[ seat with a view ]

PERHAPS it's because I'm a Pisces, but I'm always drawn to water. There's just something so relaxing about gazing out over sparkling water. My dream is to have a home with a water view someday but for now, I'm lucky to live a block away from Lake Ontario where I can enjoy this...

I love going out for a walk and making a stop at this little park. We're having some amazing late summer weather this week and all the more reason to linger a while on my favourite bench...

I love the dedication plaque on the bench. I think someday I'd like to donate a bench to the park so more people can pause a while and soak in that pretty view. Do you have a favourite spot you like to go to enjoy a view?

lisa

[ at the top ~ burj khalifa ]

I FINALLY went up the world's tallest building! After living here for almost a year and a half, it was about time.

At over 2716 feet (828 metres) and 160 stories, the Burj Khalifa is quite the structure. It was a collaboration of 30 on-site contractors from all over the world.

Construction began in 2004 and was completed in 2009, officially opened in January 2010. Total cost: about $1.5 billion.

{what's inside}

37 office floors on the highest levels

observation deck on level 124

fine dining restaurant on level 122

900 residences on levels 19 to 108

Armani Hotel and Residences on lowest levels

57 elevators

Its Y-shaped footprint which maximizes views, is organically inspired by the regional desert flower, the hymenocallis with its petals extending from a central stem...

riding up the high-speed elevator {59ft/second}, ears popping...

the At the Top observation deck on level 124 is part open, part enclosed...

if any of you have ever wondered what an aerial view of Dubai looks like, here's a peek...

Every day there are fountain shows choreographed to music, similar to what you see at the Bellagio in Las Vegas...

It would have been cool to be able to see more of the inside of the tower but high security only allows access directly up to the observation deck. Surprisingly, I didn't feel nearly as queasy as I thought I might at that height. Definitely something you need to do while in Dubai.

lisa

[all pics with my iPhone; hymenocallis via wikipedia]

[ rooms with a view ]

THERE'S nothing like a room with a view ~ be it a seaside, a pretty meadow or rugged mountains. I love the views from this home...

Can you imagine waking up in that bed? Or enjoying your morning coffee in that nook? Yup, I could get used to that!

lisa

[lonny]

[ rethinking our balcony ]

DO YOU ever come up with a plan and you try to make it work even though it really isn't? Well, that's what happened with our fatboy beanbag plan for the balcony {read about it here}. Even though they were comfortable and suitable for outdoors, I soon realized that they just weren't practical for us.

The thing about living in a desert is that every weekend, everything outside is completely covered with a layer of fine sand {similar to drywall dust that never seems to go away!} Which means that everything needs to be cleaned before you can park your butt down.

Not that big of a deal but cleaning the deck around these babies and getting the sand out of the beanbag crevices was just too annoying. We tried covers but then where do you put the dirty cover?

Time for a new plan!

I listed them on Dubizzle {Dubai's Craigslist} and within half an hour they were sold! And the money we got for them paid for these beauties...

Not bad, huh? Much more compact but still comfy with footstools for both of us, all-weather wicker which is easy to clean and outdoor cushions that can be washed {which will live indoors between uses anyway}.

Sitting side by side, now we both get a lovely view of the boats.

The set came with a side table that was a bit of a tight fit between the chairs so I moved it to the other end and bought a pretty new lantern for it {this balcony is dark at night!}

I love the detail of it with its white glass sides and the little tea light will give off just enough glow to provide a bit of light without putting us on display.

I'm happy with our new plan. Let's hope it works a lot better than the last one!

lisa

[ my day so far ]

OK, REMEMBER when I was going on and on about missing fall? Well, for today, I take that back.

I decided to enjoy a lovely leisurely breakfast today on the terrace of my favourite place, Paul. The view overlooking the Burj Khalifa was beautiful...

After 6 months of sizzling heat, this is finally possible!

And check out this continental breakfast ~ baguette with jams, apricot pastry, latte and fresh squeezed oj....mmm carbs!

