Hi guys, how was your weekend? Aside from going out to dinner on Saturday night we slept like crazy and nursed our new cold symptoms (thank you sickies on our many flights). Since photos from my sofa would only be so exciting I'm replacing my usual weekend, we <3 you post with my round up of Abu Dhabi - much more interesting!

Because my visit to this desert city by the sea wasn't planned, I opted to spend my time doing a few easy touristy things. I was thankful that Abu Dhabi's tourism website was so complete and easy to navigate - other cities, please take note! With the site's help, I joined a free hour tour of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, visited the Emirates Palace Hotel (how gorgeous is this dome?!) and learned a bit about the region's cultural crafts at Heritage Village. I loved spending time in each place soaking up the islamic architecture and design; it really has become one of my favorite types. Be sure to check out the caption dots on each picture for more details!