Food. Travel. China.
My first encounter with the Grand Canal (some 32 years ago) was a slightly creepy overnight trip on a rust-bucket barge. I will never forget our cabin window, half submerged below the murky water line, as we travelled from Hangzhou 杭州 to Suzhou 苏州 (south-west of Shanghai). The water towns of that region are now…
This is the 3rd time in recent years that we have been the gracious recipients of a festive gift-box of 60 fresh eggs. But it’s probably the first time I have had the language skills to ask about the significance of the gift…and with any hope of understanding the reply. Like Christmas or Thanksgiving, Chinese…
In China, it has become increasingly hard to find ancient villages that remain relatively untouched by the ugly rush of modern development or the sticky lure of tourism. Few get the balance right. And, you have to drive through a lot of faceless towns to find the real gems. Xigubao isn’t devoid of tourists but…
