February 27th, 2010 §
I was lucky enough to get a pass to the 2nd Abu Dhabi Yacht Show at the incredible Yas Marina, which has already hosted the Formula 1 (on the Yas Marina Circuit) at the end of 2009. It was a scorching day and attendance was good; a mixture of awe-struck guests (myself included), brokers, press and yacht owners. It was quite easy to spot who was who!
I had a good wander around with my camera and as you can see, it was an incredible spectacle (despite there not being enough proper sailing yachts!). Not only were the boats ’super’ and ‘mega’ but the Yas Hotel is easily the most impressive hotel I have been in. I will definitely be going back at night for some dinner and drinks to see the colour-changing cladding.
February 26th, 2010 §
A quick photo I took yesterday out of my office window. Not a bad view and certainly beats the view from my London office!
There is so much construction work happening in Abu Dhabi and it’s interesting to see the Google Maps image of this marina, when the satellite was taken, this was still ‘land’ albeit reclaimed from the sea in the first place.
February 23rd, 2010 §
I’m slowly starting to settle into life in Abu Dhabi. The apartment is in a great location, spacious and a little more ‘homely’ after a trip to Ikea!
The weather is, as always, hot and sunny. This photo was taken on the morning I left the Hilton Corniche and moved into my apartment, I was standing next to the rooftop pool.
This weekend I’ll be heading to the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show so expect lots of photos of outrageously large super- & megayachts.
February 23rd, 2010 §
Before heading off to Abu Dhabi, I spent a perfect weekend in Milan (with my FBG). Not even a flight cancellation or overnight stay in Dusseldorf could spoil it! We ate, drank, slept, walked and talked through a happy 3 days.
To make things even better, we had a fantastic dinner on Sunday 14th February in the Globe restaurant. Great food, wine and company!
February 19th, 2010 §
After a relatively painless flight, I arrived in Abu Dhabi late on Thursday evening. I was immediately whisked off to The Yacht Club at the AD Intercontinental for drinks with Zoe, an old friend from Durham. It was a wonderful way to welcome me to AD!
Friday (the first day of the weekend here) saw me having lunch at the Hilton Beach Club (Vascos restaurant) with a few other guys from the office, and I snapped this after getting a taxi back to the hotel in the late afternoon.
The weather is unbelievable, 30 degrees during the day, not much below 20 degrees in the evening.
Tomorrow I move into my apartment and I start work on Sunday.
February 7th, 2010 §
I spent a lot of time this weekend at this spot in Rosswald. It sits at about 2400m and looks down over Brig and Brig-Visp towards Sion, Sierre and Martigny. Further round the corner is Montreux, Vevey and the shore of Lac Leman to Geneva.
One of my favourite parts of the world and one that should be shared!
February 7th, 2010 §
Rosswald is a small alpine village in the Valais (Switzerland) which is perfect for a weekend of relaxation and contemplation.
The skiing is just the right level of difficulty (blues and blacks) and on Saturday I was skiing on fresh powder with no need for thermals…perfect!
The weather was stunning. This was shot at 18:30 and the sky had this beautiful blue/pink colour.
February 5th, 2010 §
I’m back in Geneva (specifically Nyon) for a few days of relaxation and skiing. The lake seems to be some stop-over point for migrating birds; there were hundreds yesterday.
As usual, the views over the lake to the Alps are incredible.
February 3rd, 2010 §
Life is too short!
From now on, no half-measures, no doing things halfheartedly, all or nothing. And maybe I can try to ‘complete’ the other half of the heart. 