My expectations were not high. I have heard that Doha, the capital of Qatar, is nice but no one has ever raved about it to me. Now, having been there myself, I find there is a lot to praise. … Read the rest
Souq Waqif
Sir Bani Yas Island
I crack the curtains and the sun streams into our cabin. We are moored at Sir Bani Yas Island. It’s already 8am but given that it was a late night for all of us, I’m glad that we’ve been able to have a bit of a relaxed morning. … Read the rest
Abu Dhabi
Finally! I have now lived in Dubai just shy of a year and this is my first visit to the capital. I am consciously shelving the mosque and the new Louvre in order to do the Corniche and some of the historic sights properly and have been anticipating this since we booked our holiday. … Read the rest
Cruising
Okay, so I’m excited to be cruising the Middle East. I had thought of this as just a little interlude. I had to get past Christmas first and this was booked a while ago and then put aside in my mind for consideration after more pressing things. … Read the rest
Emirates Park Zoo
Emirates Park Zoo is a great day out for the family. We were invited along for the day by our friends, Brad & Diana, who were entertaining little Kenny over the Christmas break. My two boys had been at home all week while I prepared for (and then cleaned up after) Christmas for 40 people, so I figured they deserved a day out too.… Read the rest
UAE National Day
National Day has been on my radar for about a month. I knew it was coming, having looked into the background for a street being called “2nd December Street” earlier on in the year, the next sign came on the 1st of November when all the Halloween decorations came down and flags went up everywhere – on buildings, schools, in the shops, on houses and on people – in the form of scarves, pins and t-shirts. … Read the rest
Energy Drinks
Harley‘s quote of the day:
Red Bull: “Did you know that energy drinks are real? I thought they were just pretend but Irene has one and it’s real! Energy drinks are made from bulls. Because bulls are strong!”
Thankfully he’s not allowed to drink Red Bull because, well, he’s 4.… Read the rest
Swimming With Dolphins
I’m still buzzing from the incredible experience of swimming with dolphins at the Dubai Dolphinarium. We had set the day aside early last month after birthday ‘season’ in our household (our two boys as well as my birthday, and incidentally father’s day, all fall in the same week). … Read the rest
Welcome To The Big Wide World
Welcome to Dukes Global Adventures. I have been blogging on a private forum for 10 years now with a view to keeping friends and family up to date on adventures, travels and daily happenings.
When I started my musings were more of a diary than a story.… Read the rest
Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile
The Arc de Triomphe de l’Étoile (Triumphal Arch of the Star) is a must see in Paris. Even if you don’t climb the 284 steps to the top, strolling up the Champs-Élysées as the 50 meter high French Revolutionary and Napoleonic War memorial comes into ever greater focus is memorable. … Read the rest