Goodies Selections

A beautiful choice of culinary selections is available at Goodies Restaurant located in the Stars Avenue Mall of Jeddah.  This is only one tiny area of the immense display cases Goodies has to offer, including a lovely array of meats, salads, Middle Eastern foods, and desserts.

Typical Jeddah Villa

Saudis generally have large families with many children.  Extended family often lives together here as well, so large dwellings are required to accommodate everyone, plus domestic helpers and drivers too.  All private villas like this one in Jeddah are surrounded by high walls for privacy and security. 

Our World: Incense Burner and Cannons

An unlikely pairing of an oversized incense burner and a pair of cannons decorate the sidewalk outside a local business in Jeddah.




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Mall Scene Saudi Arabia

Sometimes women in this society are a little hard to notice, all dressed in black from head to toe.  Men seem easier to spot and they can dress pretty much whatever way they want. 

Jeddah's Lumiere Restaurant: Elegance and Class

Such elegance!  Such class!  Lumiere Restaurant provides a very special culinary experience. 

 I'm sure all the ladies in attendance had a wonderful time!
 
Lumiere Restaurant, a fine dining establishment in Jeddah, is located on Prince Faisal Bin Fahd in the Bellevue Building of Ash Shati District.  Reservations are required.  Phone:  966 55 535 6373

Honey and High Tea in Jeddah at Lumiere

About 100 ladies gathered together for a scrumptious High Tea at Lumiere Restaurant, which served the finest hors d'oeuvres imaginable, all beautifully presented and packaged.  

 

An extra special feature was a huge slab of pure honeycomb.  Fabulous!

Lumiere Restaurant, a fine dining establishment in Jeddah, is located on Prince Faisal Bin Fahd in the Bellevue Building of Ash Shati District.  Reservations are required.  Phone:  966 55 535 6373

SkyWatch: Haboob Sky

After a late lunch one day at a local restaurant, I was surprised when we exited the restaurant and the sky was hazy and eerie, the wind had really picked up, and it felt like something was definitely in the air.  It was the beginning of a haboob, a big dust storm that is common here in Saudi Arabia. 

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Jeddah's Lumiere: Culinary Delights

Lumiere Restaurant even catered to a special dietary request of Gluten Free items for our group's High Tea!  The shrimp they prepared was amazing.

This tray of delicious horves d'oeuvres was one of many that were served for our ladies only event.  Thank goodness the individual bite size treats enabled us to try as many different ones as we possibly could!

Hmmmm, kiwi, strawberry, or mango? Which tiny tart should I try?

Lumiere Restaurant, a fine dining establishment in Jeddah, is located on Prince Faisal Bin Fahd in the Bellevue Building of Ash Shati District.  Reservations are required.  Phone:  966 55 535 6373

Jeddah's Lumiere Restaurant Decor

Lumiere is one of Jeddah's fine dining establishments.  The food is equally as good as the elegant decor and the service.  The decor is absolutely exquisite.   

The ceiling of the restaurant is quite unique and breathtakingly beautiful. Coppery and silver balls of varying sizes are arranged hanging from the ceiling in a lovely graceful design.  

The fresh flower bouquets are large, prominently displayed, and very elegant.  Lumiere is located in the same building as several other great restaurants including: The Connoisseur, Amara, and Ajji.
 
Lumiere Restaurant, a fine dining establishment in Jeddah, is located on Prince Faisal Bin Fahd in the Bellevue Building of Ash Shati District.  Reservations are required.  Phone:  966 55 535 6373

Our World: High Tea at Lumiere Restaurant

It was a lovely affair - High Tea at the elegant Lumiere Restaurant in Jeddah.  Bite size morsels of delectable delicacies, prepared expertly, presented exquisitely, and served impeccably.

About 100 ladies who are part of a women's social and charitable organization I belong to here in Jeddah gathered together to enjoy the food, the ambience, the Red Sea view and each other's company. 

I'll be sharing more photos over the next few days of this elegant affair so stay tuned.  

Lumiere Restaurant, a fine dining establishment in Jeddah, is located on Prince Faisal Bin Fahd in the Bellevue Building of Ash Shati District.  Reservations are required.  Phone:  966 55 535 6373

Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Minaret at Day's End

Another mosque north of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as the day comes to an end. 

My New Abaya

This is my newest abaya, a gift from my very good friend Mariva.  She arranged to have me fitted for an abaya from Lomar here in Jeddah.  I chose this linen-y fabric with a subtle design that gradually changes color from blue to maroon.  Lomar originally began as an exclusive men's clothier but they have now expanded to include abayas for women.  I love the colors and fabric of my new abaya from Lomar!

Yes, That's an Airplane in a Mall @ Kidzania!

Mall of Arabia in Jeddah is now home to the fairly new kid's interactive play place called Kidzania.  It's where children can pretend to work in a variety of real-life grown-up careers, like banking, grocer, pilot, hairstylist, and more.  When we lived in South Florida, we had a similar role-playing establishment that I took my son to a few times, and he loved it.  Kids have the chance to earn money for doing a job and they can also choose to spend their money on various activities or food.  

