The last two days have had an unworldly quality to them.  We’ve spent them on the beach trying to relax and get some extra Vitamin D in, but unable to look away from the UK news and the ever increasing horror of the corona virus situation.  We will be glad to get back now and get a better feeling for what’s going on, and feel more grounded.  While at the moment, Dubai feels much safer and there are certainly less cases here still, it is beginning to close down around us and surely it may be only a matter of time maybe before the airport shuts altogether.  Who knows?  Anyway, we are homeward bound tomorrow.

And homeward bound to self isolation for a good few weeks by the sound of it.   Bob, being 71, is in the high risk group and must self isolate.  It makes no sense if I don’t do it too.  So we will stay at home, have home delivery shopping and avoid others for the foreseeable future.  Not very attractive…..  but totally necessary.  We will go out to quiet spots for walks in the fresh air.  That must be ok….

Our summer trips are also looking in jeopardy and we are waiting to see what happens on that.  We’re meant to be going to Turkey and then Cyprus at the end of May.  I can’t quite see that happening but it would be lovely if it did. Similarly our trip to Florida in the autumn is also up in the air.  It may be a stay at home year for us.

Financial concerns are also pressing.  Our younger daughter’s job is in jeopardy.  I’m sure there will be many others in the same boat.  Millions of people must be very worried about their financial future at the moment.  We are not alone.

So, perhaps the beach wasn’t as relaxing as it could have been but it was still better than sitting at home fretting.

Tonight we went out to a fish restaurant that Lu had heard about and been wanting to try.  It was in the Jumairah area and very much a “fish shack”, called Bu Qaitr.  It offers grilled or fried sherif (local big white fish), very large ones, or huge king prawns also grilled or fried.  They are both sold by weight and then cooked.  Accompaniments are paratha, rice and a curry sauce.  We had an enormous fish which was fabulously white under the crispy grilled skin and cooked perfectly.  The king prawns were amazing and covered in a spicey rub.  Wow.  All so good and a bargain at about £40 for the three of us including drinks and tip.  It’s not a flashy place – no glitz about it at all but it was undoubtedly popular with locals and doing a brisk trade.

I don’t normally blog about our travel home day, but I will tomorrow because certainly it will be unusual and you might like to read about it.  Lucy has bought us some hand sanitiser (no shortage here at the moment) and two good face masks to use.