Hutongs and Houhai Lake Beijing

Beijing has gone through such a change, in the last five years since we’ve been here.

The first noticeable change, is that….. The place is really clean.
Even the air feels cleaner than it did five years ago.

The streets are lined with many trees, and flowering annuals, the sidewalks are not broken down, and the place feels pleasant.

The second noticeable change, is that the place sounds and feels so…….QUIET….
Who would believe it….but it is true.
The constant car horn honking is basically gone.

On our first day, we strolled around the Houhai lake.
We sat in a restaurant by the lake and ate some dishes that we never tried before.
The most memorable one was organic greens, which dripped an amazing  purple color juice.
It was tender and tasty.

On our walk, we tried some speciality baked flat breads, and a sesame sweet rolls, from a small bakery with a tiny window, selling to street walkers.
They were fresh, warm, and tasty. 

We walked in and out of many Hutongs, until our legs could carry us no more.

The club level of our hotel, offers us refreshments and nibbles all day, so we sat to look at things online, check our emails and refresh our spirits.

A long hot bath and an amazingly good shower, (which is more luxurious than the shower we have at home,) left me dizzy and sleepy.
I slipped into a white fluffy bathrobe and fell asleep in the most comfortable bed