But then the lions were getting restless.
So off we headed in search of duck, through the restored and rebuilt shopping district.
Found it! The tradition recipe, going back 600 years.
And then waiting for the duck. With Ye Di and Yijia, our guides pressed into service by our friends.
Finally the ducks arrived!
And were quickly and expertly dissected.
Replete, our guides joined us while our friends went off to visit relatives. A short subway trip later we were at the Temple of Heaven, and huge park with two Ming era alters that were used each winter to bring good harvests.
We noticed that the guidebooks always photograph the temple against a brilliant blue sky. That wasn't on for us. And there is some suspicion that a little bit of photo retouching involved.
And everywhere we looked there were dragons!
Even in the age-old juniper the Nine Dragon Tree.
Another interesting tandem taxi trip across town to pick up our suitcases and move us on to a charming little courtyard hotel. Followed by a light dinner of Beijing snacks which once more had us rolling out the door and a walk home in the light rain. Fortunately arriving just before the thunderstorm hit.
It turns out that rain jackets are not that great to use in Beijing during the summer. They are far too hot. Umbrellas are used as a shield against the sun and rain, but we didn’t know that when we set out. Our guides also advised us that due to the pollution, we should rinse the rain off our skin when we went home.
On the other hand, there was this sesame and nut soup that seemed to consist mostly of ground sesame with a bit of red bean. It felt as if it should be sweet, but wasn’t. Still incredibly rich and good. A bit like drinking peanut butter.
Then there were the little buns stuffed with meat. I found out later they are sometimes called “Chinese hamburgers.” Not at all. The proper name is “rou jia mo” (pronounced row-jia-mo.” The meat is frequently lamb, beef, or pork. As long as it is fatty and spicy.
- Bess
It turns out that rain jackets are not that great to use in Beijing during the summer. They are far too hot. Umbrellas are used as a shield against the sun and rain, but we didn't know that when we set out. Our guides also advised us that due to the pollution, we should rinse the rain off our skin when we went home.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, there was this sesame and nut soup that seemed to consist mostly of ground sesame with a bit of red bean. It felt as if it should be sweet, but wasn't. Still incredibly rich and good. A bit like drinking peanut butter.
Then there were the little buns stuffed with meat. I found out later they are sometimes called "Chinese hamburgers." Not at all. The proper name is "rou jia mo" (pronounced row-jia-mo." The meat is frequently lamb, beef, or pork. As long as it is fatty and spicy.