Spotted in the countryside - an outdoor gym the Chinese way. Now I can see why these gym parks (yes, that blue equipment hidden in the hay) can be rather useful in big cities like Beijing, but in the countryside, surrounded by mountains, it seems that the people get their exercise the good old-fashioned way: doing outdoor work and walking/biking everywhere!

But one has to admit that the backdrop of the mountains is pretty impressive and certainly inspirational for a lil spin in the park and few crunches!

On our recent trip to Philippines we got to enjoy some very creative towel art daily from the staff. What do you think about our TV-watching dog, boy, elephant and swans - lovely or silly? 

I seem to have missed the Friday again while celebrating the birthday of Miss A., so home comes the curious Friday +1 post. I just thought this was so impressive - so can you guess what the water buffalo and the guy are doing? 

I wouldn't have guessed if I hadn't seen it myself - but this person&water buffalo combo is providing the daily infrastructure service that in our countries now happens in some placed weekly, or every other week: he's the binman. A very ecological vehicle indeed - and I bet that nearly 100% of the waste will be recycled as that just seems to be the nature in less developed countries - they actually are way better with the waste recycling! 

Yes, today's been a fun day - some partying of our own to celebrate the Chinese new year - we even got new outfits from Beijing for the event (bar Mr H who just doesn't like dressing up). The girls were singing and dancing to Chinese new year songs and then did the traditional greeting to papers to get some red envelopes with money inside them. 

We've also watched our first ever horse racing from the balcony of our hotel, the Lingfield Park Marriott Hotel and Country Club in the heart of Surrey countryside, as well as enjoyed swimming, and the lovely spa with its hot tub, steam room with therapy lights and music, the more traditional sauna and the ice fountain. The life in countryside certainly is more relaxing and it feels good to off the fast lane sometimes. Let's hope that the year of snake will be meaningful and prosperous for everyone! 

Today marks the start of the biggest celebration of the year in China - the Chinese New Year. This will be the start of the Year of the Snake. Now sadly we moved right before witnessing the huge party in Beijing, but that is not going to stop us having a little party of our own. The kids have decorated our two grand hotel rooms with little snakes and other symbols of good luck.

Later on, it's time for some Chinese outfits and kids singing to Gongxi Gongxi - wishing a good new year and other songs they have learned at school, for which they are rewarded with a little red envelope containing some money - in our case British pounds rather than Chinese Yuans, but still... So happy new year if you are celebrating it now - and if not, maybe take some time and look on the Internet the fabulous celebrations around the world!

Time flies by: today we are bidding goodbye for China. No, we didn't stay two years in the end, just nine months. This time is full of memories, some great other not so, but still unforgettable (talk about flooding, extreme pollution, running out of electricity, 3c home in the middle of the night at Christmas time when coming from the airport..those are certainly stories for the grandchildren to be told in due course!). 

We are heading back home - UK here we come - and yes, it feels so good! I love the weather, scenery, food...oh, can't wait for a proper Sunday roast, cream tea and dry apple cider! We are going back to Kent - less than a 30minute train ride from London Bridge and the big city's huff and puff. A new home, new school for kids, new car, new job - but good old friends will be waiting for us there. Hello London - we'll see you in 12 hours!

But first stop of course before all those above-mentioned new goodies is of course a hotel - that's how the transition always goes: pack, go to temporary accommodation (read hotel), fly, go to temporary accommodation, receive your goods, move to new house, deal with a lot of paper work, adjust to new life...So I might be off a few days starting the new life - once again!

Hello from the island of Palawan in Philippines. This island has been cited as the most beautiful one in the country, and it certainly has been impressive by far. The island still has the natural feel, meaning that it has not been overrun by tourist - the resorts are next to little villages, and touristy hagglers are still rare.

The key attraction of the island, besides little islands and deserted beaches for snorkeling and diving would most certainly be the Underground River - called to be one of seven new natural wonders of the world. Getting there is not easy, so be prepared to book your tour in advance. You don't need a tour guide, but they do make it easier for you.

