Tony Walsh – author & tours through Arabia
during our tour in Northern Oman
With nice bright skies and comfortable temperatures our guests enjoyed taking time while on holiday in Oman to watch Camel racing.
The next day the newly tiled Mosque at Nizwa made an excellent subject for photographs – before returning to Muscat.
enjoying a warm sunny beach
With all the unsettled weather it was great to have sunny weather and enjoy Christmas in Oman along the coast of Oman.
After seeing Dolphin our destination was reached – a secluded bay to enjoy an Omani Christmas Day Sea Food Barbeque.
as the day has our heaviest downpour yet
Its been a very unusual 10 days.
What is normal in other countries is exceptional in Oman – Rain ; and 10 days of it – extraordinary!
Overcast skies , heavy downpours over much of northern Oman and still probably a few more days of rain to come.
With so much rain it was only a matter of time until a Rainbow appeared – and this one was a full arc (though not possible to get in this picture).
So as we marvel at the rain – and the mountain tops get dusted with snow – it could be a white Christmas in Oman.
on a very nice sunny day
After all the rain – the flags are out in Muscat.
However there is no connection with the weather; they are out for the visit of the Croatian President Stjepan Mesić . He hopefully will enjoy the fresh sunny weather .
to take shore excursions in Oman
Avoiding the rain the Aida arrives into Mina Sultan Qaboos, Muscat.
This is probably the most colourful ship coming into Oman – and on a weekly basis does brighten up the harbour as the visitors spend part of their holidays in Oman.
Some cruise excursions during the type of heavy rain we have been having, needed to be cancelled, but better safe than sorry.
and schools in Muscat are to close on Sunday as a precaution
We spent a wonderful day up in the cool of Oman’s northern mountains. For much of the time we were under cloud cover which, as the day wore on, increased .
Its unusual to have extensive cloud cover here, but on the drive home we drove through about 150kms of intermittent rain – arriving in Muscat to find that the rain probably arrived in Muscat first, before covering the mountain peaks inland.
A stormy few days are forecast as all schools in Muscat are advised to close on Sunday by the Education Ministry
in a gallery in Al Ain
It was interesting to visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi and Wilfred Thesiger exhibition in Al Ain on a trip from Oman.
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is a remarkable contrast in most respects to the superlative Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque’s exterior is a brilliant white –its interior, in contrast, is an equally brilliant poly-chrome . The carpet uses the same company that was previously used for the carpet in the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, not surprising as the Oman organisers completely re-organised their carpet production work-flow. Although completely different in design, the chandelier is from Faustig who supplied the magnificent ones for the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Almost overflowing with floral designs, the mosque sits opposite Continue reading “Abu Dhabi and Wilfred Thesiger”
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