Desert near Al Wathba

On a windy Saturday morning (Jan 2016) we drove to desert which is actually pretty much inside Abu Dhabi. It is a unique place where the wind has created amazing structures from the sand. The location is approximately where the red dot is:

The route we took was a little bit different than that of the map... Basically when driving from Abu Dhabi you need to go up to the Military Airfield which is surrounded with a green moat. After that finishes you turn immediately to the right. You will have a wired fence on both sides but you will drive in and you need to drive on asphalt road until a fork from where you need to turn right. You go up a tiny hill and straight after that on your left is a large flat area. Now you need to go offroad into that and at the end of the flat area you will find what I will show below. Pure beauty!

Recommended. I still cannot believe that this is only 1h away from where I live! We were there with a sandstorm and it was still amazing. Although I can imagine that the play of light and shadows will be even more phenomenal without the wind and the sand. I want to visit early morning or sunset.

Buergbrennen

If you ever happen to be in Luxembourg in February then on one evening (the first Sunday in Lent) you might just feel that you have stumbled upon a huge witchcraft gathering. People get together in the Petrusse valley (google the exact location as it has changed over the years) and light up a HUGE cross. Then they watch it burn. Burn, baby, burn! 

There are little tents around where you can buy some snack food and drinks but there is really not much else going on.

The idea of the event is that with this, we burn away the winter and the spring can come. Often the base of the bonfire is made of old Christmas trees on top of which then the cross is erected. In times past this was a pagan event but with Christianity the event was 'rebranded' as a Christian celebration, as many pagan events were in order to appease to the general public.

We have been to watch the bonfire and it is good fun! 

F-hoone

It's been quiet here. Not because I have not been travelling and eating out - quite the opposite. As I am sorting through my old photos I will also update the listings here.

Starting with my home city - Tallinn. At the Telliskivi Centre in Tallinn (a bit outside the old town) there is one of my favourite restaurants: F-hoone. Their food is delicious and the prices are good. Link here to their website. On their facebook page you can see a nice map too and how to get there.

in April, 2013

I have had many many dishes off the menu. And so far have not been disappointed in anything.

I also love the industrial atmosphere, proximity to great estonian design shops, availability of parking and children's area.

I do not have updated photos of the kids corner but a couple of years back it looked like this.

Highly recommend if you are looking for a nice meal in Tallinn! 

A cafe for eating pies

Due to my looming international move I have been forced to sort through the pile of magazine cut outs. I stumbled upon an article about a pie restaurant from an estonian women's magazine Anne and Stiil. I have kept this article as I love the classical estonian and russian pies. Next time in Estonia this place is on my list of places to be checked out.

Cafe Nikolay

They have restaurants/ cafes in Moscow and Kiev and now also in Tallinn.

I wish they would deliver abroad....

The Duck Race

Luxembourg is a place with a lot of activities. Some might seem rather strange to the innocent tourist or expatriate who happen to be in this country. Most are however activities that one should participate in at least once to make their stay in Luxembourg really local.

In April you have the change to take part in the Duck Race, first held in 2002, where thousands of bath ducks 'swim' down the Petrusse in Luxembourg City. It is a nice event usually starting around lunchtimewith of course vendors for cremant, beer, snacks ... some entertainment ... and then the grand finale!

You can purchase a duck (or several) to participate. They are all gathered together and then released.

Here they come! 

Excited onlookers

The ducks are numbered 

and the duck that reaches the finish line first wins a prize. As far as I know, the profits go to a good cause.  

More information about current year's event can be found by searching online for Luxembourg Duck Race...

Shop in Berlin

I'm going through my old Elle Decoration magazines and came across this recommendation for a design furniture store for my next Berlin trip:

Original In Berlin (originalinberlin.com)

2 concept stores in Paris

We are building our first apartment. So far our moto has been: "to rent means to remain free" but the property ownership bug reached us too and we caved in. This also means that I regularly dig out my Elle Decoration magazines to get new ideas and also just to unwind and hope that someday maybe (if the construction company does not screw up) we will also have a beautiful home.

In February's ED I found a reference to a concept store in Paris. So far I have visited Merci, which I absolutely adore and now the magazine recommends also Caravane. I cannot wait to visit. Their website is very promising but there is no reference on the website to the address that the magazine refers to: 6, rue Pavée, Paris. Now I have to go and find out...

Some photos from in front of Merci from 2012:

My father-in-law with my son