Before booking a  tour you need to get a permission from the government to visit the site - you can do that either in the government building in Puerto Princesa, or in the village of Sabang Beach where the boats depart for the Park. You need to show the passport when getting the permission as well as on the day of the tour when you pick up your tickets and pay the local tax at departure point. The permission for four (including two half-priced kids) cost PHP 700 (a bit under 20 USD) for us - and we were really lucky to get walk-in tickets as the tour operators I found online all cited the tours being fully booked for weeks ahead!

You will be assigned your own boat for the tour - the ride there takes about 15-20 minutes in little, traditional narrow wooden boats (very loud engines though) and then the river tour will be another 45 minutes or so. This little national park is located on a beautiful, secluted beach and the park has also plenty of plants and animals - little monkeys included so don't bring any food with you (we saw monkeys stealing a back of crackres from someone's bag).

The river tour flows at leisurely pace and covers a couple of kilometers. The first row passengers get to hold a torch and point it at formations based on the guidenace of the guide. Be prepared for darkness, flying bats and watrt trickling on you throuhgout the journey. This is an interesting experience and something rather unique, so definitely worth the journey!

The river is a little boat ride away along the coast, yet one gets to enjoy some impressive waves...

...and past empty beaches we fly like a wind

Hello there!

Ready to explore this natural wonder 

These little explorers are all kitted for the tour

These traditional boats will take visitors up and down the river - the river tour lasts approximately 45 minutes

Off into the darkness 

I spy...bats everywhere 

At places the ceiling is rather low - opening up to 200ft (60m) 

Your boat guide will point lots of interestingly-named formations in the cave

The colour of the water was so turquoise 

A moment to enjoy after the tour - this is one beautiful (and empty beach)

An island so peaceful still - the number of tourist is limited and one needs to apply a permission to vist the place in advance from the government 

Time to head back to the village. Thank you for the lovely tour Palawan!

It's time to bid farewell for Philippines. Our two weeks are up, and we are leaving for the airport - destination Hong Kong and then Beijing. But it will only be three more days in China, and then we bid farewell for our home of last nine months: it's destination England and we are over the moon to be going back home!

Time for last swim and fish spotting at Shangri-La Mactan's beach in Cebu, Philippines...

Today, yesterday, a while ago - and probably for some time in the future - in some places it seems that the time has stopped, whereas other parts of the world technology takes over in cyberspeed. Here in Philippines the traditional boats and homes, or rather huts made out of resources around people (that is wood, canes, leaves, stones - pretty much everything goes) are still seen everywhere outside bigger cities.

People might be considered poor compared to the western world, but that does not stop people being happy. I have yet to hear any yelling or see angry faces;  no-ones seems to be in a hurry. I have been quite happily adjusting to the lifestyle too, maybe too much as I am not always aware what day of the week it is, not to talk about time since I haven't been carrying a watch to the pool and beach. And it feels good! I wish we could stop the time more often and enjoy life as it comes...

If you have been wondering why I have been so quiet lately, the reason is simple: the ad-hoc Philippines adventure starring just me and all our three little kids progressed to the rather remote island of Palawan - where the resort just barely had bandwidth for occasional poolside banter on FB, but not much more... 

We have now returned to "civilisation" - also called the island of Cebu, and are enjoying the last leg of our trip in the plush and oh-so-lovely Shangri-La Mactan resort. At the end of the week it's time for the last few days in China, and then the big move back to Europe starts! That said, I'm afraid that the next couple of weeks it's going to more again travel and lifestyle posts than interior - just because I'll be short of time and have plenty of pre-written posts ready - especially on my Chinese adventures...so stay tuned!

Just chillin' in one of the pools...at Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa

...and on the beach in Sabang

Happy Curious Friday! Oh I know it's not really Friday but Wednesday today - but when one is on holiday, one sometimes loses track on what weekday it is. Anyway, getting a taxi can be pretty hard in Beijing, but clearly this is not the case in Hong Kong airport. We noted that taxis were somehow organised by their colour (red, green and blue) and got a bit curious...

