If you are in Oman and looking for some local color, visit Mutrah, at the eastern end of Muscat. Tucked between mountains and the bay, you will find old-fashioned homes, shops, and mosques topped with blue domes and minarets.
Stroll along the corniche and stop into a cafe for traditional coffee served with dates, or fresh juice - mango as in this photo - or my favorite, lemon mint.
Be sure to leave plenty of time for wandering around the Mutrah Souq, Oman's largest.
and elaborate gold jewelry.
and the vibrant colors on this one.
There are also brightly colored Bedoiun embroideries, a local product.
I picked up these small bags to contain my sewing paraphenalia.
Here is what I usually carry around in my little sewing bags. I have pre-cut squares of scraps, needle, thread, thimble, ruler and pencil for marking sewing lines, and scissors for patchwork on the go. In the security process prior to boarding our outbound flight from Muscat, Oman Airlines confiscated my orange-handled Fiskars embroidery scissors, which I had carried on flights for years. I picked up these tiny ones at Liberty in London as a replacement. I also have a few knitting tools, an extra SD card for my camera, and tweezers, most often used for pulling cactus spines out of my husband's fingers.
It's amazing how much I can get done in spare moments when I have these few essentials with me.
Stroll along the corniche and stop into a cafe for traditional coffee served with dates, or fresh juice - mango as in this photo - or my favorite, lemon mint.
Be sure to leave plenty of time for wandering around the Mutrah Souq, Oman's largest.
If you visit on a day when no cruise ships are in port you'll see more locals than tourists.
Narrow aisles radiate from large central courtyards.
Shops are crammed with all kinds of wares,
from rose oil and frankincense (an aromatic tree resin),
to home and commercial cookware,
and elaborate gold jewelry.
You'll find all kinds of enamelware
and lovely silver jewelry.
Naturally, I found the textiles the most intriguing, and came home with quite a pile of cashmere scarves. Most aren't actually made locally, but they are a popular item among Omanis, many of whom wrap them carefully into a kind of headwear.
I couldn't resist the exquisite embroidery on this one,
and the vibrant colors on this one.
There are also brightly colored Bedoiun embroideries, a local product.
I picked up these small bags to contain my sewing paraphenalia.
Here is what I usually carry around in my little sewing bags. I have pre-cut squares of scraps, needle, thread, thimble, ruler and pencil for marking sewing lines, and scissors for patchwork on the go. In the security process prior to boarding our outbound flight from Muscat, Oman Airlines confiscated my orange-handled Fiskars embroidery scissors, which I had carried on flights for years. I picked up these tiny ones at Liberty in London as a replacement. I also have a few knitting tools, an extra SD card for my camera, and tweezers, most often used for pulling cactus spines out of my husband's fingers.
It's amazing how much I can get done in spare moments when I have these few essentials with me.
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