Ski Dubai is an indoor ski resort with 22,500 square meters of indoor ski area. It is a part of the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the world.

We lunched while skiers were schussing down the slopes

 

The large white balls on the left side of this picture provided a unique ride for brave souls to roll down the hill.

And there they go, rolling and snowboarding/skiing down the hill!

Next we went to the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo ...

... where we saw lots of nice marine life.

Burj Khalifa (Arabic: برج خليفة‎, "Khalifa tower"), known as Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration, is a skyscraper in Dubai and is the tallest man-made structure in the world, at 829.8 m (2,722 ft.).

Evening entertainment included the Dancing Fountains of Dubai.

There they go!

Another photo of Dubai at night.



A final lunch for Birgit and Lunch at The Club.

Bougainvillea flowers.

The view from the patio at The Club.

Heading back to Abu Dhabi.

Lois and Andrew at the beach.

The sun setting in Dubai.

A Vist to Masdar City and a Birthday Party in Abu Dhabi

We visited Masdar City and went for a ride on a PRT, which is a Personal Rapid Transit system that combines the advantages of a private car and public transportation.  It runs on lithium batteries, which are powered by renewable energy produced in Masdar and is environmentally friendly.  It uses magnets embedded within the floor surface.  You just get in and it starts running all by itself.  Feels like you are riding in some alien vehicle!  The sign says, "Enjoy your carbon free ride!"

 

Here we are inside the car.  There is no driver.

Well, we all got to our destination.

A quick stop for coffee at the Caribou Café.

Rocks on the patio.  Are they real rocks?

Sunlight on the rocks.

Andrew and Lois take a break.

Inside the Sheik's palace restaurant.

Look up, way up!

This is how birthday's should be celebrated.

The view from our patio table.

OK, those are martinis!

No explanation needed for this picture.

It was a very good year!

Abu Dhabi and Dubai

December 27th Andrew, Birgit and I flew to Abu Dhabi

They live in a large (2500 sq. ft.) apartment with 3 balconies.  Here we are  on the balcony from the dining and living room.  Those high-rise buildings were not there 4 years ago.



The view from the opposite direction.  That's the Arabian gulf in the background.

Andrew and I sitting on the balcony.

This is the dining room.  The picture above is one of Birgit's creations.

Andrew is seated in the cosy living room.  The two afghans I knitted for them are proudly displayed.

The full dining room.
 

It's New Year's Eve and out comes the champagne!

Guests, Dave and Lynn arrive to help us celebrate.

There goes the cork!  We went from one balcony to the other two to watch the fireworks coming from all directions.



Welcome 2013!!!



Christmas in Germany

This post is about Christmas Eve traditions and Christmas Day.

Birgit by the Christmas tree

We attended a candlelight service at the Lutheran Church on Christmas Eve.

Rolf standing on guard ready to challenge anyone who should not be admitted

Rolf's assistant keeps out of the weather

Mrs Santa Claus rings the bell to allow the family to open presents.

Birgit, sister-in-law Annette, and Gudrun

Birgit and Andrew's niece Patty (daughter of Frank and Babsi) with Lois



Franzi (Patty's sister)
 

Birgit's brother Frank


 

Yurek (Annette's husband) and Andrew

 

Patty and Babsi look on while Andrew is soaking (???) his Christmas present from Mom.



What!  She's still buying him underwear!  (Love the cows :)

It was a great Christmas day!



In Germany they still put candles on the tree, but they are battery operated.

When you come in from outside it is comforting to sit on the bench with your back to the warmth of the wood-burning stove.

The living room at the Massek home.

 

 

We visited Birgit's cousin Ruth, shown here with her Uncle Rolf.  She and her husband Ron have a beautiful home.  She entertained us royally and later her father took us out to dinner.

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Ruth's husband was having dental work done (implants) and she gave him the dentures above {made of chocolate} for Christmas!  Birgit loved it.

 

Ruth told her husband, Ron, that for the price he paid for the implants, he could have bought two Aston Martin cars.  He told her, "Yeah, but I couldn't park them in my mouth".

Andrew, Birgit and I went for a walk in a park.  The swans, ducks and geese came swimming over looking for handouts, but the sign told us not to feed them.

 

Two typical German folks (Andrew and Birgit) :) trying to pump some water--note the green lawns.  The temperature was about 17 degrees C.


 



The "free spirit" doing her thing!