Abu Dhabi- Great Mosque, Emirates Palace, Ferrari World

At Mosque Entrance

Kat, Ready For The Mosque

The Great Mosque

Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi

Sakari, Getting Accustomed to the Finer Things

Gold Flakes on Baked Delights

Jewels at the Palace

It’s a Family Affair at the Palace

4 Million Dollars worth of McLarens at the Palace

Last Stop – Ferrari World. Then back To Our World at the 5 Star Kempinski, in Dubai

Monday evening was our sunset dinner cruise around the Dubai Creek. It was a nice evening for enjoying the company of those in the group that we had not gotten to chat with. This was another great group that has come together from all parts of the United States. The chefs on the boat are Swiss trained and the food preparation did not disappoint. Tuesday was a leisure day so everybody just did their own thing —- shopping, spa treatments, hangin out in the cabanas poolside or enjoying high teas.

Wednesday was a very full day. We were dressed appropriately for our visit to the Sheik Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, which is a 2 hr ride from Dubai. The Mosque is amazing, from the architecture to the interior. This year the $110 lunch at Emirates Palace was included and we made the Desert Safari optional. That was sweet! The Emirates Palace is the most expensively built hotel in the world. The Sheik didnt like it for his place of residence when built, so hotel it became! This is one of the places one can purchase the 24K gold cappuccino. Aside from their signature drink, gold flakes and shavings are used in many of the bakery delights there.

Lunch was quite a spread! The lamb chops, potato leek soup, cannelloni, potatoes au gratin, crab, cocktail shrimp, and sashimi were my favorites. Sakari did just fine in a high chair nibbling from mom and dad’s plates and saying hello to those passing by. After lunch, we strolled leisurely through this opulent hotel, passing the Gold to Go ATM, and admiring the exquisite jewels in cases valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Just outside the entrance, the expensive vehicles were lining up….What a show! Upon leaving Abu Dhabi, we made a pit stop at Ferrari World where some purchased souvenirs and others got their Starbucks fixes.