And this is why you see this colour-coded taxi clusters: red ones cover most of the Hong Kong but Lantau Island and Tung Chung Road - I guess they can go there too but web sources stated it costs then more than a green or blue one...live and learn is what I say! They gave us lots of joy during our HK stopover - kids had fun guessing what colour taxi they would see next in front of our window (other than red for obvious reasons ...) 

Hong Luo Si - literally meaning the Red Shells temple, but also called Red Snails Temple (as apparently two giant red snails used to live behind the temple, which emitted strange lights and this is why the people in the village used to worship them) was described in my Beijing guide as the Disneyland equivalent for temples (so I was thinking of fake and flashy, but maybe they meant instead of well-kept and clean), and we almost didn't go and visit it - but I am so happy that we did!

This is definitely the cleanest, best taken care of all the temples I have seen - as well as one of the largest in the Beijing region. It is located in the Huairou District and is therefore easily accessed from the Shunyi expat area. This temple dates back to the Tang Dynasty (between 618-907), although it has been rebuilt many times since, but using the original outline. I am no historian, and other sources say that it dates back to 348 AD with a different name - so either way it is a very long history to have!  

We were rather surprised that there were not so many tourist (and honestly at least the roads we took to this places were just tiny dirt roads with barely any signs on them - so in a way were surprised that we even made it there, it was all thanks to the persistence of the driver and kind people giving advice on the way!). So a destination definitely recommended, especially with kids as it is so clean and there is so much to see!
 

The first entrance from the side is very modest...

...to be greeted then by a rather grand and colourful entrance... 

..with even a waterfall amongst all the flowers!

This map gives an idea how large the area is - and typical to temples there are definitely plenty of stairs to climb, but for the less fit - or thrill-seekers there is always the fast way down (one of those slide car ramps)

Every incense burner and decorative details just seem bigger than in other temples 

So many turtles; the pond is full of money and even notes from people making their wishes 

Lots of pretty flowers and water features 

Most temples have one of these large coins where people try to hit it with small coins for good luck

Here even the ribbons with wishes printed, or written on them, have been prettily organised 

One of the temple buildings with lions at the entrance 

The forest of Arhats - to be precise over 500 of them in many parallel paths - every one of them seems to look different... 

And a big, smiling one?

I spy the peak, our next destination - the fitness part of the trip!

No kidding there, this is just one of the flights towards the top... 

...and from one peak to the next stop we go...

Old bell, not sure what it says there, but I think they money collection box speaks for itself

This side road down is flanked by a number of goddesses, each playing some gentle music when you pass by - such a serene experience 

My review of Hong Luo Si - 红螺寺: Excellent 
Address: Huairou, Miyun 1014. Tel 010 8119 1011
Opening hours: 8-17 every day

"Hong Luo Si is a jewel of the temples - there is so much to see and everything is well-maintained and clean. You get your mountain hikes, large lucky coin throw, turtle and fish ponds, but also beautiful flower arrangements and other water features. This is also the first place where I have seen the forest of Arhats, and also on the way to there the nicely shared forest path has figurines of all the twelve zodiac animals. Take you time to enjoy this place, and especially the mountain scenery -where even parts of the Great Wall can be seen."

Health and happiness. If someone asks me whether this trip was worth it, already on day one I'll say it definitely was. It might have take nearly 40 hours to reach Philippines from not-so-distant China, but the sheer joy of my kids certainly overwrites those memories (and it wasn't that bad anyway - it's not like we had to sleep at the airport, be cold or without food like sometimes happens to people who travel).

My son has even stopped coughing again - the so-called "Beijing lungs" returned pretty quick after the Bali "cleansing" trip in December following those record-breaking (sadly not in an good sense) pollution days - but just one night in Philippines seems to have wiped it all away again!

A day of swimming between the pool and beach, watching cartoons from the bathtub, fun time at kids play area and an afternoon nap outside. It was simple but pure #happiness. I hope there is much more of that to come. What was your moment of #happiness today? 

pure joy and #happiness 

#happiness is a nap with a friend - the Red firetruck

#happiness of finding a play area and learning new skills

Here's a perfect day trip from Beijing to a mountain destination where the clear air is almost guaranteed - as is good exercise: Cloud Covered Mountain in Huairou District. I would recommend going in the fall as in the spring the nature is still rather bare, and summer is likely to be very hot and requires you to carry an extra load of water along the way. The hike is relatively easy, but it helps to be a bit fix climbing up and down the mountain, reaching the top at 1414m. The views from the top, as well as on the way to the top are amazing, with craggy peaks stretching far into the horizon. 

