Over winter break I was incredibly lucky to have my two older daughters visit me. Having been in China only 5 months it seemed a little early to head back home! Instead we spent the winter break exploring Suzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. There was a cold snap which was a little cooler than I had experienced in a long time – even living in the far south of NZ.
Shanghai in December
We went to Shanghai from Dec 23-26 and loved the festive spirit of the city. There were so many Christmas markets and many of the buildings decorated. I bought tickets in Nov for the Christkindlmarkt (German Christmas market) knowing I wanted us to go on the 24th and tickets would probably sell out quite quickly. This market did not disappoint, from the music to the lights, to the eggnog and mulled wine and all the potential gifts on sale. The mood was festive and the food was delicous. This market is an annual event which I totally recommend.
Dec 25th Festive Lunch
Lunch at the Westin
This was my first Christmas in 20+ years where it was going to be quite different. It was important to me to be able to feel the festive mood with the family. We decided to have Christmas lunch at the Westin Bund Centre Shanghai – The Stage and it was amazing. A beautiful buffet of all sorts of tasty food plus entertainment. It was a brilliant way to spend the day.
