Download - Read.

LOcAL TRAVEL
It’s not often that you find a peaceful
beach in the heart of a busy city like
Abu Dhabi, but the strip of sand in Al
Bateen is surprisingly quiet. Perhaps
this is because it stands next door to
the busy Corniche, where the large
beach, with its grass areas, promenades
and bustling cafés, is one of the
most popular places in the city to kick
back on the weekends.
However, it’s worth venturing
beyond the Corniche and spending an
afternoon tasting the serene delights
of its more down-to-earth neighbour,
which offers a glimpse into the Abu
Dhabi of old. This is a favourite spot
among locals, who come here to fish
onE oF ThE CITy’s olD ToWErs
Mini-guide
to Moscow
Eat: Café Pushkin, (on the
Boulevard Ring) and Genatsvale
(Just off the Arbat pedestrian
mall).
Sleep: Hotel National (fancy and
expensive), Mega Hostel (cheap
and cheerful), Petrovka Lodge
(mid-range budget).
Winter activities: Moscow Russian
Winter Festival (mid-December
to mid-January), December
Nights festival (mid-December
to early January), Ice-skating
in the Red Square, Winter River
Cruises.
cow remains a favourite haunt for
history buffs, serving up no end of
monuments and museums dedicated
to preserving the past. At the
heart of the city is the Kremlin, the
vast fortified complex that serves as
the official residence of the Russian
President. Here, the golden onion
domes of four palaces and four
cathedrals, built by Italian masters in
the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries,
dominate the skyline.
To the east of the Kremlin is the Red
Sqaure, where all the major streets of
Moscow converge on to one central
point. It is also where many of Russia’s
most significant historic events have
taken place, including the Victory
Parade in 1945, when the banners of
defeated Nazi troops were trampled
underfoot before Lenin’s Mausoleum.
Many of Moscow’s most important
ThE krEmlIn
DECEmBEr 4-10, 2011
TRAVEL 13
landmarks are situated around this
square. In addition to the Kremlin and
Lenin’s Mausoleum, which contains
the embalmed body of Vladimir
Lenin, founder of the Soviet Union,
there is also the brightly-domed Saint
Basil’s Cathedral, the State Historical
Museum and the restored Kazan
Cathedral.
After spending the day absorbing
the enormous influx of Russian
history contained in the building
around the Red Square, dive back into
modern Moscow at the Red October
Chocolate Factory. This lively complex
of art galleries and bars, situated on
an island in the river, provides a welcome
change from the silent severity
of the city’s historical sites and the
chance to experience the place that
Moscow is becoming rather than the
place it once was.
Peace and serenity in the UAE’s capital
Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen Beach provides the perfect venue for kicking back and doing absolutely nothing.
and swim on weekends and holidays,
away from the noisy crowds next door.
Another reason to visit is to watch
the boat-builders at work. Admirers
of traditional crafts will find plenty
to amuse them in the nearby dhowbuilding
yards. A short causeway
connects Bateen Creek to the island
where craftsmen lovingly construct
these antique vessels by hand in the
traditional way.
There’s also plenty to do nearby
with golf courses, tennis courts, spas,
restaurants and the Khalidiyah Mall
all close at hand. However, a day at Al
Bateen beach is not about doing; it’s
about relaxing and enjoying the rare
experience of peace and quiet in the
middle of the city.
READ.