Prague Part II

The official tour is over but we are still in Prague!

First, three things we forgot to mention in the previous post:
1. They pretty much have two brands of beer here, Pilsener Urquell, the original Pilsener brewed in Pilzen, Czech, and Budweiser (Budvar), the original Budweiss beer, which tastes pretty much like Bud at home. In other words, flavored water. (Oh....they also have "erdbeer", but that's just the German word for strawberry!)
2. Most street intersections contain a "zebra", a black-and-white striped crosswalk. So unlike places such as Rome or Hanoi where you put your head down (No eye contact!) and walk across the street as the cars and motorbikes whiz by you on both sides, here, when a pedestrian is on the zebra the cars all stop! Amazing!!!
3. In the old town there are a lot of street musicians. But we're not talking about two guys with drumsticks banging on empty plastic pails (like in Chicago); here we have seen (singly or in groups up to 5) people playing flute, bass violin, accordian, violin, guitar, trombone, and bassoon (!). Quite a lovely sound.

Friday was an absolutely perfect day.  We actually slept late (well....til 7:30) and then a leisurely breakfast with some of the other Tauckies who stayed extra.

Then we walked to Wenceslaus Square. St. Wenceslaus is the patron saint of the country. This square was the site of the massive demonstrations in 1968 and the Velvet Revolution in 1989. So what better thing to do from there than to go to the Museum of Communism! We were anxious to see how this compared to the Communism exhibit at the National Museum of Bejing (see last year's trip post). The focus of this exhibit, unlike the one in China, was on how bad Communism was for Czechoslovakia! It started with a little history of the post-WWI period and then focused on the end of WWI and beyond. Much of it was told using photographs, materials (e.g., a Soviet-era classroom), and propagandistic posters of the era. There was a separate area showing how bad Communism still is in North Korea (photos of starving people, tortured people, etc.). The whole thing was very well done. This poster, an advertisement for the museum, pretty well sums up the Czechs' feelings.

Then we headed to the Jerusalem (aka Jubilee) Synagogue. This large, ornate synagogue (on Jerusalem Street!), was opened in 1906. It has a Moorish design, unlike the Gothic ones we saw earlier. It also has an organ and beautiful stained glass windows, which include the names of those who (apparently) donated the money for them. Best of all we could take pictures inside!

As a bonus, there are two excellent permanent photo exhibits upstairs in the former "women's" section. One is "A History of the Jewish Community of Prague from 1945 to the Present"; the other is "Jewish Monuments of Bohemia and their Restoration After 1989".

Then a stroll through the square back to the edge of the old Jewish ghetto to a fantastic lunch at Cantonnetta Fiorentina (OK, even though it was Italian it was highly recommended), which, until last year was called "Pravda" (Russian for "truth").  It was about 2:00, since we decided to do a late lunch and skip dinner becasue of the opera. Of course we ate outside. Wendy had a whole bronzini which was expertly filleted at our table. Wayne had linguine with baby clams in an olive oil - butter sauce. Both were divine. Dessert was a large caramel profiterole and a red fruit crostada slice. Bellisimo!

We walked back through the square one more time, did a little gift shopping, and then went to the hotel to get dressed.

Unlike the theater in Vienna, the attire at this theater was not quite as showy. Yes, there were many people dressed up (as were we), but many others had more casual dress. In fact, we saw a woman wearing shorts! (Not the same woman as in Vienna). Our perception was that this crowd was more made up of tourists than locals (e.g., one Japanese woman was wearing a kimono!).

As we mentioned in the previous post, this was a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni. The music, libretto (super-titled in both Czech and English), and the men's costuming were all as they were in 1787, but the staging and women's costuming were definitely very modern. For those who may not be familiar with the story, here is a good synopsis of the opera: http://www.musicwithease.com/don-giovanni-synopsis.html

Basically, Don Giovanni is a womanizer (note his awesome pompadour in the picture; no wonder the ladies couldn't resist him!). He goes from affair to affair, accompanied by his servant Leporello (who, in our opinion, was the star of the show), leaving anger, tears, and bodies in his wake. Of course, at the end, as in all operas, he dies.

It was a wonderful performance made even more impressive by the fact that we were seeing it in the same place as it premiered 125 years ago.

Saturday, our real last day, was again....perfect. The weather forecast was sunny and upper 70s as we started out for a day at Petrin Hill, which rises 130m just on the other side of the river. To get there we first had to take the subway (which features one of the steepest, fastest escalators we have ever been on.....needed a Dramamine just for that!). Then a subway ride from the Nam. Republiky station to the Narodni Trida station. Then we hopped aboard the #22 street car and got off on Uvezd street. Then we rode the funicular to the top of the hill! Wow! (A note about the mass transit system: it is just like in Budapest: the honor system. You buy a ticket - good for 30 minutes of travel, for 90 minutes, or a full day - then you put it in a machine to stamp the time. But there are no gates or turnstiles! And no one ever checked our ticket! They just trust that you will be honest. Hmmm.....).

Petrin Hill is a huge park with rose gardens and other attractions. For example, the Monastery / Library mentioned in the previous post is there. This time we visited the lookout tower. We climbed the 299 stairs to the top of this 60 meter miniature version of the Eiffel Tower (it was built by the Eiffel Company), built in 1891. The top gave a tremendous view of the entire city. Then we walked down (could have taken the elevator either way, but what fun is that?)