And how did I top off that wonderful breakfast experience? A bit of shopping of course!

I found these super comfy suede flats and decided to treat myself. After 4 years in rainy Ireland and not being able to wear suede, I can finally wear them without ruining them in the rain!

I love the neutral stone shade that will go with everything and the soles that are like running shoes.

How's your day panning out so far?

lisa

[ coffee mate ]

OH HELLO little birdie! I was sitting here this morning enjoying my cup of coffee when I was joined by an unexpected guest. Say hello to my little friend. Isn't she a beautiful green? Does anyone know what kind of bird she is?

lisa

[ our new place...maybe? ]

IT'S BEEN a while since we arrived in Dubai and getting all the official permits and paperwork sorted has been a very long, drawn-out process. We are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and the hunt has officially begun to find our new place. You may remember that we toured around some neighbourhoods weighing out the pros and cons of a villa in the outskirts to a small apartment closer to the action. Well, we've decided on an apartment! And in the Dubai Marina area. We love the area, there are lots of shops and restaurants to walk to, the metro station is right there to take me to a long list of malls and the scenery is pretty.

We've narrowed down which cluster of buildings we want to be in and visited a few apartments to see what's available (not many since people apparently love them so the turn-over is slow). They are the original buildings built in the marina development and have an excellent reputation so it's understandable why people don't want to move out.

I wish I had taken photos while inside because you wouldn't believe the one that we have decided on - a decor nightmare! Every wall is covered in dark wallpaper - olive stripes in the living room, florals in the bedrooms and the bathroom and the spare bedroom is plastered in Barbie stickers! We've been assured that all the wallpaper will be removed and the walls patched/painted and everything scrubbed before we move in but it definitely took some effort to see past the ugliness of it.

But the floors are a lovely dark wood (instead of the typical beige ceramic tile so common here) so that's a nice feature. And we were immediately drawn to the view from the square balcony - one direction points to the marina, the other points to the lovely landscaped courtyard and pool area. Compared to the other places we saw, it was a no-brainer.

There are still details to work out before we know if it's ours (so much red tape). And of course lots of work to be done inside before it's ready for us to move in. But I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

lisa

[ our temporary pad ]

TODAY I'LL give you a little tour of our temporary 'hood. We decided to choose an apartment in the Dubai Marina area for the time being until we get a feel for the place and decide on where to move in more permanently.

Our building is part of the Jumeirah Beach Residences, a cluster of sand-coloured buildings that hug the beach and look out to the Persian Gulf and the Palm (the man-made palm tree-shaped island). They're all identical so finding the right one was a bit of a challenge! There is a lovely Walk area lined with palm trees with various shops, restaurants and patios which makes it a popular spot for tourists and residents alike. I love being able to pop down to pick up a smoothie or sit out for a late-night dinner alfresco. It's currently a balmy 38C (100F) during the day so it's about 9pm before you can really sit out and enjoy a dinner outdoors. Many of the patios will be empty for the summer as temperatures continue to climb.

Our apartment comes furnished and it's not really too bad (apart from a VERY firm bed and not the most cozy sofas). It makes me all the more anxious to find our own place and have our own comfy furniture.

So my first jaunt out was to track down a grocery store so we could at least have a few basics. I decided to head over to the marina area behind our building to the Dubai Marina Mall to find the Waitrose (a big British grocery store).

The Dubai Marina is a man-made marina where a central waterway was excavated from the desert and the waters of the Persian Gulf were brought in. Now residential towers line both sides, with many still being constructed. Not a far walk but definitely better to do in the morning than in the heat of the afternoon. It was a nice walk along the Promenade.

I was happy to find many of the brands we are used to. I always find the grocery shopping to be the most difficult in a foreign country but with all the expats here in Dubai, finding normal stuff is pretty easy (including Kraft mac & cheese which always brings back happy childhood memories and made me smile!)

So far so good! If grocery shopping is any indication, I think it will be easier to settle in here than I initially thought!

lisa