Évora Architecture

Évora, as a medieval city in Catholic Portugal, has striking architecture reflecting both heritages.

Decorations on the roof of the Cathedral

Narrow, winding street in the city

Évora at Night

We rented a car at the Lisbon Airport and drove east for about an hour and a half to the historic city of Évora. According to Wikipedia: "Due to its well-preserved old town centre, still partially enclosed by medieval walls, and a large number of monuments dating from various historical periods, including a Roman Temple, Évora is a UNESCO World Heritage site."

After checking in to our hotel, we wandered in the town center in the evening to get a sense of the ancient city.

Dubai Terminal 3

We transferred from Abu Dhabi to Dubai for an Emirates flight to Lisbon. All Emirates international flights leave from Terminal 3, which is amazing close to the city. (Short, cheap taxi ride.) We had time after checking in and going through passport control and security to wander around the terminal looking at the shiny architecture, shops, and people.

Abu Dhabi Colors

Abu Dhabi reminds many people, including me, of Las Vegas, with its bright lights and colors and loads of sparkling glass. Makes for a great environment for color photography! Here are two examples, from the lobby of our hotel and the shopping mall attached to it.

Abu Dhabi Heritage Village Museum and Scenes

There is a small but interesting museum in the Heritage Village, showing traditional costumes, along with some items in the craftsmen's stalls.

There were also some evocative scenes outside on the Village grounds, including a view over the water from the traditional to the ultra-modern contemporary Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi Heritage Village Craftsmen

We took a taxi out to the Heritage Village, a historical reconstruction of typical village life before the advent of the oil economy. There were some nice stalls with craftsmen showing how they make their wares.

Model boat carver

Robe maker

Weaver

Frame maker

Louvre Abu Dhabi

After our Oman tour, we flew from Muscat to Abu Dhabi to explore this capitol of the United Arab Emirates for a couple of days. We checked into the Rosewood Abu Dhabi hotel (very good) then set off for the Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum. It's an impressive museum of the world history of art, not just a collection of masterpieces, in a striking architectural setting. I enjoyed photographing the architecture and the visitors interacting with the art.

Pictures of Thilo and Ali

A collection of casual photos from throughout the trip, intended to portray our great guides in ways we will surely remember them.

Oman Tour Drivers and Guides

On the last day of our tour, I was able to get a picture of our drivers together in the morning, and of our guides/tour leaders acting out their bowsprit role on the dhow. Enjoy!

Maheer, Akhmed, and Nooh

Thilo and Ali

Wadi Shab Scenery

The last day of our trip featured a fine hike through the beautiful Wadi Shab. Here are a couple of scenes.

Camel Ride at Sunset

On the next-to-last day of our Oman adventure, we explored the sandy desert. We stayed in a tented camp, ate a sheep that had been slow roasted for two days in a sand-covered pit, and took a camel ride at sunset.

Hiking in an Oman Canyon

We had a long hike - interrupted by a nice catered picnic lunch - from the Hotel Alila through the Canyon of the Akhdar mountains. Lots of interesting scenery and sights, including these two:

Goats, raised for wool, looking like they've been fairly recently sheared.

One of several stone houses, nestled into the mountainside, in an abandoned village.

Singular Sunset

A spectacular sunset, viewed from the balcony of our room at Alila Hotel in Oman.

Men in Oman

These two photos, and many others,, make me notice how most of the people one sees in public places in Oman are men. A great contrast to what we're used to in the USA or Europe.

Jabrin Castle

Nizwa Souk

Cooking in an Ancient Omani Village

We walked through a date plantation to the ancient Omani village of Al Hamra, where we would learn about some old crafts, including cooking and henna painting. Here are a couple of photos that deal with the cooking side of the visit.

Display of an old oven with pottery and woven containers.

This woman demonstrated how to grind wheat for flour and then cook very thin disks of cracker bread.

Grand Canyon of Oman

Wadi Ghul, the Grand Canyon of Oman, is a spectacular sight and one of Oman's top tourist attractions. Here are a couple of photos, emphasizing the deep and rugged canyon (it's about a kilometer deep, only a fraction of which is seen here) and the thorn trees that line its rim.