Then we went into the Mirror Labyrinth, which was also built for the Prague Jubilee Exhibition in 1891. This features a pathway through a "maze" of odd-angled walls that are covered with mirrors. As soon as you walk in, you are reflected to eternity from all sides. It was almost impossible to know which way to walk without whamming into a mirror!

And even though we have been eating a lot, we haven't gotten any wider, only taller!

Next we walked to fnd St. Michael's Church, a wooden structure moved here from the Ukraine in the 1920s. Alas, the winding paths and poor signage did us in and we never got there. But we did end up at the park restaurant where we had planned to eat lunch. Alack, the main dining area was closed for a wedding! So we had to content ourselves with tuna and hard boiled egg on white bread, with appropriate beverages, while we sat outside and looked over the city. Not too shabby!

Then a walk down the hill, into town, over the Charles Bridge and back to our hotel to relax and prepare for our final dinner. We were hot and exhausted!!!!!!

Well....we had intended for this to be the last post of this trip, and to include the Prague food report, but we've been having so much fun and doing so much that we just didn't have the time. So there will be a final post (including tonight's dinner!) after we get home on Sunday. Or Monday.....depends how tired we are.

Until then,

love, w&w.

Prague for Foodies

OK.  We’re home; but before jet lag fully sets in, we want to finish out the trip blog—first with our meals in Prague… then with some closing thoughts.  First, the meals.  To paraphrase my uncle, if we “got the job done” in terms of eating in Budapest, we really hit it out of the ballpark in Prague.  (Of course, this is not to say that we didn’t eat well in the other cities.  We did.  We’ve only provided extra dining details for meals that were really memorable. )

As an aside, almost all of our restaurant picks were selected from the NY Times Travel city-specific blogs.  By googling “NYTimes best restaurants in Prague,” for instance, our search yielded approximately 50.  We narrowed the field and we’ll report on three here.  These three just happened to be recommended by our tour guide as well.  (The NYT blog has been invaluable to us since our Mumbai dining adventures two years ago.)

Our first evening in Prague we dined at Kampa Park--a trendy restaurant on the far side of the Charles Bridge in the picturesque  “Lesser Town” (Mala Strana).  Our seats were river-side so the view was great and the food was even better.

While we each started with Czech beverages (champagne and beer), the meal was not particularly Czech. Wendy’s first course was a velouté of crab with a caviar and crème fraiche garnish (we’re talking about an entire tin of red caviar here—self serve—and I assumed it would be a teaspoon!). 

Wayne’s starter was grilled sea scallops with capers, raisins, cauliflower, and beurre blanc—beautifully presented.  Wendy’s main was halibut poached in olive oil and served with black truffle garnish, crispy pancetta bacon, potato mash with French mustard and vegetable foam.  The dish was light, artfully presented, and very popular among other diners.  Wayne chose pepper steak with crispy potato pancake (a Czech specialty), and zucchini ribbons, nestled in a Cognac sauce.  Delectable. 

For the next course, Wayne had “chocolate cube with crème brulee” (the translation truly does detract from the dish); Wendy had chocolate lava cake—though the menu described it in a much more exciting manner—“chocolate fondant with beetroot sorbet, dark bread ice cream and toffee espuma.”    

You can never get too much foam in a meal which is why I closed it out with a cappuccino. Extra foam!  That said, we have decided we will curtail the foam in future trips—we can get that in Chicago! Good thing we had a long walk back to the hotel—back across the Charles Bridge and another 20 minutes.  But, the meal was lovely and worth every calorie (and Czech Crown).

The following evening, we treated ourselves to dinner at V Zatisi - another highly-rated restaurant.  This one is more eclectic—featuring both Indian and traditional Czech cuisine.  It was set back from the main square down a cobble-stoned street (oh, wait a minute, they’re all cobble-stoned in Prague).  The room was contemporary chic.  While you might think the combination of Indian and Czech flavors in one menu wouldn’t work, it did and the meal was fantastic.  Nothing like having naan as one of the many bread options—gotta love it.  Anyway, we both decided to sample from both menus.  Wayne started with Tiger Tandoori shrimp (which was perfectly flavored) and Wendy had a sampler plate of several small Indian bites—including a delicately-sized bowl of delicious curried tomato lentil soup. 

The Indian option was a creative and welcome alternative to the usual smoked salmon appetizer (though that has been quite yummy).  We went Czech with our mains—Wendy had roast duck with two types of cabbage and fresh herb dumplings...

Wayne had pork belly glazed with honey, barley risotto, and horse-radish flavored apple sauce. 

For dessert:  Wendy had tandoori pineapple with pistachio gelato and Wayne had four flavors of sorbet.  Let’s just say steer away from tandoori pineapple, doesn’t work.  

For our last dinner in Prague, we decided to go traditional.  We chose The Blue Duckling (or in Czech in case you were wondering:  “Restaurant U Modré Kachnicky.” ) This place, also in the Mala Strana district, has been in business over 150 years and has been frequented by many political and pop celebrities, so we had to try it.

