The Sheik Zayed Mosque

So many things in life are over-hyped.  The greatest this, the biggest that....

But I must say that Abu Dhabi's Sheik Zayed Mosque was a showstopper.

I guess I could give you numbers to try to convey the size of this mosque, but  it wouldn't do justice to the beauty and serenity of the place.  So just sit back, relax and scroll along and enjoy....

Luke and Elisabeth-with-an-S  (and our tour guide Peter behind her).

Moi in abaya and scarf.

Didn't realize this would turn into a sorta selfie...

The exquisite windows, and the views beyond, intrigued me.

Mosaic of semi-precious stones covered many of surfaces- vertical and horizontal.

Our happy band- Luke, Barbara, Elizabeth, Elisabeth, Ada, Sandy and Jim.

Abu Dhabi- Ferrari World and the Louvre

Never in my life would I have imagined using the words "Ferrari" and 'Louvre" in the same sentence...

But those, along with the Sheik Zayed Mosque (which gets its own post) were the highlights of Abu Dhabi for me.

Once off the ship, we passed a traditional tent (or mockup on the quay)

(what did we do before mobile phones?)

And I met a beautiful huntress.

First up-- Ferrari World.

If you know me at all, you know I am a possessed race fan.  It's been said that I will watch ANYTHING race (as was proven true at the Georgia National Fair, when I watched the miniature pig Hillary RodHam beat a field of 5, but I digress).  But my lifelong favorite has always been Formula 1 racing....it was a total embarrassment to my mother, but I have ALWAYS loved fast cars.  So OF COURSE I was going to Ferrari World.

 Add in that I do love a rollercoaster....(FW has 3)...

Including the highest and fastest.....

The great Schumy's car...well, one of many.

Ladies Room sign tickled me.

Yes, I rode several times....

The next day, I went on a tour that had been arranged by my lovely Danish friend, Elisabeth-with-an-s.  I do SO love the way she does things.  We had an incredible tour of the Grand Mosque, then the Louvre-Abu Dhabi and lunch.

Let's go.

The Louvre-Abu Dhabi  opened in November of 2017 as a 30-year agreement between Abu Dhabi and France. I mean, why NOT?  The Louvre has enough for thirty lifetimes...

The outdoor sculpture garden has this magnificent canopy...

That inside resembles the undergrowth of a forest.  Even though it is open air, it is cool and refreshing.

My Art History professor at Randolph-Macon Woman's College, Dr. Mary Ellett, started off the first lecture stating her objective was for us "to walk into a museum and turn a corner- see a work of art and feel like you were greeting an old friend."

I saw several old friends that day.

My other passion is needlework.  I could have spent hours studying this Belgian tapestry from the Middle Ages.

Oh, and then the paintings... oh, the paintings....

Rembrandt

Titian

Monet

Manet

Van Gogh

Picasso

Pollack

Matisse

It was as if I had died and gone to heaven.  Absolutely took my breath away... exhausted and exhilarated me.

Two other contemporary works caught my eye...Zhang Huan's Family Tree...

And Ai WeiWei's Fountain of Light.

Well, after that, what are girls and guys gonna do?

Eat, of course.

We went to Mezlai in the over-the-top Emirates Palace Hotel.

A quick walk-through the teeny-tiny and cramped lobby...

I want this for my den...or my patio...

And the food...oh the food.

Fresh and utterly delicious.  Cost a king's emir's ransom, but hey- eat like the locals, right?