As the route is a loop, it will actually wind around the mountain giving also the view of the Miyun Reserve and more agricultural view on the other side. The location is somewhat remote, so take plenty of drinks and a packed lunch to go - there are great placed to enjoy your food on the way, or on the viewing area when you reach the top. There are no restaurants, but in two places locals are selling drinks and little snacks - on the top viewing area and at the point where the loop meets again. 

We made it to the peak - lovely views on such a clear and crisp (only in the shadows though, the sunny peak was pretty warm) September day

The guide book estimated the look walk time at 5 hours, but we did it on a bit over 3h since we didn't have kids with us. This is certainly good exercise with going up and down the mountain, and sometimes the rather narrow path goes right on the side of the steep mountain too

This should be your starting point for the hike: after byuing the ticket drive up the road (yes, even a minivan will make it but it'll be a bit rought going here are there) to a parking area near this little "holiday village". Otherwise you'll probably add at least two hours to your hike! 

Up the stone steps and between the large boulders we go...

In the fall you can taste some local fruit from the trees 

Magnificent craggy peaks

Like with hiking always, do not go alone and tell someone where you go. If you take your driver tell him the route in advance and advice when he should look for help if you are not back from your hike - mobiles do not always work, and emergency phones (like this pictured) have been vandalized

A view on the backside of the hike - getting close to the stair section

The landscape changed when you approach the top and you'll walking a long way along these stairs and paths when you continue to the other side of the peak 

Stair climbing - fun and good exercise

We've reached the top!

Little springs by the path are great spots to stop by and enjoy the nature 

A coffee break in the french patisserie felt very rewarding after all that exercise and fresh air!

My review of the Cloud Covered Mountain - Yunmeng Shan (云蒙山): Excellent 
Address: Liulimiao Town, Huairou District -怀柔区琉璃庙镇 (appr 85km from Beijing)
Opening hours & fees: Daily Mar-Oct, closed winter. RMB 36 (adults), RMB 18 (kids)

I had a lot of people asking about the pollution over the weekend - sadly Beijing and many Eastern and Northern parts of China were on the news everywhere with the  pollution levels going way over the scale - apparently the highest measure recorded was over 900, when the scale ends in 500, and the Worldwide definition for clean air that everyone should have is 25! As a generic rule we don't usually go outside if the pollution goes over 200, for even measures above 100 are bad for asthma sufferers - and there are three of us in our family! 

Therefore we stayed in all those nasty days. This morning it was looking to be going into a better direction: we woke up with a measure of 99, but by the time we made to the school it was again nearly 170. however, we managed to see some sun and even blue sky. The kids school is outside the city centre and most of the time the air is way better there...Anyway, let me present an ordinary drive to school: not so many things to see due to the fog... althought the potential on a clear day is to spot some impressive buildings, few temples and pretty landscape too!

Our 1h drive to school starts. Kids are screaming excitedly: "Look mommy we can see the sun and it's red today!"

Since we are heading out of the city the traffic is relatively lighted than going into the city. Pollution level 99 and visibility maybe 150m (150+ yards)

The day is getting lighter, but the visibility is getting worse 

Approaching the airport, meaning that we are more on the countryside. Visibility down to 100m or so 

The sun is going up: pretty colours but so much haze around still 

Exiting the highway after these road tolls, outside the city and a bit clearer for a while 

I spy blue sky! I can't remember when I last saw this sight 

But sadly this is a sight one sees everywhere, aroun d80% of the energy is produced by burning coal and those places are scattered around the housing and all over the city. The same goes for factories, this one is very close to the kids school...