The menu was translated into 5 languages, but we didn’t feel like this was a “tourist” restaurant.  And the experience did not disappoint.  The décor was classic (and, in some respects, kitchy) Czech—with more duck-themed décor that we ever thought possible in one restaurant (four floors). As one would expect, the specialty was duck—with eight duck entrees to choose among.  Here goes:  (1) Roast duck with walnut stuffing, red and white cabbage, potato dumpling,  (2) Roast duck with plum brandy sauce and potato pancakes, (3) Roast duck marinated with honey and apple brandy served with baked mashed potatoes (4) Roast duck with bacon brussel sprouts and garlic potato pancake, (5) confit duck roulade with liver and raw potato dumplings, (6) Flambeed duck breast spiked with dried apricots, red wine, and green pepper sauce with almond potato croquettes, (7) Duck breast roasted in ginger, marjoram, and bacon served with mashed potatoes, and (8) wild duck breasts spiked with Prague ham and cranberry sauce with raw potato dumplings.  So, we had….. duck!  Wendy had duck choice (2)...

and Wayne had duck choice (3). 

We steered clear of duck for the appetizer and dessert courses—but enjoyed our choices.  Wayne had a classic Czech wild mushroom/potato soup.  Wendy had roast asparagus.  For dessert, Wayne had the last piece of apple strudel he will probably have for six months as he is starting to resemble one and Wendy had fresh strawberries in puff pastry.  It was a wonderful meal to close out our trip (and to precede the all clear liquid diet that will probably be necessary for the next two weeks).

In closing, we would like to dedicate this trip to Wendy's dad who was absolutely captivated by Holocaust books, movies, and most everything related to WWII (he served in the Army of Occupation).  We booked the trip in February. Dad died in early April. I know he was definitely with both of us as we navigated our way through Central Europe—in all its splendor and historical depravity. When we booked the trip, we had no idea how powerful it would be.

We will be processing this voyage for some time.  We have been in 5 countries, used 4 different currencies, seen some amazing things, eaten lots of great food (countless pierogis and strudels!), and really learned a lot about the history of this region, the saga of our ancestors, and the specifics about our family.  Once again, thank you for joining us.

as always,

love, w&w.

Hong Kong: Are We In China Yet?

June 1, 2011

Nihao,

In a word: No. You may remember that Hong Kong was ceded from the British to the Chinese on July 1, 1997. But you probably don't realize that the agreement stipulated that Hong Kong is officially a "Special Administrative Region". That means it has its own government, a capitalistic economy, its own laws, no "One Child" policy, etc. For example, you don't need a visa to visit HK but you do need one for China. And, unlike what happened in many other countries when a new landlord took over (e.g., Viet Nam), it still has its original English street names (such as Chatham, Carnarvon, and Prince Edward), and children are still required to begin studying English when they enter kindergarten (although that is probably more for practical reasons than any lingering allegiance to Her Majesty). All of the street signs and other public info are in both English and Chinese. A little more background that we've learned: There are 7 million inhabitants, and the 200,000 Filipinos comprise the largest minority (can you spell "homogenous"?). We really should say "Filipinas" since most of them are here as domestics (nannies and housekeepers). Geographically, HK is comprised of the mainland peninsula of Kowloon and 200+ islands (the largest of which is Hong Kong Island).

OK. Now about our experience so far (note: we've been here since Saturday so there is a lot to relate! Also, our tour didn't actually start until Tuesday night, so the first 3 days we were on our own.): We arrived at the Shangri-La in Kowloon hotel about 6pm. We immediately noticed that the carpet in the elevator had a center medallion that said "Saturday" in English and Cantonese (or Mandarin...not sure which). We then went out to walk around the neighborhood. It looks an awful lot like many areas of Manhattan! It has the same "international" feel to it. Two big differences are: they drive on the wrong side of the street and there are many banners and lighted signs which hang across the streets. Yes....it also looks a lot like every "Chinatown" in every city we've seen. We had a light dinner in the hotel casual restaurant (steamed cod for Wendy and boiled chicken and rice (just like Gramma used to make!) for Wayne).  Our hotel overlooks Victoria Harbor (with HK Island across the water), so the next morning we got up early (and the elevator carpet did indeed say "Sunday"!) and walked on the Promenade along the waterfront. Part of this is HK's "Walk of the Stars", an homage to their movie industry, so there are hand prints in the cement and a big statue of Bruce Lee. We saw the sun come up and people doing tai chi. After breakfast we went down into the subway station, but did not take the train. Each station has a network of air-conditioned underground passages that lead off to many streets in that area. An excellent idea as by this time (9 am) it was already in the 90s with a humidity reading of about 175% (or so it felt). We walked about 3/4 of a mile to the next station and came out and were right at Kowloon Garden, a major park in the center of the city (but only about 2 blocks by 2 blocks big). There was an aviary and many ponds with fish and turtles, beautiful trees and flowers. Then we went back into the subway and actually rode the train. The MRT is very efficient (trains arrive about every 3 minutes!), extremely clean (no graffiti) and very quiet. It is easy to buy tickets from the machine: you press the name of the stop where you are going on the map and it tells you how much the ticket is! Our first ride was to a station 6 stops away and it cost about $1US each! Each train is made up of many cars, but there are no doors between them....so it is one huge tube with people walking through at ease (and of course "Mind the gap" when boarding or exiting). Since it was Sunday we thought it would be fairly empty, but no....we were stuffed in with a multitude of people. We got out and walked a block to the Wong Tai Sin Temple; lots of incense burning, chanting, and an 8 foot statue of each of the animals in the Chinese Zodiac. Right across the street was a mall, so we went in to get something to drink (HOT! DRY! THIRSTY!). Had a quick lunch at a Japanese eatery: we split another bowl of boiled chicken and rice! Plus cold beverages. Then back to the hotel on the subway. We were so enervated from the heat and had a little jet lag, so we napped for 2 hours.

