My Trip to China

As Chinese New Year is fast approaching, I can't think of a better time than now to share with you my own recent trip to this country.

For me, the food was by the far my best memory of the few days I spent there. Ah I was in heaven.

Grandma’s Kitchen in Shanghai was a highlight and my Chinese colleagues were very patient with my limited chopstick skills. The messy area around my table setting could have competed with a toddler's!

Question for you...how do you eat a whole chicken with chopsticks?!

Roast Chicken with chilli

Beef with chilli

Ummmm...no idea lol

Mango Ice

Ah, this mango ice was simply divine especially after some of the hot chilli dishes - although it ought to have a warning served with it as it was so yummy, brain freeze is inevitable. Believe me...

I stayed at the Eton Hotel in Shanghai and the rooms were lovely. If you are lucky you can get a room with a view of the Bund. I managed to get a Junior Suite and the bed was so comfortable. In my suite there was a TV in the bedroom, lounge and bathroom!!! Not that I had time to watch anything....

After work one evening I managed a couple of hours up the TV tower which is definitely worth visiting if the visibility is good.  Unfortunately for me, it was raining and the cloud was LOW....so frustratingly I did not see much.

However The Shanghai History Museum, which is within the TV Tower was a....ma...zing! I visited it with two Chinese colleagues who brought it to life, as they shared their own experiences of their past with me. It is really well set out and without realising it we had spent over 2 hours in there!

In between meetings I managed to escape for 10 minutes for a quick stroll along the Bund gazing at the different historical architecture varying from Gothic, Baroque, Romanesque, Classicism and the Renaissance.  

At night the skyline is lit up and looks incredible. Ah hem...well the below photo does not do it justice - the weather was horrendous whilst I was there and I did not have a great camera.

This was a business trip for me, so I had to travel quite a bit within China using local buses and trains which was quite an adventure, especially when my Mandarin is so limited. Ok, non-existent! 

Local Bus

To even enter the train station there was a security check and I had to drink from my water bottle to prove to them that it was not anything threatening.

There is so much development taking place within China that it is changing frighteningly fast.

Below are photos of typical towns.

Just outside of Nanjing I had a super lunch and I wish I had taken note of the name of the place, as you would not even realise it was there. When I entered the building I thought I was being taken into someone's home! 

Ok so it is not exactly 5 star. You had to sit in your coats as it was freezing, and well....what a view (!)... but the food was FANTASTIC.

Another lunch actually in Nanjing was also incredibly fresh and tasty.

Pork and Yam Soup

Tomato, Egg, Beef and rice

Preserved radishes as a starter and orange as dessert.

See what I mean? Ok maybe the photos do not look that appetizing to everyone but honestly western Chinese food is nothing like the real thing and it is worth the trip to China alone!

Finally back to Shanghai before heading home.

Happy Chinese New Year Everyone!