And like a fish to water...

O'Brien's are doing Europe

So much for staying on top of the blog, it is only now we are finally on our summer holiday I have the time to update it.

We are currently in Germany and have spent the last 3 days exploring Berlin, and judging by my sore butt cheeks and tired feet there is not a lot of Berlin we left unexplored.

Today we took a 5 hour cross country train to Dusseldorf and tomorrow our next adventure begins when we pick-up our motorhome and head off south for the Alps.

The beautiful summer weather here of 25 - 28 degrees has been a welcome relief from the horrid Dubai heat and with Ramadan due to start any day in the UAE we are happy to be out of the country.

Everyone is happy and healthy, including bub in the belly (although I probably need to scale back on the cycling distances going forward).

Some of our pics from Berlin are below.



Berlin Wall



Berlin Wall at Topography of Terror site



Berlin Wall



Brandenburg Gates.... and random bear



Cheers - we survived the 2:30am flight from hell and our first day in Berlin!



Berlin also gave us our first ever grazed knee with 'real' blood, it was very dramatic!



Naz was more than happy to discover beer at the zoo



Berlin Zoo.... this goat head butted Piper in the stomach about 10 seconds after this shot!



Picnic lunch and a break from the bikes. Cycling was the best way to explore Berlin.



Pumping water - possibly Piper's favourite thing about Berlin after the zoo!

Heating up...

Well summer has arrived and boy has it arrived with a bang! A lot of locals and long-term expats have been commenting over the past month or so how long the winter has been and how lucky we were.

It has been absoultely beautiful the past month, mid to high 20's, occasional low 30 and nice cool evenings.... until last week.
The temperatures rose rapidly and summer looks like it has well and truly settled in for the next 6 months. The forecast for the next week is nothing but 36 and 37's with overnight lows of 26 - 27, I could cope if that was going to be the summer heat but it is pretty much the lowest temps we are going to see for a long time.

This change in weather is already posing a few problems:

•  Poor Lily can only be walked in the early morning or very late evening, I am sure she will get used to it but it has been nice taking her for lots of strolls when we visit friends or get a coffee
• How to keep Piper entertained indoors for the next 6 months..... now this is going to take some creativity
• My plants - If you know me well you will know that I am the world's worst green thumb, I have never once in my life managed to keep a plant healthy and alive (2 year olds I can do, plants no). On a whim 2 weeks ago I dragged the family to the plant markets in Satwa on the hunt for a Bougainvillea and a Frangipanin for our balcony. One to help create some privacy and the other because I love the flowers and they remind me of home and a close friend. So basically I have already forgotten to water them at least 5 days out of the last 10 days since they were purchased...... they are not going to survive in this heat with me as their Mum (sorry Mum, I know you are shaking your head at me as you look out the kitchen window at your beautiful garden)
• Netball - Ugh although summer netball is indoors, there is just no escaping the heat. Last night's game was a struggle and my body is feeling it today. I woke dehydrated and with a headache even after 4 bottles of water last night.

This list was off the top of my head and doesn't include all the summer 'fun' we have to look forward to like the beach water being warmer than a bath, yuk. Cold water out of the taps at home being so hot you have to switch off your hot water tank and run your hot water as your cold and your cold as your hot... true story!

Oh well enough weather bashing, only 1 week and 2 sleeps til we are off to Sri Lanka!!

Edit: I started this post yesterday and although the temp was forecast for 36 today.... it has just reached 43 degrees!