Switzerland!

One big reason we decided to move to Abu Dhabi was the ease with which it would allow us to travel to many locales in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Our first opportunity to take advantage of this benefit came about recently as a result of Shannon's Eid-al Fitr holiday, and, wanting to experience a drastic change of scenery, we decided to visit our good friends, Marcel and Anina, in Switzerland.

Marcel and Anina proved to be consumate hosts, and upon arrival whisked us off to Marcel's parents' place just off Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) in western Switzerland, where over the next two days we toured a castle nearly 1000 years old, partook in a wine tasting at a local vineyard (one of dozens in the region), and trekked through lush mountain valleys draped in diaphanous fog.

We then left Marcel and Anina and took the train (I gotta give a 'shout out' to Swiss public transportation!) south to the canton of Ticino where we visited Locarno and Bellinzona. In Locarno, known as the "sunny living room window" to the rest of the Swiss, we were able to sample a more Italian/Mediterranean way of life with warm and sunny vistas on to Lago Maggiore and relaxed sidewalk cafes along palm-tree lined boulevards.

We also took a funicular (I love that word) car up to the Madonna del Sasso, an old church where it is believed that the Virgin Mary appeared to a local monk. While up there at a small cafe, we slaked our thirst with some fine German beer and enjoyed more spectacular views (after a while, the beauty of this country overwhelms you and you find yourself almost numb to it...a strange feeling indeed).

The next day we made a quick stop in Bellinzona to see its three famous castles, Castlegrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro. Why three castles, you ask? Bellinzona is located at a point where several key alpine passes converge, making it one of just a few northern entry points into Italy, and thus very strategic. It faced everything from Frankish "barbarian" invaders during the end of the Roman Empire to medieval warring popes asserting control over northern Italy.

Ironically, its biggest threat stemmed not from any man made weaponry but from the periodic flooding of the Ticino river. The pictures don't really do them justice, but the castles are very impressive.

For our final leg, we journeyed back north to Zürich and rejoined Marcel and Anina, who showed us a city fascinating in its blended ethos of the old and new. During our sight seeing marathon, we explored medieval/Reformation era churches such as the Frau- and Grossmünster (seeing the Chagall stained glass windows in the Fraumünster was both a beautiful and worshipful experience) as well as the modern architecture of the Museums of Design and Art and the University of Zürich.

We can safely say that with its history, urban vibe, good food, exquisite views, and amazing public transportation, we fell in love with Zürich. Marcel and Anina...vielen dank!

The same but different

Today is the one-month anniversary of our arrival in Abu Dhabi. During our time here, we've discovered that while on the surface a store, restaurant, or even internet service might appear to be just as it was back in the states, it is in fact not the same at all. From little differences like all light switches having to be flicked downward to turn the lights on and the fact that voicemail and street addresses are not used, to more substantial ones like maniac drivers (it is routine to see cars turn left, blinkerless, from the far right lane) and internet censorship, we have discovered that while Abu Dhabi might have all of the trappings of a modern American metropolis, I think it's safe to say, "we're not in Kansas any more." This is, of course, obvious. Yet, there are moments when you might be forgiven for thinking you're back in America, whether it's while you're shopping at Gap in the mall, ordering a scoop from Baskin Robbins, or sipping a grande latte from Starbucks (both of these, by the way, are fortuitously located across the street from our apartment building).

Where the yuppie-Bedouins frequent.

PB & Chocolate is just as good as back in the states.

Notice the dusty car--this is, after all, the desert.

Even the Colonel has made it to the Middle East.

A church and two mosques

On Friday, we had our first church experience in Abu Dhabi. For those of you not familiar with the week schedule here in the UAE, the weekend falls on Friday and Saturday, with Friday noon prayers acting as the time of communal worship for the Muslims. With a mosque next door, we have been able to observe from our balcony men flocking from all directions with their own prayer rugs to kneel toward Mecca.
The mosque becomes so crowded that dozens of men fill the surrounding courtyard, shaded or not.

Since Friday is the holy day for Muslims, most Christian churches here follow suit and hold services on the same day. With no Presbyterian option in Abu Dhabi, we decided to try the next closest deonomation theologically, the Anglican church, in this case, St. Andrews. As it turns out, all church buildings in Abu Dhabi are located in one designated section of the city, and most congregations (there are at least a hundred) share facilities, holding back-to-back worship services throughout the weekend. St. Andrews' compound, for instance, houses over 60 congregations from multiple denominations. We found it to be liturgically rich and diverse, with a few too many crying children (the nursery opens next week). We'll probably give it another shot.

On Saturday, we visited the Sheik Zayed mosque a little south of where we live. The Zayed mosque, or "Grand Mosque," on which construction still continues, is the sixth largest mosque in the world. We could attempt to describe the beauty and grandeur of this massive structure, but instead we'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

Shannon outside mosque.

Shannon inside mosque, wearing Abaya, looking a bit uncomfortable in the sweltering heat. All women must be fully covered while touring the mosque.

Sam dwarfed by a huge doorway.

Female ablution room - where Muslim women go to clean their hands and feet before prayer.

The halls are mopped constantly so that the white marble floors are spotless despite so many visitors.

Shoes are not allowed on the inner courtyard or inside the prayer room.