Day 12 - The Real Dubai

Our mid morning start to the day began with another wonderful Chef Anuzya breakfast, By 12:30 we were in a taxi and heading out to have a cultural experience which included lunch with some local men and women who sat with us and explained local traditions. There were about 20 tourists participating in this lunch. First we learned about the food that was laid out before us on a beautiful carpet. The local man next to us demonstrated how to eat our food with our hands. Some of us tried this and others were a bit uneasy about managing a stew like meal with our hands. But cutlery was available. The repast included two types of chicken stew, a veggie dish, salads and a Timbit like pastry for dessert. It was all very delicious. It was accompanied by local coffee and tea.

We were then introduced to local attire. We learned that the dress of both men and women in Dubai was not dictated by religion, but more so by the local climate. And then volunteers were recruited to try on local clothes. Monica and I were among the first up - out of both interest and wanting to amuse our kids. When you look at these pictures please keep in mind our outfits were put on over our usual clothing. Locals wear very little under their robes so they can keep cool.

We also were given a clear description of how people decided what they will wear (note: to view this video and, the one at the end of this post, you likely need to see it on computer with Flash).

At the end of the meal we felt very satisfied and said goodbye to our new friends

Following lunch we headed to see various Souks, which are older parts of the original city. There we wandered up ancient streets lined with vendors, most selling identical items and all greeting us and asking us to buy from them. Anuzya was an experienced Souk shopper and she guided us to the better shops where she also demonstrated how to bargain. She was masterful getting us 70% off the original quoted price with a combination of charm and aggressive techniques.

We transported ourselves between Souks on local ferry weaving between larger boats and water taxis. At the next Souk we found countless spices and are bringing home priceless Iranian saffron, cardomom and pink peppers.

From the Souk we headed out to the "real" Dubai - the Mall!

The Dubai Mall is apparently the largest mall in the world. As we walked through it it never seemed to end. Our first stop was a french coffee shop for Capachino as good as any Paris establishment. We then wandered for a few hours through the mall. We were struck by the familiarity of the mall. At least 90% of the stores have locations in Toronto and elsewhere in the world. It was also strange to see so many winter clothes, including sweaters, down vests and fur hoods. Clearly there are many tourists shopping!

Two observations about this mall and Dubai in general. There is a clear feeling of tolerance. The very large English bookstore had books on all subjects, including atheism. The shoppers were of all races and ethnic backgrounds and wore clothing that ranged from scanty dresses and shorts to full traditional burkas. Everyone shopped, mingled and there was no attention paid to how people dressed. Everyone was accepted!


Finally all shopped out we headed to a Pan Asian restaurant that provided an intimate view of the water fountain show. David and Anuzya picked the menu and everything was delicious. The Wagyu beef dumplings were the hit of the evening.

Day 11 - Hello Dubai

Our wonderful Emirates flight touched down in Dubai at 12:20am Sunday morning. The Dubai airport was enormous, but thanks to reasonably good signage we found our way first to an internal train and then to immigration. The coupon given to us by our friendly flight attendant let us enter through an expeditiated immigration line. A few photos for the records and we were soon in possession of our luggage and off to look for a taxi.

The taxi lineup was long, but the wait was short. They took about 20 people at a time and told us to meander down a long line of waiting cabs until we found an empty one. Soon we were driving thru the highways of Dubai. Even though it was still nighttime the city was illuminated by all the lights from the roadway and the high towers. Just like the pictures the city showed off amazing architecture. And when we had decided this dense group of buildings must have been the downtown we were presented with another equally dense group. We spent 40 mesmerizing minutes absorbing Dubai until we eventually pulled up to our son David's apartment building. When we left the air conditioned car we were struck by how hot it was, even so early in the morning.

The concerige escorted us to the elevators and we wisked up to the 53 floor. We knocked on the apartment door and pajama clad David and Anuzya greeted us warmly. They have a lovely apartment and were kind enough to let us take over their bedroom for our stay. We chatted for about 45 minutes before by consensus we decided it was time for bed - at 2:45 am.

Sunday - Part 2
We woke up at a very civilized 10am and we were greet by a smiling Anuzya who had prepared a luscious and earthy breakfast for us which included yougurt, fruit and an amazing Russian cheese pancake. After breakfast we headed out (now after noon) to a nearby beach club. Once again we were struck by the heat and humidity when we left the building. By the end of our 10 minute walk we Canadians were certainly feeling the heat.

The Beach Club was well designed with a huge meandering pool and a short walk to the actual beach. From the moment we arrived we experienced luxury service which included offers to wash our glasses. The afternoon was spent reading, swimming in the pool, enjoying ice tea, dipping in the warm ocean water and great Salad Nicoise. David had been worried that Monica and Joe would not enjoy the day since it was the New Year and one of just a few days when alcohol is not permitted. Thankfully we survived.

Around 6pm we left the Beach Club and walked back to the apartment. By this time it was almost chilly out, probably no more than 33 C.

