The count down to love day

And the count down begins for both the RAK Half Marathon and Valentines Day. Both of which are on the 14th of February. Convenient that the 14th is a Friday which in the UAE means weekend! I was listening to the radio and an advertisement for a local jewelers came on where they asked a question which was something along the lines of "what do women want most from the man in their life?" And then it went on to say that we as women want to hear "I love you". According to this jewelers you can say it with a teddy bear, flowers, jewelry etc. Spare me the teddy bear. Even as a child I was not so much into plush toys. I had two that I loved, had those since birth and I have no love for any other plush toy. Flowers should not just be delegated to just Valentines day or special occasions. What about bringing flowers as a surprise, as a "the weather is not nice pick me up" surprise. Regarding jewelry it all depends on whether or not you can afford to give your lady love (or man love, equal opportunities) some jewelry. So there you have it, worst case scenario all three options are not viable, what is a girl/guy to do?

1. A muy romantico picnic in the park: Dubai in the "winter" is fabulous for staying outdoors. A park pick nick can be as expensive or as cost friendly as you want to make it. You can either pick up some gorgeous take away foods or make your own. Invest in a beautiful vintage style pick nick basket and blanket to set the scene. Bring proper cutlery, decorative napkins and nice glassware and plates. Take along a mini selection of luxe desserts. This is the time to splurge on macarons from Pierre Hermé, Perrier water, special cheeses and meats, bread from Le Pain Quotidien, desserts from Paul, the list is endless. Make it personal, bring some flowers and enjoy sometime with one another eating lovely foods, and talking under the warm sunshine. 

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2. S'mores in the desert: Dubai is, as you may have noticed, surrounded by natural beauty. The desert is a vast and magical place especially as the sun rises and sets. Heading out into the desert can be a great Valentines option for couples that are more outdoorsy. Firewood can be purchased at most petrol stations in the UAE, to be prepared like the boy/girl scout that you are, have that sorted a couple days before and bring plenty in case you intend to see the sun set and rise. Newspaper and matches to start the fire are also important. I know people who use lighter fuel to start the fire but I would be wary about the fumes. Like the first option also make sure you have a blanket for sitting on or bring folding chairs for more comfort. As the desert is still quite cool in the evening bring some extra clothes; a warm jacket/ sweater is still needed in the night. You could even gift your love a matching toque/ glove set (double points for having a small message embroidered somewhere). S'mores are easy to make: bring a box of graham crackers, assorted chocolates (mix it up with a varying assortment from Lindt Excellence) and of course marshmallows. You will also need a long stick or skewer for roasting the marshmallows on; these can be found in most grocery stores in the outdoors section. Carrefour has a great selection for outdoor pick nicks etc. Bring as well a thermos with hot chocolate and tea to drink through out the night. Cuddle up and enjoy!

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 3. Dinner a casa: Dinner at home on Valentines day does not have to be a death sentence. Au contraire mon ami/ ma amie! It could very well be a swoon worthy event. If your lady love/ man love works on a Friday this could be such a wonderful "welcome home after a day of work" thing. But! And this is a big but. Do not dress like a slob just because you are at home. Men wear nice slacks and a dress shirt, ladies dig into the dredges of your closet and take out that gorgeous figure hugging cocktail dress. Wear an apron if you are worried about making a mess while cooking (this goes for the men as well). Or of course you can save yourself cooking and order in or get some lovely items from The Lime Tree Cafe or Eataly. But make it thoughtful. Unless your other half is craving AED 2 schwarma, keep it classy. Decorate with candles and flowers, have some soft music playing in the background, prepare a welcome drink. Candles are super inexpensive escpecially at places like IKEA. Floating candles inside a nice glass bowl make the light bounce. For a beach vibe add some sand to the bottom and sea shells. Nicely set the table with glassware, cutlery, plates and decorative napkins. Essentially you are bringing the restaurant atmosphere inside your home. A quick google search for "romantic dinner at home" will bring up images and ideas to help you on your way.

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If you want to gift your lady love/ man love something make it something personal. What do they like? Wherein lie their interests? Are they a vinyl fan? You can gift them a new vinyl from Virgin Mega Store. If they like poetry an old book with a hand written message from you is adorable. If you have a mutual interest like horse back riding or diving make a handmade voucher for diving and a beach lunch or a sunset desert hack. We all have interests and there is nothing nicer than having something take an interest in said interest.

Valentines day is an opportunity to show someone how much you love and care for them. So even if you are a single on this very much couple orientated day so something fun with friends. All of the above can also be done as a group, pick nick in the park, s'mores in the desert and a nice dinner at home can become a friend or family event.

Enjoy this Valentines day and cuddle up. And for all you RAK Half Marathon runners good on you and see you at the finish line!

Eataly: get some Italian in Dubai

Dubai is known for its rather pretentious dining and clubbing scene. There is of course nothing wrong with partaking in this I have enjoyed dinner at Nobu before and going to Cavalli and People by Crystal, amongst others. There are though times when you want to sit back a bit, wear jeans and share a joke with the kitchen chefs. I adore kitchen chefs and find then rather amiable. On a recent Dubai Mall shopping excursion with my friend we happened upon Eataly. From the outside it is quite eye catching with its large, open and bright store front. Upon stepping inside you see the scale of this place. It is a mix of grocers with a café, gelateria, chocolate counter, restaurant and other delightful stations. The glass enclosed room where they make the fresh mozzarella is a thing of beauty.

Smoked Turkey Piadina with the lovely chefs in the background

Simple yet delicious tomato spaghetti

In addition to the site down dining there is also a bar which one can sit at and watch the chefs at work in the hot station. Once we were seated we were brought our menus as well as a serving of bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar for dipping the bread in. Delish! Wanting something simple, warm and with carbs, as we had been shopping, we settled on a simple tomato spaghetti and a smoked turkey piadina. As a started we tried their fresh made mozzarella. Over all we had a wonderful experience the food was fresh and tasty and the mozzarella in particular gets a massive thumbs up, no matter how geeky it looks. I even took the other half of the piadina home with me as it was a large portion. The next day I heated it in my Panini press and it was delicious. Sitting at the bar was a fantastic idea as we were able to watch all the other lovely dishes be prepared and it gave us some ideas for another home made dinner get together.


Eataly can definitely be recommended as a casual date night or a less hectic mall meal. The fact that you can combine it with some of your grocery shopping is a bonus. Of course you can also pop in for an ice cream or an espresso at the coffee counter. Check it out and let me know what you think.