If you have been reading this far you are probably perplexed why we haven't included a full-court press culinary description.  Well, here it is.  We chose two (off-tour) dinners in Hong Kong both written up in the NYTimes travel blog--Felix and Cuisine Cuisine. Restaurant Felix was first.  It is a chi chi fusion retaurant on the 28th floor of the Peninsula Hotel (the grande dame of hotels in HK).  The room is extraordinarily sophisticated and high tech and overlooks Victoria Harbor (and each night there is a laser light show from the tall buildings on both sides so we watched that as we ate).  The place was full of foodies with everyone snapping photos of every course and we were no exception.  Wayne started off with pan-fried scallops, green apple chutney and salad with Japanese pickled plum dressing.  It was exquisite and he proclaimed the "best scallops I have ever eaten."

I chose a crab and lemon confit with citrus-cardamon jell, braised endive and crunchy endive which was certainly the best (and only) crab and lemon confit I had ever eaten.  Very light and delectable. 

Our next course was a small cup of soup-- only notable because, apparently, there had been some error in the kitchen and they didn't want us to wait too long.  Piece de resistance came with the main dishes.  Wayne chose roasted chicken breast with spinach-stuffed chicken leg, black olive sauce and green mashed potatoes and I chose the challon duck breast, with szechuan pepper-teriyai sauce, green vegetables and spinach coulis. These dishes were inventive and fantastic. 

As previous readers know, there was never a dessert I didn't like.  I chose a caramelized mango and lemon cream sandwich with pistachio ice cream and mango coulis. 

It was among the top five desserts ever.  Oh my goodness.  Suffice it to say I did not do a good job of sharing.

Monday we took another early walk on the Promenade in the other direction. We commented on how quiet it was, and how little traffic, only to discover it was a Public Holiday in honor of the Dragon Boat Race! We also noticed on our many walks that there are no dogs or cats roaming around (and very few dogs on leashes either), and certainly no other animals (as we saw in India). No homeless people either. So while it certainly has the flavor of New York, it is still very much different from there or Hanoi or Delhi. (And, hardly anyone wears a hat or sunglasses!) After breakfast we took the subway to the area where there is: the Flower Market street, the Bird market Street (hundreds of birds of all sizes and colors in beautiful cages, and bags of live worms and grasshoppers to feed them!),

then the Ladies Market street, and the Pet Market Street (rabbits, turtles, other reptiles, etc.). We stumbled on another of those indoor food markets where they have 3 floors of live fish, freshly butchered meats, roasted chickens and geese (and "pick your own" live ones!), and stall after stall with rows of beautiful and exotic fruits and vegetables.

Then it was time for another light lunch. We opted for the Hotel's main floor sitting area and ordered dim sum. There were 8 pieces of delicious scallop, shrimp, pork and chicken "pot stickers"...and this was an order for 1 person!

Then we took the subway over to HK island. Aside from a narrow strip of land right on the water, the island is very mountainous. So we went on what is, according to Guiness, the world's longest escalator.  In actuality it is a series of escalators (at least 15 of them) that goes for almost 1/2 mile up to the top of one of the hills! It is elevated over the busier streets, and breaks at each smaller street along the way and then starts again on the other side!

It runs in a "down" direction only from 9 - 10 am each day so people can use it to get to work. Then it runs "up" from 10:20 until midnight. At the top, we took a circuitous route down the adjoining stairs...even going down it was hard work (and of course, it was tres hot!). Near the bottom we came across another market street with (again) fish, meats, flowers, and veggies.

Back on the subway to change for dinner.

Monday night dinner took us to "Cuisine, Cuisine" for an amazing Michelin-starred contemporary/traditional Cantonese feast.  This restaurant was situated at tree-top level of Kowloon Park and was decorated primarily green.  The room was stunning and quickly filled up; we were the only Caucasians there--generally a good sign that the food is superb and it did not disappoint.  The menu was probably 12 pages long--with seasonal options, set options, specialties, and food offerings by category. Since it was only the two of us, we needed to limit ourselves.  With the maitre’d's guidance, we chose an appetizer, two main dishes, fried vermicelli, and a dessert.  A word or two about Cantonese cuisine in HK so far.  The food is more delicate than the Chinese food we've known and loved at home.  No corn starch anywhere to be seen and each dish is pretty much limited to one or two key ingredients.  Presentation is everything.  We started with an appetizer of fried "duck fish" per our waiter's suggestion.  It was very lightly dusted--almost like a very upscale Cantonese fish'n'chips without the chips.  This was followed by barbequed  pork slices---not that different from BBQ pork we've had in the states. 