But sadly looks can be deceiving. In three hours the pollution has jumped from 99 and 319, which normally is considered as an emergency reading. This is the city centre reading though, and ours is a bit less at the moment. However, an hour in the car and just few minutes outside and my eyes are burning, my throat hurts and I've got a slight headache. I really fel bad for those hundreds of millions of Chinese people who have to spend their whole life  in these conditions. 

And day two of the packing started. So our story in China is coming to an end; much sooner than expected, but under the circumstances of the pollution levels I am quite happy to be leaving to the vibrant London. Note the local newspaper on the table - this is the first time ever the Chinese government is letting country's papers to write so openly about the issues. In the picture poor kids going to school wear face masks in order to avoid pollution as well as the spread of flu as people have not been taking their flu shots. Not a very nice lifestyle...What is now more of a norm morning should only be an exception!

And here's some more pretty pictures from Forbidden City - a continuation for my previous post {see here pt1}. Gates, rooftop details, fish ponds - this is a place to remember: hhundreds of years of history and so many emperors in one site. For getting a good overview of the city center and Forbidden City Jingshan Park, a former Imperial garden, is the place to go to: it is an artificial hill North of the Forbidden City with five viewing pavilion overlooking the city. 

I truly liked Forbidden City- in some parts with no crowds I just closed my eyes, waited for the feeling of the time stopping, getting quiet, and just enjoying the surroundings. I s could almost see in my mind robed people walk around doing their jobs in the days gone by... 

Gate after gate -all in imperial colours of red, yellow and green 

Gold fish, or more often Koi carps are normally find in every palace and temple too, note the area in the middle where people try to throw their money... 

...and good many people succeeded in it too - I spy even some notes there!

Long, walled corridors - no much space for hiding here 

A really old bench- very imaginative 

Dragons on rooftops

Beautiful and detailed 

Interesting details everywhere

The clocks given to Emperors are very imaginative and ornate 

Beautiful pavilion 

Approaching the exit, see on the opposite hill the three pavilions in Jingshan park

The moat surrounding Forbidden City is very wide 

Entrance to the Jingshan Park, I like the fact that all tickets are very pretty and good memorabilia and perfect for the scrapbook also

Water planting in giant pots

Jingshan park view over Forbidden City - the area is enormous! (sadly the day was a bit foggy)

Jinsghan Park view to Beihai park - white Dagoba and the lake 

Left side pavilions in Jingshan park 

Impressive Paifang - an architectural gate inside Jingshan Park

As Forbidden City is rather bare from trees and plants, it was refreshing to see some greenery in Jingshan Park

Peeking in - this building in Jingshan was not open to the public, but one could see some lovely statues 

Got to love them lions!

Every park seems to have some impressive flower displays 

My review of Jingshan park (Yingshan Gongyuan, or Prospect Hill - 景山公园 -  (Gongyuan means park in Chinese): good (excellent for Forbidden City views)
Address: No.44 Jingshanxijie, Xicheng District, BeiJing
Opening hours: 06:30 – 20:00/ 21:00 summer time, Entrance fee 2RMB

"This artifical hill and adjoining park is a relacing little haven with some nice greenery. it is almost free to access, and best known for unbeatable views over the Forbidden City and towards the Beihai Park. Good for kids also, worth visiting at least once."
{See here my Forbidden City review}

Since the area is so large; 183 acres (or 74 hectares), you have a choice of different routes - the one in the central or either east of west side, each of which have 6 large palaces. The things I found interesting in the area (besides just wandering around, which I did for several hours) were the exhibitions of royal furniture and clothing, golden tea sets and the amazing clocks, which were gifted by heads of nations all over the world. One of the most interesting buildings for me was an old outdoor theatre and the building opposite to it where the empress sat and watched the performances.  

One thing to know though is that you are supposed to walk through the palace area and exit at the other end (over 900 m away from starting point), so keep that in mind if you have a driver picking you up. Also, when you take the exit there is a park called Jingshan right opposite to the Forbidden City. It is rather small and the entrance fee is only 2RMB (0.3 USD) - it would worth seeing in itself, but the main reason why you should climb up to this park is the unbeatable views over the Forbidden City, Beihai Park - and the city center in general. Those views are breathtaking, even on a foggy day. See my second post for more pictures on Forbidden City and Jingshan Park (see part2 here). 

