The gym and pool

As of this week we are seriously working on reducing that extraneous layer of fat collected during our endless trips to restaurants since we got here.

It is difficult to overestimate the privilege of having an in-house gym and pool. When we first looked at flats we always asked whether there would be a gym in the building, but soon realised that this is standard for apartment blocks of a certain quality here. A pool seems equally compulsory, even most villas are grouped around a communal pool in the back garden, and gyms are provided by the developer in the form of centrally located clubs.

Our gym and pool are located on the top floor of the building with a spectacular (if slightly truncated, due to a high wall) view of Bur Dubai and Port Rashid and the sea. At night the aircraft warning lights on the neighbouring buildings sparkle, a sight which makes us feel very cosmopolitan. The pool is just long enough to swim lengths (if you are a moderate swimmer), but it has a large jacuzzi for hours of lounging. Despite Fiver's moaning that it is an indoor pool and there is no opportunity to catch some rays it is the most opulent, shiny and exquisite luxury to have. The best thing is that you can go up in the lift in your swim suit and dressing gown and come straight back to the flat after the swim, provided you don't leave too many puddles on the floor.

The gym, for some reason, is always empty. Which is good, this way no-one can see us sweat ;-) It has tread mills, a rower, cycles, weight machines and any number of very heavy weights for the testosterone-fuelled.