The next course was a seasonal specialty--spec prawns displayed on a tempura lotus blossom chip perched on a cucumber slice.  This was amazing and was accompanied by vermicelli wit barbeque pork and shrimp.  We closed out this luscious meal with fresh fruit (we are yearning for chocolate already). All in all, the food was ethereal and sublime!

Tuesday we went back to HK Island and walked around Victoria Park. But it was so hot and humid we soon had to head back to the hotel! Rested in the afternoon and then (FINALLY!) had the tour's welcoming dinner: 12 courses --including, but not limited to spring rolls, shrimp and vegetable dim sum, scallop sweet and sour soup, Peking duck in pancakes, sirloin with vegetables, vermicelli,  Peking duck in lettuce cups, and fresh fruit. The food was fantastic (particularly for a banquet meal) and we are coming to understand why travelers to China take a break every now and then for Italian, French, or other cuisines.

Wednesday: our first actual touring day. Of course we were on the tour bus, and so rode one of the many tunnels under Victoria Harbor back into HK Island. We switched to a double-decker open-air bus and got a guided tour through one of the world's most important financial districts. Learned that Hong Kong is one of the few places in the world where the government does NOT issue the money. It is made and distributed by the three largest HK banks (70%. 15%, 15%)! Then we boarded the funicular to ascend the 1,400 feet to the top of Mount Victoria (gee! She must have been popular!). This one-car vehicle is almost identical to the one we rode to the top of Corcovado in Rio two years ago. The views from the top were incredible, and we were fortunate that there were no clouds to block it (which is a common occurrence). Then back down via bus to the dock where we took a ferry back across to Kowloon. The trip used to take about 12 minutes, but due to the aggressive program of landfill and building on both sides of the harbor, it now only takes 8! We walked a few blocks to the Jade Garden restaurant where the group feasted on..............DIM SUM!!!!!  We plan to have a small room service dinner tonight...probably not dim sum. Early tomorrow we fly to Shanghai....which, they tell us, is in China!

love,
wendy and wayne

Shanghai Stories

June 5, 2011

Nihao,
On Thursday, we took a mid-morning flight from Hong Kong to Shanghai. Upon our landing and a quick trip through customs (YES! We are now in China!), we boarded the MagLev train. This high-speed train makes the 22 mile trip into the downtown area in 7 minutes. For you Chicagoans, that is the equivalent of going from our house to Wrigley Field in the time Zambrano walks 3 batters. It reaches a top speed of 431 kph (259 mph). It is a smooth but quick acceleration, but you can really feel the seat-back pushing you.

We passed mile after mile of high rises. Our guide told us that Shanghai is built on the Huangpu river. The 'other side' of the river, the Pudong area, was, until 30 years ago, all rice paddies and farms. At that time, there were 238 skyscrapers (officially: buildings of 20 or more stories) in Shanghai. After Mao died, a great expansion began. Now, Shanghai has the most skyscrapers in the world: 5,000! It is the home to 30 million people, and is a huge financial and shipping center. It is called the City of Lights, and every night the entire downtown area is lit-up from 6 - 10. Many of the riverfront buildings display video graphics across their entire surfaces. And, no, the term 'shanghai' (meaning to kidnap) has nothing to do with the city. In Chinese 'Shang Hai' means 'City over the sea', as it sits on a delta into the East China Sea and the silt flowing down adds land to the city each year.

As we drove into downtown, an overall haze was apparent. We think it is smog, though did not affect our eyes or breathing in any way. After checking in, we took a short walking tour on the Bund. This is an Indian word meaning 'riverfront' and is pronounced like 'bun', not as in the German 'boond'. One side is 52 blocks of magnificent buildings (most of which were built from 1880 - 1940) in a variety of architectural styles. On the other side of the street is a wide walking path directly on the river. We then went onto Nanjing road, part of which is pedestrian only, which is a huge retail shopping area. The temperature was 37C, the highest of the year! But it was not as humid as Hong Kong. There were many, many cars and motor scooters (which, we learned later, all run on batteries - you cannot get license to drive a gas-powered scooter). And there were a few people on bicycles, but not like what it was just 30 years ago.

We are staying in the newly-renovated Waldorf Astoria. Allow us to digress for a moment, as this is an extraordinary hotel-- blending upscale old-Shanghai 30s glamour in the public areas with amazing high tech amenities in the private areas.  This is not a hotel where mere mortals stay (as a testament to that, the Shanghai Film Festival was opening while we were here and friends had a Susan Sarandon sighting; we had to 'settle' for Matt Dillon, omg)... so we are fortunate we could stay here with the group.  Anyway, to our amazing room -- it had ornate ceiling moldings, a chandelier over the bed, a 42 inch TV which also features a wireless keyboard for internet access, gas masks (in case of a fire), a bedside touchpad which shows the outside temperature,  lets you turn the lights on and off, open / close the curtains, call for your personal butler (from bed!), adjust the A/C, and allow you to check the local time in over 50 cities around the world. Yes, it also has a clock and an alarm. In the bathroom there is a TV behind the mirror! You only see it when you turn it on! And the piece de resistance: a hands-free toilet! You walk into the toilet alcove and the lid opens automatically (the boys have to press a button to make the seat also go up). It has a heated seat, and you can press buttons to 'rinse' and 'dry' when you are done (toilet paper is provided for those who wish). Of course, when you stand up, it flushes automatically and the lid closes. It almost made it hard to want to leave the room! For the record, our time there was limited.

