Less than a week after we got back from holiday Sue was offered a months work in Al Ain. So now she is living in a villa at the Hilton Hotel about 160km from Abu Dhabi and we will take turns to travel each weekend.

It was my turn to visit Al Ain this week so we are starting to explore the city that we usually just pass through on our way to Oman.

Today we took an early morning stroll through the Al Ain Oasis in the shade of the old date palms. It is very much a working date plantation even though it is in the heart of the city. The falaj system brings underground water to the surface and distributes it through concrete channels to irrigate the date palms. Not a black alkathene pipe in sight. So fresh dates for breakfast and a lie around the poolside in the afternoon. Life’s tough.