormor. All gathered for Christmas! 
To get into the spirit, and while Nathan was at work, I took them to the Vogo Hotel for a Festive Afternoon Tea.

Lots and lots of scones, sandwiches and sweet treats, all with a Christmas theme:

She's here!

After Dad passed, I knew I wanted Mum to come here for Christmas this year. She wasn't really ready to make any plans, understandably, too quickly, but throughout the fall months we have been talking about it on and off.
Finally she decided that it could be a good thing, and once we managed to snag her a firm ticket, we could start making plans! She was a bit intimidated by traveling alone, and all this way; but it all went well, with the help of Pia halfway in Malmö.

She arrived last night, and because it was her first time alone, and at the new airport - I gave her the full arrival service inside the arrival hall!

We drove up to the Louvre Abu Dhabi already on her first day, as it was Kathleen's last working day and I wanted them to meet. So we went for a quick coffee at the café during her break.

Then we continued into the city, because I had read there was a Christmas Market in Abu Dhabi mall. Turned out it wasn't all that big (as Christmas markets of the past here in Abu Dhabi) but at least I found what I was looking for, some last Christmas gifts. Mission complete.

A good first day!

Xmas LAD Lunch

As Kathleen was going home to Belgium for Christmas, we decided to have a lush lunch during our last workday together. So we took Vivien and went to Fouquets, om nom nom. What a great lunch break!

Always nice to celebrate together!

Lucia 2025

Like last year, I was invited to the Embassy to celebrate Lucia, but unfortunately I got sick the same day and instead spent that evening in bed with high fever. 
There was still a strong Lucia presence in different forms at home, of course:

And while at work the next day, while studying, I enjoyed the songs from the TV-celebration in my headphones. So the Lucia vibes were certainly there!

New neighbours

Having lived here for many, many years now, I have seen and followed the evolution of the Saadiyat Cultural District ever since the first plans were presented. Finally we are starting to see these plans become reality as some of our new neighbours have recently opened this winter.
The other day Kathleen and I took a buggy in the beautiful weather to go check them out.

Both the Zayed National Museum and the National History Museum are now open, and even though I want to save visiting them for the first time until the kids get here, we did a drive by. The buggies now go all around the Saadiyat Cultural District, which is really cool.

We did enter the NHM to have lunch, and were surprised to discover that already the entrance was full of dinosaurs! Rather impressive, and very cool!

It is really nice to see these institutions now become reality, and to get new neighbours. They complement Louvre Abu Dhabi so well, this area is become a massive cultural epicenter!

F1 Weekend

Another F1 weekend has come and gone here in the sandpit, the biggest weekend of the year and Thomas and Lucas came down for this edition.
Lucas landed Friday night and went literally straight from the airport to the first concert, Post Malone, together with Jasmine (who had arrived from Australia the night before). They had lots of fun.

Nathan and Thomas warmed up in a different way, by going to Craft, of course.

And on the Saturday it was time for Metallica. The main event for the boys.

F1 is not really my thing, I spent it at work instead. It was a weekend full of celebrity visits at the museum, so busy busy busy.