Thursday evening, we joined (eating) forces with a family for a sumptuous set Shangainese feast. As with our other dinners so far, there are multiple courses served to each person.  We began with an artfully-presented plate of four Chinese amuse-bouches-- sauteed trumpet mushrooms in a delectable sauce, barbequed pork belly, yellow croaker fish (which sounds like amphibian but was a lightly dusted river fish) and marinated fungus.  Lest you recoil in horror, this dish was the tastiest of any on the plate (once we got past its gray palette).  It tasted like the Chinese equivalent of cole slaw, bathed in rice vinegar.  Next course, hairy crab soup.  We missed hairy crab (a Hong Kong delicacy in HK) so wanted to be sure to 'catch' it somewhere.  The soup was somewhat gelatinous, with a strange aftertaste but at least we can say we had hairy crab.  Next up, a lightly dusted scallop served in an oversized spoon with serving handle, followed by sauteed beef, then asparagus and broccoli and topped off with the ubiquitous fried rice.  The dining room was vintage 30s Shanghai. We left the meal quite satisfied and eager to begin our official exploration of Shanghai the next day.  (One last aside, we think it should be obvious that we do not do the Jewish dietary laws in our household.  Pork and seafood seem to be strongholds of the Chinese diet so far.)

Friday morning we got up early and saw from the delivered newspaper that the forecast was for the upper 70s with rain expected 'for the plum reaping season'. They made it sound like it was scheduled! But we went out anyway. There was a little mist, but many people were on the Bund promenade. Lots of people flying kites!

And groups doing tai chi!

How Chinese is that! We walked to the 'Memorial to the People's Heroes' which is dedicated to those who fought in the Opium Wars (the British!), the Democratic War (1910; Sun Yat Sen), and WWII (which is referred to as the 'anti-Japanese War' in Chinese textbooks). Then back to the hotel and another sumptuous buffet breakfast.

Then the group headed out for the day. We walked partway along the same stretch of the promenade and then down an escalator to take an amazing ride under the river to the Pudong side. They have these 'pod cars' that hold about 20 people standing up. The doors close and you go into the tunnel. Then the walls come alive with colored lights in different patterns. At another point swimming fish are projected as if you can actually see into the river. It is a true Disney-like experience. The ride takes about 5 minutes (for the 1/2 mile distance). Then we were in Pudhong. The mist had turned into a light drizzle, but all were prepared with umbrellas. We took a short bus ride into the old section. This area has been populated for at least 400 years, and many of the buildings are several hundred years old. We walked through Yu Yuan Gardens, a small but magnificent oasis built by a wealthy man for his parents. Adjoining this is a touristy shopping area with many small winding passageways (it reminded us of Venice...the same feel and some of the same goods for sale!). There were also restaurants selling buns (very popular),

candies, and baked goods. There were even 3 Dairy Queens and 2 Starbucks!

Our guide said this is not the area for 'the real thing' but great for authentic tschotkes. In other words, don't look for Rolexes, real jade, or real pearls here. And you must bargain! With a little stubbornness, you can get them 80% down from their original asking price... and we did!

Friday afternoon, we ventured out on our own and took the Jewish tour of Shanghai.  Sephardic and Russian Jews started settling in Shanghai in the late 19th century but Jewish immigration really picked up between 1933 and 1941.  At that time, Shanghai became a modern day 'Noah's Ark' accepting approximately 30,000 Jewish refugees fleeing Europe.  While Jews did need to have a visa to leave Nazi Germany, Shanghai was one of the only places in the world that didn't require an entry visa for Jews--so in they came.  The Jewish tour we took was in the 'Tilanqiao Historic Area' and included a monument in Huoshan Park, an architectural complex where the Jewish ghetto was (where Jews and middle class Shaingainese lived side by side), and the Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum, housed in the former Ohel Moshe Synagogue).  This was a wonderful tour highlighted by us doing our own navigation (with unknowing taxi cab drivers) in a torrential downpour.  The museum was fascinating and included many profiles--both of people who made the move (either via train across Siberia and down to Shanghai--over two months, or via boat through the Suez Canal, around India and up to Shanghai--approximately 23 days) and those who enabled their journeys.  Some Shanghai Jewish trivia:  did you know that Carter's Secretary of Treasury Michael Blumenthal was one of these Shanghai Jews? The story was fascinating; the museum was well done; and we were inspired by the beneficence of the Shanghainese who enabled the refugees to seek haven in their community.  Services are no longer held in the Ohel Moshe Synagogue as, apparently, the Torahs were taken back to Europe.  Indeed, the lion's share of the refugees left for Israel, America, Canada, or back to Europe after the Holocaust.  There is a Jewish Community Center on the west side of Shanghai were services are held for Shabbat but we did not have an opportunity to visit there.

Rather, we spent our Friday evening at a Chinese Acrobats show.  Think Cirque de Soleil but death defying, heart-stopping, breath-taking, how did they do it and one centimeter short of ruthless.  There were many segments in which this writer literally could not breathe (and I am the risk-taker of the family).  It is obvious that OSHA concerns have not crossed the ocean.

