This week has been a delight. We arrived back in Beijing after a weeks travelling and enjoyed our first rest day. We took the boys to the local park, the universal appeal of swings and slides keeping them entertained for far longer than expected. Ethan took great pleasure in trying to use the outdoor exercise equipment.
Last Monday we took the train to Nanjing. Alicia was speaking at an event on Tuesday and we came along for the trip. This meant I had the boys to myself for Tuesday. I gave them a couple of options; a walk around the lake then find somewhere nice to eat, or head to the zoo with unknown food options. Secretly I was hoping for the walk around the lake. That was the easy option, no travel, known food places, and easy reach of the hotel if they got tired. Of course they picked the zoo. Surprisingly undeterred by the unknown food options, Oscar insisted that zoos always have places to eat. And so I ended up taking the two boys to the Red Mountain Forrest Zoo, 红山森林动物园 (hóng shān sēn lín dòng wù yuán), for the day. Our adult to child ratios may have been way off (1:2) when compared with most others (4:1 or 6:1) but we had a great time.
With Alicia finished her event we spent Wednesday at the Purple Mountain, 紫金山 (zǐ jīn shān). We walked up to the cable car stop and then took the cable car up to the summit. It was a foggy day reminiscent of previous years in Beijing but I’ve always enjoyed being up high. Oscar taught Ethan some early bouldering while I tried my best to inhale hay fever medication. The trees that cover the mountain clearly didn’t want me there and had decided to dump their pollen all at once to celebrate my arrival. I’ve never suffered hay fever in China before but this was the worst reaction I’ve had so far this year. I’ve never figured out what species of tree triggers my reaction, but the Cupressaceae (cypress / juniper relatives) is the most likely culprit according to this 2024 carbon study.
In the evening we jumped on a small paddle boat and let the boys take us around the lake 玄武湖 (xuán wǔ hú) for sunset. It seemed like a great way to escape the crowds. I’m not sure we’d be allowed to let a 2yr old pilot a boat in the UK but he had a great time. By the time we made it to dinner, both boys fell asleep at the table.
Before heading back to Beijing we visited Yangzhou for a couple of days. We stayed in a small little courtyard hotel. They turned a blind eye to the fact that they weren’t registered to let foreigners stay and went out of their way to be welcoming, providing recommendations and advice for how to spend our time there. Our visit happened to coincide with the start of a trial Spring Break style holiday in Jiansu province. Spring blossoms were out and everywhere was packed. We spent the afternoon at the Slender West Lake, 瘦西湖 (shòu xī hú). Oscar piloted us on another boat through the narrow waterways off the main lake. I’m not sure we were meant to take the boat off the main waterway but we can blame my inability to read the signs for that. We were treated to a beautifully quiet ride away from the crowds. I couldn’t have wished for a nicer afternoon.
The 5 hour train journey back to Beijing was uneventful. Both Alicia and I slept, I’m not sure what the boys did. Long distance train travel in China is incredibly convenient. Once you get through the airport style security and the rush to board, the journey itself is smooth and fast. In stark contrast to the UK, you have reliable connectivity throughout the journey, barebeaters are asked to turn the volume down and you aren’t confided to food options available in the on-board trolley service. You can open the train app, confirm your train and get food deliveries from any station along the route. Pick your restaurant and the food will be delivered to the train at the corresponding stop, and then brought to your seat a few minutes after that.
We arrived back in Beijing in need of a rest day. A visit to the local park with the boys was about all I could manage.
In other news, I’m now a noodles for breakfast person.
Week in Pictures
In Motion - I accidentally knocked the ISO dial resulting in this blurred image. It matches how I felt after the journey from Beijing.
Steam - the best Chinese kitchens have always strike me as being incredibly simple, the kind of simplicity that enhances the craft
Spring Break - in the first trial of a Spring Break for children, the festive atmosphere at the Xuanwu Lake was the perfect place to spend time with the family.
Red - we stumbled across this temple at night and it was empty, a complete contrast to the crowds we experienced during the day.
Breakfast Spot - we were the first ones in but it was packed by the time we left. As far as I could tell, one chef served everyone.
Delight - this slid in the local park has provided hours of entertainment. For me it is usually an opportunity to chat to locals while the children play.
Family Day - scenes like this are one of the things I like most about coming to China. There is a genuine happiness in simple pastimes. When so much of daily life is dominated by the mobile phone screen, it’s nice to see that people still know how to enjoy each others company.