Long Gone in Hong Kong: Shanghai

We spent this past weekend touring a little bit of Shanghai. We planned to go with 2 other couples (Bethany & Sage, and Rebecca & Damien). I flew in Friday night and joined Michael, who had been working there since Wednesday.

I LOVED Shanghai and cannot wait to go back! The World Expo begins May 1, so we were definitely seeing the city with a fresh coat of paint, and it was impressive. The architecture and skyline are magnificent. There are trees, grass, hydrangea bushes, and gardens throughout the city. There are brick walkways, and cars that don't honk at every second.

We arrived about 9:45 and went straight to dinner. Rebecca had a friend living here, so we joined him, and 30 of his other closest ex-patfriends. It was an interesting dinner to say the least. We had every type of Uyghur food imaginable. Uyghur food has a bit of Muslim/Chinese influence.

Not the first taste of Shanghai I was anticipating, but it was such a fun night.

The next day we spent some time walking around Xintiandi. We had the most perfect day. It was about 65 degrees with zero humidity. It was bliss. Pure bliss. Xindiandi is just the cutest area...outdoor shopping and restaurants, tree lined streets. If I closed my eyes a little, I thought I was maybe in Phillips Place. (I think I'm starting to get a wee bit homesick, and need my NC fix). Michael kept reminding me we were NOT in Phillips Place, but CHINA.

Rebecca was our party planner, and had scoped out every restaurant months in advance. We had an amazing lunch here, at Villa du Lac.

After lunch, we toured the Shanghai Art Museum.

And did some more strolling through town.

Bethany was in search of dumplings, and we found the BEST Xiao Long Bau at Yang's Fry Dumpling. When you come and visit me, I'll introduce you to my love affair with Xiao Long Bau.