After showering and settling in we enjoyed a gourmet Russian dinner prepared again by Anuzya. She is an amazing chef. After showering and settling in we enjoyed a gourmet Russian dinner prepared again by Anuzya. She is an amazing chef. We started with little pancakes with real caviar, a hot borscht and wonderful pirogies. And of course we had do sip some real Russian vodka before we were allowed wine.

Day 10 - Good Bye Spain

This morning we packed up and headed back to the Barcelona airport. We arrived 3 hours before our flight. After returning our car we checked in to Emirates for our flight to Dubai. Our early check in rewarded us with Emergency Aisle seats. This was a wonderful gift. We had just out 2 seats and amazing leg room.

We spent some time exploring the Barcelona shopping. Expensive and nothing we needed to have. The duty free wine was hugely overpriced. The same wines in Barcelona and in Ontario are cheaper than in this duty free.

We walked quite a bit to choose a restaurant for lunch. Finally we chose an Italan spot for our last meal in Spain. Food was good and easy.

The flight experience on Emirates matched and exceeded the many great reviews our son had reported. Most special was our Canadian flight attendant who we first chatted with while he sat opposite us at take-off. He was charming, warm and generous. He took it upon himself to ensure that our first Emirates flight was special. He made sure we got wine (Madfish SB and G. Bertrand Cote de Rhone and special water before other passengers in our area, as well as our meals, which we far better than Air Canada.

He also gave us a pass to allow us to access a quicker immigration line at the airport. We are very grateful and appreciative of his service and warm connection.

Our seven hour flight passed quickly. There was a great selection of music and movies and comfortable seats. Thank you Emirates and our new special friend.

Day 9 - Montserrat

After our lovely breakfast we hopped in the car and headed to Montserrat, which is a town way up on that mountain ridge behind our hotel. The drive was just less than an hour and took us on curves of winding roads with steep edges. Once we arrived it took awhile to find parking. This is certainly a popular tourist destination. There is a stunning church here and we were able to stay to hear a boys choir perform. We also trekked up a 1.2K steep climb and saw beautiful views. We took the advice offriends we had met the night before and grabbed lunch in the "cafeteria". They actually had real green salads - a rare find in this part of Spain....and some beautiful views. 

After our 3pm lunch we headed back to the Can Bonastre Wine Resort, rested and then had our final dinner.

Day 8 - Exploring Sitges

The breakfast at Can Bonastre is served from 9-11AM in the first floor area adjacent to the deck. It is a fulsome affair with fruit, yougurt, assorted meats, croissants and other baked goods. They also offer to make eggs, bacon etc.  In addition to juices, water and coffee there are Cava and wine on offer - for breakfast!

After breakfast we headed out to Sitges, a beachfront town about an hour away. Our problems with Map Apps and GPS continue. We had the Apple Map App, the Google Map App and the Tom Tom GPS all telling us conflicting advice. But we managed to arrive and after driving thru the town found parking. Despite the heavy focus on tourists the town remains somewhat quaint with nice architecture and of course a wonderful setting right on the Mediterranean. After coffee we wandered through the streets and strolled the ocean promenade. We set a target time for lunch but couldn't make up our mind so we walked and walked. FInally we found a delightful cafe. We started with Mussels and Mediterranean salad, followed by Sardines and amazing Sea Bass with fried garlic. 

When we attempted to return to our hotel all of our navigation devices kept telling us to go round literally in circles. We abandoned our technology and successfully found our way home. 

From 5-7 the Can Bonastre provided wine, cava and munchies. Then at 9pm we had dinner. This time we decided to order one of their local Paellas to be shared. Instead of rice the local version is made with small pasta. We ordered the combination of chicken and prawns but instead we were served an all seafood plate. It was pretty, but  was heavy on the pasta and had very little seafood. Better than the night before, but again not close to a food experience. 

Day 6 - Picasso and Amazing Food

Today we mixed art, culture and amazing food. We headed out to the El Born district which is an older part of Barcelona. We wandered through the narrow streets and lane ways and enjoyed the architecture and overall flavour of the district. 

There were lots of tourists and shops that specialized in selling them (us) various merchandise. Some of it was actually nice art. 

The Picasso museum was well organized and showcased the 4 main life/art stages that Picasso went though. We both found this interesting since we were most familiar with his later blue and abstract works. But in the earlier stages his work was much more traditional.

After the museum we found the Cafe L'Acadamia Restaurant that had been recommended by a travel concerige. It was looked old world with stone walls and dark wood. We picked well and a bit decadent. The "sandwhich" of duck foils gras and black truffle mushrooms was probably the tastiest bite of or whole time in Spain. We regreted not having found this place earlier in our trip. 

Our dinner that night was also excellent. Con Gracia was certainly as good as any Michelin Star Restaruant. We had the tasting menu accompanied by wine parings. The staff were warm, friendly and very knowledgable. When they noticed our obsession with wine they made sure we had special tastings. Certainly a destination must for Barcelona travellers.