Wajbat al Manşūrī ash Sharqīyah

With a hint of sadness, we packed our bags and shut the door one last time on our Athens apartment. We made our way down the tiny elevator and got yelled at one last time by the angry Greek resident for being too loud (we were nearly silent).

On the walk home the previous evening we’d stopped for ice creams at a patisserie/cafe and the woman had advised us that they do wonderful breakfasts, so we made our way there before we headed for the train station. The boys loaded up on waffles and pancakes while the grown ups had eggs. The food throughout Europe has been outstanding, one of the real highlights, particularly for the gastro-focused Jack, so this was a fitting last meal.

We made our way onto the train and through the outer suburbs of Athens to the airport. Our flight left at around 2pm, so we grabbed a bite before boarding. A relatively short flight, but a spectacular view throughout. We headed over the eastern Mediterranean Sea and crossed land over Egypt and the Sinai Peninsular. The landscape showed ancient river beds, dried inland seas and rolling sand dunes. We crossed Saudi Arabia before landing in Doha.

Our driver from the airport was happy to tell us about the recent World Cup, pointing out a range of landmarks on route to our hotel. Doha was the only leg that we stayed in a hotel, and boy did we pick a good one. We stayed at the Al Najada, a 4-5 star establishment perfectly located across the road from the Souk Waqif, the main bustling market place.

By the time we checked in and decided who was getting which gigantic bed, it was dinner time. We walked out into the evening heat and over to the market, which was full of energy. Fred found a giant golden thumb, and needed to compare his thumb size. We found a table up a laneway and sat down. Soon enough the boys were up again, joining in a game of soccer with some other young lads. Tick. With bellies full of lamb, hummus and pita, we headed home and crashed into bed.Read more