Saturday morning brought us to the Shanghai Urban Planning Museum. Shanghai is in the middle of a 20-year urban plan. And not only do they have a plan, they built a museum to tout it! The plan includes building, 'greening', waste and pollution control, transportation, commerce, etc.  Hmmmm....a plan....what a concept! One our new friends said that his overwhelming reaction to Shanghai has been anger that we (Americans) cannot do what they appear to have done.  We then moved to the Shanghai Museum where we viewed ceramics, jade furniture, bronze, and calligraphy exhibits.  Impressive. We spent the afternoon at a silk factory where we actually restrained ourselves from making any purchases at all.  For those fashionistas among our readership, Chinese sizing for women is very interesting.  You can't wear a size small unless you are 5 feet tall and weigh under 100 pounds, with no chest. hmmm

But, back to impressive.  Very impressive was our 'farewell to Shanghai' dinner at Jean-Georges--highly acclaimed by a past NYTimes restaurant reviewer as one of his world favorites.  Also in New York, this bastion to French cuisine was a 'must visit' on our list-- so we did.  And it was worth the (lofty) price of admission and calorie count (thank goodness for elastic pants).  This writer started with a glass of champagne (but not one of the US$80 glasses!).  The amuse-bouche was a pinkie-sized glass of warm asparagus/lime puree with brioche croutons, accompanied by a warm eggplant bruschetta.  Next, for Wayne was a chilled crab salad, garnished by market vegetables and edible flowers in a floral vinaigrette. 

I chose ribbons of ahi tuna on a bed of pureed avocado, garnished with spicy radishes, and bathed in a ginger marinade.  OK, let's be real.  At this point, we could have readily gone back to the hotel and called it an evening.  But, no.  Four more courses for each of us!  Wayne continued with sea scallops garnished with caramelized cauliflower and floating in  a caper--raisin emulsion (absolutely the best caper raisin emulsion he had every experienced). 

I chose a delicate parsnip soup poured atop a coconut, lime and mint foam. OK, Spiaggia, try to top that!  Suffice it to say, this course was amazing.  Next up... the main course.  Wayne chose onion and chili crusted short ribs atop French lentils and marinated in a sherry vinaigrette.  (Custom House/Chicago, your short ribs need to step aside!).  My main course was sauteed lobster served with herb pudding and porcini and potato gnocchi.  Goodness, I have never seen so much lobster in my live -- no work required -- and it was extraordinarily delectable (Bob Chinn's:  sorry about that, no comparison). 

For dessert, Wayne chose crackling lime tart with vanilla chantilly mousse (an upscale key lime creation) and my choice was pineapple chibboust (a pineapple frozen custard that was simply splendid), and pomegranate sorbet served atop the most decadent gingerbread ever.  Oh my.  Again, this would have been more than adequate but you certainly realize that in a restaurant of this sort, the last course will be friandises, additional sweets.  So, they came to the table with a small platter of delicate truffles and cookies.  We couldn't just look!?!  A fitting close to a memorable meal.  We walked back to the hotel (downpour still continuing) amidst the papparazzi waiting for the stars to show up AT OUR HOTEL for the after Film Festival opening night reception!  (We found out this morning that Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is debuting here... too bad we're leaving!)

Anyway, it is Sunday morning, June 12. We just got back from a walk around the neighborhood - we find that is the best way to really experience the people and culture of an area. Here are some pix of what we saw: 

We are leaving in an hour for our Yangtze River Cruise.  From the boat, we will send a 'bonus' news letter based on our overall perceptions and observations so far (as a preview, our views are altogether different from what we expected at the beginning of the trip).

Until then, be well.

much love,
wendy and wayne

On the Yangzi

June 10, 2011
Nihao,

We've been on the boat since Sunday cruising west (up) the Yangzi River (yes, that is how it is spelled phonetically here), after our 2 hour flight inland to Yi Chang.  This is another city of about 1 million (do they have any with fewer?) that our guide proudly told us has been rebuilt in the last 25 years. He specifically mentioned how the hills used to come down to the riverside, but "we removed the hills to make more space for people to enjoy the water" (and) ".. to build apartments for the riches (sic) people".

Due to logistics, the flight gets in earlier than the boat is ready for boarding. So we were treated to one of Tauck's wonderful surprises! Most of you who know us and follow our travels know that Wayne is not particularly fond of boats...indeed this will be our first "cruise" (that is, staying overnight on a floating vessel). Many of you will also know that Wayne is not into self-indulgence. So this was to be a true red-letter day in his life! The surprise was an authentic Chinese foot massage!!! (And a significant body massage as well!).

The 24 of us pulled up to the massage parlor and were warmly greeted by the staff. We were led up to a large room with massage couches and instructed to remove our shoes and socks. Each person had their own masseuse..all at the same time! First, our feet were put in a boiling bucket of water with slimy tea leaves. While they soaked, we were given a hard neck, back, and shoulder massage. Many "ows" and "ouches" (mostly from Wayne) could be heard among the "oohs" and "aahs". The massesue ladies talked and giggled to each other...we can only imagine what they were saying! Then a vigorous foot and leg kneading. Joints were put into places they had never been before. This went on for about 90 minutes! There was one relaxed group of campers when it was all over.

