Lazy in the Middle East

After two days I cannot say yet what I think of it. Part of it has probably to do with the fact that I have been just hanging around lazily between the apartment and the nearby beach. Partly it is also that I tend to be totally mesmerised by an elegant skyline, its shapes and lights and can be staring at it for hours.

It is a bit like watching the dystopian future from some sci-fi film, except that it is the present and I love that feeling of being a molecule-size entity by the windows of one of those giants.

What I can say for now is that Dubai is definitely glam, that the Persian Gulf waters are really warm, that you can find Fratelli La Bufala, Obicà and La Cure Gourmande by the beach. 

This Sheik Muhammad did an amazing job of creating all of this from nothing, including a couple of Palm-shaped islands and an entire archipelago in the shape of the world map. Besides the world's tallest building and biggest shopping mall (but that is for another day).

The victory of man over nature. Cannot help wondering if nature intends to take revenge in the next round.

Airborne blogging

I knew that time will come when I would post stuff from the skies. Today it is that time. The perks of flying with a Gulf carrier brought to me wifi onboard courtesy of T-mobile.

Wifi connection came accompanied by a gin tonic, complimentary noise-reducing headphones, landscape camera and a free seat next to me.

Sure, it is only small luxuries (especially that I just came back from checking out a colleague in business class). And it is not an A380. And yet, not a bad start of an improvised trip.

More to report - for sure - when back on the ground.

Sevillanas

I will not tell you about the summertime I found here in early April. Nor will I talk about my tapas de jamon, pulpo and queso de oveja in the Juderia. Con cerveza, por supuesto.

But I can tell you about the massive crowd occupying the city for the Semana Santa. And about those longer than life queues outside the (stunning) Alcalzar and Cathedral. Do you want to avoid standing in line in the sun for hours? Easy: book your ticket online. If you can't because of digital divide or Apple devices not supporting Flash, don't lose your temper, just go for Solution 1.0: Manolo, authorised tour guide spontaneously proposing his services to initially suspicious then amused tourists.

 

Or I can tell you about flamenco dancers and flamenco dresses like the one I had when I was 30 years younger, about making friends with a Brazilian girl who loves margaritas and travelling on her own, about the feeling of being exactly where you should be.

And I will definitely tell you that I am going to start planning the discovery of the rest of Andalusia.