{See here also for a Travel China's Guide - great link for Forbidden City maps, which you can print in advance} 
{See here also for their great guide for the palaces in the Forbidden City.}  

Enter through the Golden River Bridges to the first courtyard - the access to first couple of courtyards is free 

Second courtyard and Tian'anmen Gate

People rub these knobs on the massive gates for good luck (and this is why probably some are missing too...) - For Chinese red and gold (or yellow) are lucky colours. Yellow means respect and yellow roofs were only used in imperial buildings, and red walls stood for emperors hope for national stability. Green roofs in Forbidden City were the residences of imperial children. 

A river runs through - there is also a wide moat running around the whole Forbidden City 

Should have brought someone with me who can read Chinese! Not every buildings is accessible for tourist, but certianly many enough

Women Gate

Some of the buildings have really beautiful detailed decorations 

Once you proceed beyond the Imperial Palace and deeper into the grounds there are less crowdss as people disperse in different directions (note that there aren't always sings to steer you or they might be just in Chinese, so be ready to just explore your way around the place...) 

Supreme Harmony Hall 

Instead of going through the main temples one can also surpass throuhg the side hallways 

Every building and staircase have carved details 

Many buildings are empty, but some remains of grandeur can still be seen 

Old pots 

There is a lot of see around Forbidden City too - here one can see on the nearby hill the White Dagoba of Beihan Park (see my post about lovely Beihai here)

I love the entrances and gates in Forbidden City - beautiful details and vibrant colours everywhere!

The gatekeeper

Golden tea set with pearls 

Amazing doorway and the ornate ceiling 

An interesting headdress 

Amazing wall and ceiling details, all those details! Colour painting also protects the wooden structures 

I found this elephant very cute 

There are also more secluded areas where one can stop and rest a little 

My review of the Forbidden City (Gu Gong - 故宫 ) : Excellent 
Address: Add: No.4 Jingshan Front Street,Dongcheng District, Opening Hour: 8:30-17:00
Entrance Fee: RMB 60

"So many things to see here - book at least half a day for this destination, and avoid weekends and high tourist seasons. Well suitable for kids too, but you'll end up walking a lot. You get a great mix of history of Ming and Qing Dynasties: buildings, clothing, artifacts, presents given to the Imperial family. You find interesting tidbits such as the last emperor's study area and first phone line in Beijing! At the end of the visit go to the Jingshan park for an overall view of the grand Forbidden City - very impressive. This is a visit to remember!

Note: If you are using a taxi tell them to go to Gu Gong, or they will not likely understand where you want to go to"

..yes, the snow! I've been before in places colder than this (the lowest in Beijing I've seen by far has been -19c/-2F) but normally this coldness comes with snow. So where is my snow? Maybe we need to head to a skiing resort next weekend to get the real feel.

Meanwhile, the kids got to explore first time ever a frozen lake and some ice skating is planned afterwards. Oh those memories, I still remember when I went with my husband for his first walk on the frozen sea in Finland. Apparently it is a pretty memorable thing - walking on water (albeit frozen, but still)...

First time on ice and it's so much fun! Slippery and things to see: layers of ice, oxygen bubbles, cracks, frozen leafs...

Poor ducks can't get into water...

Ice fun the Chinese way for non-skaters

Ice fishing - the fishermen keep fishing no matter what the weather is like!

This little fashionista has been skiing in the garden every day - and is now ready for larger slopes 

So cool, I can jump into the ice...this is fun! 

This is winter Beijing style - not much, but this little amount of snow & ice has been on the ground for over a month already...

One September morning we decided to escape the grey and polluted city and picked Miao Feng Shan mountain as our destination. It houses the ancient Huiji Temple which consists of eight shrines - the most important one being the Goddess Temple.

There is a white pagoda in front of the temple, A very impressive dragon, and of course a lot of stairs to climb to the top temple. In spring/early summer one can also hike to the rose valley - we did also this but obviouslty there was no roses in bloom, but the surroundings were really pretty. Also, on this side of the mountain we got to enjoy blue sky and sushine! 
 

