Jingxi

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page."
Saint Augustine

Think I've mde it into the first chapter then.

On day two of stay in Shanghai we booked a visit to the nearby water towns, shades of Venice in the Orient.  A couple of hours travel out of Shanghai but we get to see some more of the city, plus the surrounding countryside.  I'm also aware as we travel that there are overhead cameras recording the traffic passing through, obviously wanting to make the British tourists feel at home jha ha].

First stop is Zhouzhuang, a town famous for its canals, in Jiangsu province.  It's a popular tourist destination, at least with the Chinese.  We don't see any European faces during our tour of the town, which is bustling with busloads of Chinese tourists.  Like Venice it's also packed with tourist places selling just about anything you could want, and a few things you wouldn't want.  Very picturesque, if a bit damp to start - yes, another soggy day in Shanghai.  Well, a town built on canals, must be some water around.  We stop at one of the many canalside restaurants for lunch, which is another filling meal.  Todays speciality was pork, rice and fresh vegetables - don't ask me what, they tasted good, and of course the fish soup.  We left the table in much the same mess as yesterday, chopstick skills still pretty basic.

Several stops on the walk back to the pick-up point for souvenir shopping, with K managing to drive a few bargains before we left.  Some beautiful paintings and silks, must-haves as reminders of the visit here.

Next stop Jingxi, another water town which seems far more authentic to its origins.  Much quieter, not many tourists - I think we were the rush hour traffic.  We have a boat trip on the canals, serenaded by our oarswoman before a leisurely walk through the old town.  The photo is of one of the lion dogs guarding the entrance to the town.  The bridge was once the only means of crossing to the village - other than by boat of course.  If anything the hazy damp atmosphere added to the enjoyment of the visit.  Chilly though, my ski jacket, which I thought wouldn't be needed until our return home, was worth its weight in gold today.