We woke up and went down to find we were in the right house after all! We received a lovely welcome from Jayne and Andrew and Mark. Anthony was to fly in from Basra at 1.30 pm. As we had said to Anthony on WhatsApp earlier, Basra is a pretty exotic excuse for turning up late.

The new house is in a complex that is similar to Semmler Villas - their previous address. This one is somewhat bigger than the last, with less yard space and more - six! - bathrooms. A and J have worked miracles to be as well settled as they are after only a fortnight. This was helped by the fact that removalists here even put your cupboards and paintings back up!

We had a catch up and the boys got on with homework etc while Jayne drove us to the newly completed canal which we walked along for a bit. It is well laid out and has wifi and charging stations along the route. At this stage things are a bit spartan, but when fully developed, it will be quite an attraction. It's amazing how many of Dubai's attractions rely on water, despite being in the middle of the desert.

Speaking of water, we then hopped back in the car and set out for a relaxing lunch at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club- DOSC. Just a hint of the Raj here as members are recognised by staff and sign for what they order, settling up a monthly account. We sat in the mild winter sun and enjoyed outdoor Dubai without the perspiration for a change. By the time we got back to Maydan South, Anthony had arrived. More family gossip and catching up filled in the afternoon. Later in the evening, the four of us set out for a look around the Burj al Arab - taking advantage of its coastal location to watch the sunset. Next stop was the 27th floor for a rather lavish drink at the Gold Bar on top of the iconic hotel. (One of the disadvantages of carry-on only packing is that scrubbing up for a place like this is a challenge. We did our best!) We were struck by the beauty of this building - which we hadn't been in before. (M: Even if at times it tips into overindulgence).

Jayne had made a booking and we were treated like royalty- even the car was valet parked for us. The views were lovely as the sun had just set and we could see the lights, particularly of the many mosques far below.

There is a small electric car that will take hotel guests around the complex. With typical chutzpah, Jayne led the way and we just made like guests, so hitched a ride without questions on the first little electric golf cart that came by. Along the way the driver pointed out the Sheik's summer home. A delicious Asian meal at the Noodle House made a great dinner before we were taken back to the front of the Burj in the electric car again. We didn't wait long for our own car to be brought back to us. This was a great evening in very interesting places with excellent company and food! Thank you Jayne and Anthony.

We were lucky to see Anthony at all as he was to fly out to Perth the following morning in what he hopes is his final flight as first officer. He commences captaincy training on February 25th after a well earned break. The course is very demanding. Everyone tells Anthony he will be fine, but he reckons that just makes the pressure worse!