Entrance to the mountain road - we picked a day when they had a biking festival to the mountain also... 

Temple entrance - a very impressive dragon. The square has little stone tables and stools so enjoyed a little snack here 

White pagoda in front of the temple 

The views are impressive, even if the day is a bit hazy 

This blue warrior scared my son a lot!

Next stop - the mountain top temple. Lots of stairs!

Little covered walkway and flower garden 

Up we go!

Views from the top temple 

The "exercise" part is over and we are ready for a little adventure - a walk into the forest and unknown... 

The rose garden, no roses this time of the year but lovely butterflies and creepy crawlers for kids to look at. If you continue down the valley the nature is lust and very pretty  

Typical for temple - little wishes tied into a tree 

The parking lot offers some souvenirs shopping and incense for the temples 

My review of  Miao Feng Shan Mountain and Temple -北京旅游网 : Good+
Location: Jiangou Village, north of Mentougou District (appr. 55km/34 miles of Beijing)
Entrance fee: 30 rmb, open 7-18 (7-17 winter time), tel. 010-61882936

" A beautiful and less crowded destination up in 1290m hign mountain top (4230 ft) in Mentougou District (the road is very bendy and ends in the temple). The temple is old and destination for pilgrims (April brings the pilgrimage events and spring has trees in pretty blooms), but not as elaborate and large area as many other temples in the region. The views from the top are breathtaking, and it's wortd adding a little hike beyond the rose garden to the valley on the other side.

Our kids loved exploring the area, and although the hike to the top was steep, it wasn't too long for even the 3-year-olds. Most of the temple area is beautifully restored, but some work was still under way during our visit. The restaurant seemed closed at the time, but there was a little shop selling drinks, snacks and ice creams. Once you travel this far away from the city it is a great opportunity to combine the agenda and visit some other sights on the way home. On our way back we also visited another, larger temple area called Jietai Si and nearby Tanzhe Si nearly is worth a visit, but reserve enough time for the latter as there is a lot to see.(see map link here)" 

Little things make a big difference. Big things make even a bigger difference. Change of scene, a little more sun, a little (or a lot) less pollution, and that basic element - the beautiful, ever-changing sea.

I've been inspired again, by the beauty of an island, the turquoise water, burning red sunsets, happy and trusting people ("you can pay tomorrow" was not a rare thing to hear!), bold colours of enchanting flowers, and those soft sandy beaches. Tropical drinks at sunset. Happy tunes from the band playing by the beach. These memories will carry me over the bleak and cold winter for sure...

The amazing red sunset backdrop for Balinese dance at a cliff-top temple 

Warm, soft and peaceful - oh the joy this brings to kids...

So, so true!
{via}

Greetings from Bali Indonesia. In preparation of our first ever tropical Christmas, I've been taking some cute Christmas-sy pictures with lights in our resort, the lovely Westin Nusa Dua. Admittedly some of the lights are not Christmas lights, but cute lighting and fire pits in the evening look always nice and so romantic, especially while playing some mellow music on the background and enjoying a tropical cocktail ...  

Yes, this place is lovely in real life too - not only in the pictures! Mood lighting and cozy seating for a drink at dusk 

Yes, these lovely pool gazebos really have Christmas light and decor hanging in the ceiling 

Romantic by the pool 

So romantic at dusk 

Snow has that magical effect - those first flakes falling down, the soft white quilt covering the ground and the trees... We've been enjoying a few days of snow already, and yes, it's definitely feeling more Christmas-sy. This morning the kids even skied to the school bus - and would have liked ski all the way to the school. Way to go!

Add some gingerbread, gold coins, Christmas cards. The fire is on, a slide of Italian Christmas delicatessen - panettone - is on my plate along with a cup of mulled wines. Kids are singing Christmas carols. 10 days to go! 

10 minutes after this got placed on the table I head" Mom, can we eat it now!" No sweetie, let mommy at least take a picture first... 

The back...

...the side view... 

...and Mr Santa on the front. Today here, tomorrow maybe gone...