You can check out one mom's experience at Kidzania in Jeddah by CLICKING HERE.  Kidzania offers special packages for parties, school field trips, and other events.  For more information about Kidzania, CLICK HERE. 

SkyWatch: Creative Flower Displays

I saw so many creative displays of flowers at the Yanbu Flower and Garden Festival.  This enormous planter held hundreds of flowers and was perched atop a huge mound of flowers.



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Yanbu: Pretty Colors Everywhere

The lovely colors of floral blooms are everywhere at the Yanbu Flower and Garden Festival, currently running now through March 19th.

Yanbu: Hanging Flower Baskets

One can tell that lots of effort has been put forth into making the annual Yanbu Flower and Garden Festival a bg success.  I love these hanging baskets that lined the walkways. 

Enjoying the Flower Festival

It's nice to see everyone enjoying themselves at the Yanbu Flower Festival.  The annual event is very well organized and well run, boasting a food court area and a section for souvenirs ranging from balloons to plants to lots of things in between.  There is even a booth selling really cool items from Holland.  

Our World: Walking thru the Flowers

The 10th annual Yanbu Flower and Garden Festival opened on March 3rd.  The event attracts thousands of visitors every year.  There is no admission fee!  This festival holds the current Guinness record for the largest flower carpet in the world, an achievement accomplished two years ago in 2014 when almost one million flowering plants were used.  




Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Recycling at the Flower Festival

One of my favorite areas of the 2016 Yanbu Flower Festival was the Recycling Center. There were many creative ideas for recycling objects, like tires, plastics, metals, wood, etc. 

Yanbu: Endless Flowers

There are millions of beautiful flowers to feast your eyes on at the annual Yanbu Flower Festival, going on now through March 19th.  This area features an enormous carpet of colorful flowers.  It took us three hours to drive from north Jeddah to the city of Yanbu.  Located on the shores of the Red Sea, Yanbu is also a favorite diving spot for divers. 

Yanbu Flower Festival Entrance

The annual Yanbu Flower Festival is in full swing,  It started on March 3rd and will run through the 19th or 20th of march.  If you live in Saudi Arabia and haven't been, it's definitely worth going.  I'll be posting more photos in the coming days of  the festival.  This photo is of the main entrance.  The flower globe sculpture greets visitors as they arrive.  It reminds me of the big globe at Universal Studios. 

SkyWatch: Jeddah's Tayebat Museum

This building, which occupies an entire city block in Jeddah, is beautiful from any angle.

 

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Jeddah: Details on Museum Facade

The woodworking is amazing on Jeddah's Tayebat Museum.  I don't know how old the museum itself is, but the woodwork is regularly maintained to protect it from the effects of Jeddah's harsh climate. 

Intricate carved wood details adorn the beautiful Tayebat Museum.  The window coverings are called rawasheen and are part of Jeddah's architectural heritage. 

Tayebat Museum: Pretty Details

Beautiful design work at the Tayebat Museum in Jeddah.

Exquisite detail.

Our World: Tayebat Museum Minaret

There are many minarets at the Tayebat Museum in Jeddah.  It houses a mosque, a museum, and an educational facility.

This is a closer up view of the detail of the pretty mosaic tile work at the base of minaret.




Be sure to visit OUR WORLD TUESDAY, where family-friendly bloggers share a unique glimpse into what life is like all around our ever-amazing planet.

Door Knocker at Tayebat Museum

This is a carved panel of a door which also features a brass door knocker.  It can be found at the Tayebat Museum in Jeddah. 

Jeddah's Cosmos Sculpture

Many of Jeddah's sculptures are being relocated from the centers of large traffic intersections as the roundabouts are being dismantled and replaced with tunnels and overpasses to help aid with traffic flow.  The traffic circle that is home to the well-known Cosmos sculpture has not yet been addressed.  This sculpture is one of the largest in the world and it won't be an easy task to relocate it.  For more information about The Cosmos, please CLICK HERE. 

Welcoming Entrance

A welcoming entrance - adorned with Arabic script above the doorway - this carved door and matching side columns greet visitors at the Tayebat Museum of Jeddah.

Where I belong - With My Husband

While Saudi Arabia isn't exactly on my Top Ten List of Places I Want to Live, it has been my home for the past 8 years, and life here isn't so bad.  The first couple of years were pretty hard adjusting to the way of life here and being so far away from my family and friends.  But life has gotten better and easier here in Saudi Arabia, especially in the transportation department, since women are not allowed to drive in this country.  I don't have a personal driver like some lucky women here do, but the advent of easy to use transport companies such as Uber, Careem, and EasyTaxi have had a tremendous impact in the lives of many women here in KSA, myself included.

Today is the first of the month, which means it's theme day for City Daily Photo bloggers.  City Daily Photo is an online community of photo bloggers from around the world,  sharing the wonders of their area of the world pictorially with   others.  Each month there is a different theme.  This month's theme is "Where I Belong."  I chose this photo because my place is with my husband, and this is where he wants to be for now.  So this is where I belong, alongside my hubby of 38 years.

Please visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day of "Where I Belong."