I've been to Bahrain for the weekend. We finally went to see a dear friend, and it's been too long since our last visit. There have been many reasons why we haven't been. One of which was because David, her husband, passed away and I think Rick struggled with the thought of visiting Sonja without David being there. He was his best friend and we all feel his loss. It was an emotional visit or so we thought it would be, but once we actually landed in Bahrain all the worries we had both been carrying within us just disappeared. It was good to be back.
Sonja has moved into a new villa and it feels like home; it's lovely, all her furnishings fit into this new villa perfectly and it has her own stamp on it. It's her home which is how it should be. So from being picked up from the airport to our taxi back, we had a blast.
It was lovely to go away for the weekend, who doesn't love a mini break and spending it with friends is always good. She's been through a tough few years, who wouldn't, losing your husband suddenly, so it was lovely to see her in her new life, surviving and moving forwards. Life throws us curve balls and we have only two choices, to lie down and give up, or to push ourselves forwards regardless of how hard it is. Of course she's had her ups and downs but she's definitely on the up and it's so great to see. You go, girl! David would be proud. And as friends we have had our ups and downs too. David died three months before I was diagnosed with breast cancer, so whilst I would normally be there for a friend, I found myself, at times unable to deal with her grief as I was dealing with my own hurdles I needed to overcome. But friendships can survive these blips, they can move on from them. It does help that she's happier now. I can't imagine how tough it must have been to rebuild your life without your lovely hubby.
But this blog isn't about David. It's about spending time with Sonja and enjoying her company in her home. Which we did, admirably! Pink champagne was enjoyed as often as possible. What woman can get ready for a night out without a glass of bubbles, it's a most enjoyable way to start your evening. We met up with other friends and had a great evening, culminating with a few more drinks at their villa. The next day we went to a fantastic brunch. Now brunch is the one thing I avoid in Dubai. Not only is it expensive but it's messy; people drinking far too much because it's part of the price, falling out of one restaurant to stumble into a bar. It's really not my idea of fun but I wanted to experience a Bahraini brunch, which turned out to be both civilised and great fun.
So we had a weekend of good food and great company, catching up and putting the world to rights. Always a pleasant way to spend your time. We will go back and repeat the fun, I've no idea when but now we've been once we will definitely return.
I'm always surprised at how different Bahrain is to Dubai. It has a feel of Oman to it even though it has more expats living there and is more progressive than Oman. It's funny and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Is it because it's smaller, an island or because it feels like there's a small bit of influence from Saudi there? But I like it, although I'm not sure I could live there. I guess I'm just very used to my bit of Arabia. What I shall definitely do on my next visit, is visit the carpet Souq. I really want to get some new rugs ready for our return home. I love Arabic rugs, the warmth of the colours and the texture. They are, along with lanterns, quintessentially Arabic, they will bring a strong feel of where I've lived all these years to my home in England.
So, Sonja, book a day off work and be prepared to shop!
Sonja has moved into a new villa and it feels like home; it's lovely, all her furnishings fit into this new villa perfectly and it has her own stamp on it. It's her home which is how it should be. So from being picked up from the airport to our taxi back, we had a blast.
It was lovely to go away for the weekend, who doesn't love a mini break and spending it with friends is always good. She's been through a tough few years, who wouldn't, losing your husband suddenly, so it was lovely to see her in her new life, surviving and moving forwards. Life throws us curve balls and we have only two choices, to lie down and give up, or to push ourselves forwards regardless of how hard it is. Of course she's had her ups and downs but she's definitely on the up and it's so great to see. You go, girl! David would be proud. And as friends we have had our ups and downs too. David died three months before I was diagnosed with breast cancer, so whilst I would normally be there for a friend, I found myself, at times unable to deal with her grief as I was dealing with my own hurdles I needed to overcome. But friendships can survive these blips, they can move on from them. It does help that she's happier now. I can't imagine how tough it must have been to rebuild your life without your lovely hubby.
But this blog isn't about David. It's about spending time with Sonja and enjoying her company in her home. Which we did, admirably! Pink champagne was enjoyed as often as possible. What woman can get ready for a night out without a glass of bubbles, it's a most enjoyable way to start your evening. We met up with other friends and had a great evening, culminating with a few more drinks at their villa. The next day we went to a fantastic brunch. Now brunch is the one thing I avoid in Dubai. Not only is it expensive but it's messy; people drinking far too much because it's part of the price, falling out of one restaurant to stumble into a bar. It's really not my idea of fun but I wanted to experience a Bahraini brunch, which turned out to be both civilised and great fun.
So we had a weekend of good food and great company, catching up and putting the world to rights. Always a pleasant way to spend your time. We will go back and repeat the fun, I've no idea when but now we've been once we will definitely return.
I'm always surprised at how different Bahrain is to Dubai. It has a feel of Oman to it even though it has more expats living there and is more progressive than Oman. It's funny and I can't quite put my finger on what it is. Is it because it's smaller, an island or because it feels like there's a small bit of influence from Saudi there? But I like it, although I'm not sure I could live there. I guess I'm just very used to my bit of Arabia. What I shall definitely do on my next visit, is visit the carpet Souq. I really want to get some new rugs ready for our return home. I love Arabic rugs, the warmth of the colours and the texture. They are, along with lanterns, quintessentially Arabic, they will bring a strong feel of where I've lived all these years to my home in England.
So, Sonja, book a day off work and be prepared to shop!