Opa Beijing style. Note the lovely broom, made out of flowers and twigs. Not for rigorous sweeping - mine flew over the fall when I was trying to speed-sweet and burn some calories...

This ski patrol did not want to stop skiing even though it got dark!

Faster, run faster!

Yes, it's getting white everywhere

A walk in the snow would be great now  

It might not be Friday yet, but this certainly is one curious Friday story. It start with a pretty little tube - containing the first ever school picture with all our children in it (alongside with some thousand other kids). So I started to open it, roll it open, and some more, and some more...

In the end I was thinking, yes it's cute but honey, we need a room for the photo! I am not sure if we have too many uninterrupted walls without windows or something else for a school photo sized at 3m (nearly 10ft) x 30cm (1ft). And don't even start talking about framing the photo! Here in China things certainly are done differently - sometimes on purpose, more often accidentally...wonder into which category this photo falls into? 

It's shoe box time. As our kids now go to an English school, they follow the English tradition of making shoe boxes for kids around the world who are less well off. As there is plenty of poverty in China, our school will be sending the shoe boxes to needy children in Beijing. The appeal comes with a basic wish list. where one can then add some additional items, but considering the weather here our wish list included mittens, hat and s scarf, tooth brush and toothpaste, crayons and a note book, bag of candy and some toy for the child. The hardest part was to find warm mittens and things without having to pay a fortune (a store nearby us had hats priced at $40 USD/25GBP which is just ridiculous when even the Target in US sometimes had those items in their dollar bins and their work fine unless it's really - I should know as my son still happily wears his blue bear mittens). 

As we moved not long ago I did a good spring clean and got rid of all the shoe boxes, so we used old gift bags instead. But I am thinking that it would have been hard to fit much stuff besides the clothing in a little shoe box! So here are our shoe boxes, but together with a lot of though and love from the kids, and their contents were done for kids to similar ages of their own. My guess is that some of you may recognize some items here from earlier posts - we ransacked my "gift reserves", which included excess goody bag items from previous parties - such as the cute little tote bags, silly bands and creepy crawlers! 

The kids also wanted to add their little "customised" present - so they created a crafting kit full of different materials. We are hoping that the kids who received these packages will have fun time with those, as families who struggle to even clothe and feed themselves most likely have never had money to buy supplies - and the kids very likely have not had a change to do much, if any, crafting before. 

Tigger is a winner in the box of Master H. There is also a Lighting McQueen plate covered by creepy crawlers and play dough 

The box of Miss C. Comes with a cuddly blanket and a pink unicorn. Added fun factor for a little girl from a pink wand and hair clips 

The box of Miss A. for a girl between 6-9 years old. Main attraction build-a-bear set, cute little storage container and lots of stationary

one, two, three - our "shoe boxes" are ready to go to school for collection!

Here's a place one should not miss in Beijing. The artful master of tea - Green T House Living. But not just for the tea, but a meal for all senses with a beautiful presentation, east-meets-west cuisine and the longest list of specialty teas I've ever seen (presented in a really thick book). The space is also a piece of art of its own, and they sell some lovely books, teas and other products there also.

The time stops in this place - it is for relaxation, good company and peace and quiet. And certainly no crowds here. Both the food and service are excellent, and the only con for the place would be the price, but even that really is at par with other quality establishments. 

Visit also their websites to find out about events and workshops they organise. And once you are in the area don't miss the art galleries next door, as a whole this is certainly a unique and calming experience. And I should also mention that this is not only my opinion of the place as Green T House is also 2010 Wallpaper Design Award winner. A lovely place altogether!

My review of Green T House Living tea house/restaurant/art space: Excellent 
Address: 中華人民共和國 北京市崔各庄乡合各庄村318号 / No.318 Cuigezhuang Xiang Hegezhuang Cun, Chaoyang District (tel. 010-64342519), open 11.00-23.00

" A sensory experience of tasty, well-presented food, excellent service, lovely calming music and beautiful surroundings inside out. Take your time to enjoy the place. I think this place would be well-suited for a romantic dinner and I would be more enjoyable without little kids as there is no play area and there is valuable art on display."