We had such a brilliant time being back home visiting our favourite places in our neighbourhood, finally being able to catch up with friends in person, grab drinks and do playdates. But besides the obvious, there are a few other things that we miss now that we relocated to Riyadh. This list may just be part one of an entire series, because I am feeling pretty homesick today.
Efficient public transport
Trains, buses, the Tube, the Overground, the DLR - it was amazing to see Toddler's face light up every time we got on public transport. We spent a lot of time commuting and for the first time in my life I didn't mind. We also had the time to organise a playdate at the Transport Museum where they had a great morning running and climbing around the different vehicles. It's toddler heaven. As for myself, I really appreciate that I don't have to always rely on somebody else to ferry me around town because I'm too anxious to learn to drive here and try to pass an exam (again).
Decaf coffee and pastries from the French bakery around the corner
I am on the hunt for the best pain au chocolat in Riyadh, but so far I couldn't find any that even comes close to the buttery, flaky pastries that usually sell out while still warm at my favourite family run patisserie. They go so well with Assembly coffee House's Columbia decaf cappuccino. I queued for a brew nearly every morning with fellow exhausted parents after nursery drop-off. Whereas here the whole Kingdom seems to be fuelled by caffeine (besides the oil, of course). Nowadays if I want a half-decent decaf coffee, I have to brew it myself. I did squeeze a pack into my hand luggage, because it didn't fit anywhere else, but it's somehow not the same. On another beverage-related note, Saudi coffee almost made me forget about my love for a warm, spicy chai latte on a chilly winter morning. I made sure to grab a box of loose leaf chai at Fortnum & Mason, one of my all-time favourite British institutions. By the way, it's also my go-to place for picking up small gifts of biscuits and teas for friends abroad.
The Saturday morning boozy brunch
Riyadh offers plenty of great options for brunch and mocktails, but there is something about sipping mimosas or bloody marys with breakfast, followed by going to an exhibition or walk around town. Boozy brunches aren't something we used to do every Saturday, especially since having kids, but I have to confess that I do enjoy a drink or two with my food more than I previously cared to admit. Another little ritual I love to indulge myself in on special occasions is sitting around sipping champagne followed by tea and eating my way through finger sandwiches, scones and cakes, aka afternoon tea. London has a lot of great options, my personal favourites are Sketch, the Connaught, and of course Fortnum's for an ultimate classic. Riyadh is definitely catching up with a lot of places offering afternoon tea options, sans champagne, of course. I'll take one for the team and will gladly go and try them one by one.
Affordable organic food and eco-friendly essentials
I was thrilled when we first arrived to Riyadh and I found my toddler's favourite brand of snacks, but my joy was overcast by looking at the prices of free-range, organic food and sugar free kids snacks. They are often double or even triple the price of what we used to pay back home. Despite an abundance of choice, I still have a hard time finding suitable alternatives to some of the daily essentials we're used to. Ultimately we ended up filling our suitcases with as much snacks and plastic-free toiletries and such. I also brought approximately 6 months worth of tampons. It was a bit of a shock when we first arrived and I couldn't find them anywhere. In all the supermarkets there are rows and rows of sanitary pads in all shapes and sizes, but tampons are still not easy to find and when you need them urgently Amazon can be a drag. The pricing is also, unsurprisingly, extortionate. I generally don't like online shopping in Saudi because I've had bad luck with shipment times and items frequently not turning up (yes, tampons too), but iHerb has a fairly good selection of personal care items and vitamins. As we continue living here, and I find more and more alternatives though, and I hope to write a follow-up post on trying to be more sustainable with what and how we consume in hopes that it will help someone else!
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