lilleysmith

Our last day in China was restful, well at least Brentley's last day in China was restful. He slept most of the morning and then went out for some last minute shopping. I packed, and then Sheri and I went back to the fabric market to pick up an item I had purchased. I had originally wanted to bike to the sea; however; we had run out of time BUT Sheri (who was an incredible hostess :)) and I still had time for an hour bike ride! We left her home and headed to an old farming neighborhood. It was a great ride and I was able to get some great shots of laundry! I will put together a poster when I return to the states of my most interesting laundry photos. I returned from the ... read more

Up early once again to squeeze every possible thing into our 3 day trip in Bejing. We checked out of our hotel and headed to the Temple of Heaven for a tour and a bit of exercise. The locals congregate around the park near the temple and play games and exercise. This is not only a way for the Chinese to exercise in the fresh air but to also socialize. Many come here in the early mornings. On our way into the temple, I stopped and did a few moves with a group that were not performing tai chi like most, but they were certainly getting their groove on VERY SLOWLY... lucky for me! The Temple of Heaven was the place where earth is signified by square shapes communicated with heaven signified by the rounded top. ... read more

We left Shanghai late Monday morning for Bejing. Our guide, Susie and driver Jong picked us up at the airport in Bejing and we immediately went right to the Summer Palace for a tour. This huge grounds called Yihe Yuan - please don't ask for a pronounciation- was an imperial retreat and served as a park for early dynasties. The present layout is courtesy of the Emperor Quianlong who reigned from 1736 to 1795 although the area was rebuilt twice by the Empress Dowager Cixi one of China's most powerful women, after various squirmishes destroyed it. My favorite stop in the Summer Palace was Longevity Hill. Here you will find many buildings but the most impressived structure is the Long Corridor where the beams of the 2,388 FOOT LONG walkway are decorated with over 14,000 scenic ... read more

It rained today. We did a bit of market shopping and rested and regrouped... we are off to Bejing for a few days... Will probably not blog until we return....... read more

I got up early on this day to do a lane walk. There are a few published books that give historical walks throughout the city and I wanted to take one. Brentley was out late the night before with Tyler and his friends so he slept in. My friend and hostess had household things to do so I set out on my own. Ty drove me to Hongkou in the north French Concession area of Shanghai. I was dropped off at the beginning of the self tour in front of Lu Xu Park. I am very limited in my Mandarin... a thank you and a hello is about all that my Chinese friends will recognize! I knew I'd be okay when across the street was a Star Bucks... Thank God in Heaven! I immediately made my ... read more

Okay, have I explained HOW BIG THIS CITY IS? There is no way one can drive from one end to the other because you can't find the other! Tall buildings, construction in preparation for Expo 2010, apartments, shops, and people.. it just goes on and on... We started our day by heading to the French Concession area on the west side of town for a Dumpling Class at a restaurant. Brentley was thrilled to accompany Sheri and I to this 2 hour class. Actually he was a real trooper, and only male except for several of the chefs. The female employees seemed to take a fancy to him and wanted to know if he was in college? It was a great time. We learned how to make a certain type of dumpling stuffed with pork. It ... read more