Today was the official public holiday for the Prophet’s Birthday therefore I had the day off and on your first day off, a girls lunch really must be done!

Off M and I went to a place called Medinat to meet her friend P and her 3 month old baby!  It turns out that the baby was born on the same day as my nephew!  She was absolutely adorable.  A true “adorabubba”! 

Medinat is a souk, a hotel and a mall all rolled into one!  Absolutely great place!  Parking could be much improved though.  Apparently it is an absolute nightmare.  We were lucky today that we were there before the rush so found a space fairly easily.

We were having lunch at a place called The Meat Company, which is a South African chain… and one that we very much appreciate having spread across the globe!!!

M had called a couple of days ago to reserve a table thankfully as  we got the best table ever!  We were sat right on the water’s edge, and looking up at the Burj Al Arab!  I really couldn’t stop staring at it for very long, even with the adorabubba there! 

Lunch was lovely, but supersized.  Next time I go I really have to not eat anything all morning!  I started with grilled halloumi (sp?!) with roasted vegetables and followed it with a burger!  I really need to stop eating burgers soon or I am going to completely look like one.

The adventurous part of the meal was the ‘beef bacon’ that I tried on my burger.  Odd.  Very odd.  Obviously this is a Muslim country so there is no pork on any menus.  I don’t really miss it yet, but bacon on a burger is kind of a must in my world.  So I got all brave and ordered the beef bacon.  Again, and I can’t say it enough… odd.  It wasn’t minging, but it isn’t something that I will rush to have again.  It was a bit like chewie, slightly tough minute steak, but cut as thin as regular bacon. 

In case you didn’t get the message already… odd.

Oh, and the other thing… the worse virgin strawberry daiquiri that I have ever tried! 

After lunch I decided that I wanted my photo taken on the bridge that leads over to the beach side, and eventually to the Burj Al Arab.  After watching for a while, we discovered that it was a bridge that could only be used by people staying at the hotel.  No one was even allowed to step on it for photos.

Not me!  I walked myself over there and had a little chat with the guard, and M stood across the water and took snaps!  Look how well it worked…

 

Yay me and my cheek! 

We went for a walk around the shops after that and can I just say, I am absolutely convinced that I am going to end up with the most over the top apartment ever if I don’t get one that is fully furnished!  I had previously thought that I liked white walls and clean lines… until I found all this cool stuff in the souk! 

For example:

 

and for clothes:

Start keeping your fingers crossed for me and my mental health, and sense of colour and design… and well, me generally!!