Then we took the short ride to the boat, the Yangzi Explorer ( http://blogspot.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aee29e1ce510d7b5e229dad78&id=03653f3094&e=a81e0efaa0 ) . This is billed (by Tauck) as the nicest boat on the river. It holds about 120 passengers (thought there are only 50+ on this cruise) and has a staff of 120! We have a wonderful cabin suite. The food (all you can eat!) and staff are excellent, and the ride is very smooth. We didn't actually begin moving until Monday morning (after Tai Chi on the deck--this writer has tried Tai Chi several times and just doesn't get it!)  when we began our tour through the Three Gorges (including an off-boat excursion to the Three Gorges Dam--a huge project which has inundated thousands of villages and towns and resulted in the displacement of at least 1 million people--but they have been generously resettled by the government). There has been a lot written, both pro and con, about this project. It was primarily done for flood control, as each year floods would wipe out crops and villages and often kill thousands of people. The second reason was for hydroelectric power; China's rapidly growing middle class is showing an increasing appetite for electricity. The third reason was for navigation, as the river was very treacherous and difficult to navigate through the gorges. In our short time aboard we have seen an almost constant flow of barges (most carrying coal or Fords!), so taming the river has had big benefits commercially.

We passed through the first of the three gorges (the Xiling; the others are the Wu and Qutang), and then had to go through the locks to get past the dam. There is a series of 5 locks which raises the boats over 100 meters! Each lock can hold up to 8 boats (think 2 rows of barges, 4 deep). It takes about 3 hours to go through the whole process as the boats enter the lock, the doors close, water from the dammed lake flows in (completely by gravity) and raises the boats 20 meters in 8 minutes. Then the door to the next lock opens and all move forward and the whole process repeats itself. Everyone was on the top deck as we did the first lock, then most went to their cabins to relax and get ready for dinner. It was very weird to look out our cabin window and see a wall of concrete less than a foot away moving by (as we went forward) and then, a few minutes later, see the wall moving "down" as the boats rose.

Shortly after embarking several of our group became ill. But not to worry, as the shipboard Chinese doctor gave each an antibiotic IV followed by a soothing stomach rub of ashes from a burned herb (which smelled suspiciously like marijuana). So instead of a group-identifying lanyard, our mates all have a gauze-bandaged wrist. So far the Rhodes' team is A-OK!

Though it hasn't stopped us from anything, the weather has continued to be gray, gray, gray and wet since we left Hong Kong. Especially here, where you have the moisture from the river and the high mountains on both sides, the water vapor / clouds are trapped. We have been lucky that, while we are out touring it has been just a mist, with the heavier rains while we've been inside. But it has made for some very interesting  photographic conditions.  Tuesday morning was an excursion down the Shemong Stream-- via ferry, then sampan, then ferry.  The Stream is a tributary of the Yangzi and the scenery was absolutely spectacular--only enhanced by the magical mist.  We saw several Hanging Coffins (circa 2,000 years ago), numerous waterfalls, primordial ferns, extraordinary tectonically-generated rock formations (as the Mediterranean got pushed to the west and the Himalayas emerged), and more.  A definite highlight (beyond the scenery) was the sampan ride.  Each sampan (pea-pod shaped and covered partially by a tarp to protect us from the mist/pounding rain combination) was rowed by four strong-armed men.  We took a detour to the shore where the men demonstrated how the boats were moved "in the day" by naked men pulling ropes alongside the river.  Over the past twenty years, as the tourism has ratched up considerably to this area, modesty has taken over and what was an attraction is no more.  Another highlight on the sampan was the sing-along of several Chinese folk songs.

The rest of the day was spent eating, sleeping, going to lectures, eating, sleeping, and seeing a show--a typical cruise itinerary.  Wednesday started with yoga (for Wendy) and then breakfast. Though the skies were overcast, the predicted high was 90 and there was no threat of rain. We had cruised all night and were tied up at the old city of Fengdu. This was one of the major areas for relocation. The city was only on one side of the river; the other was all farms. Beginning in 1997, about 75,000 people were relocated to the other side and an entire new city was built. All of the houses and buildings were demolished (but much was saved for reuse, such as door frames, windows, bricks, etc.). So we were given a guided tour of the old city (the part that is above the flood line and is still inhabited. We had to walk up about 150 stairs from the dock; our guide said that that part is underwater in the flood season. Then on a small bus into town. We walked around a bustling area (including a mah jongg parlor!) and through a market with pig parts (snouts, feet, tongues), many beautiful vegetables, chickens and beef.....and many flies.

It reminded us of places in India and Viet Nam. Then back on the bus into another section of town. We were taken to a new home of a relocated family. The downstairs is their small grocery (and where their kitchen is located), and the living quarters is upstairs. It was a central "living room" (about 10 x 12) with four bedrooms coming off of it. Through our guide interpreter the grandmother who lived there told us that she and her husband share one room, their son has another, 2 of their grandchildren are in the third, and the fourth is a guest room (used by the woman's granddaughter during the summer). Her other son and his wife own a nearby restaurant and earn 200,000 Yuan a year, which is very good. Her husband is a builder and built their house using some materials from their former house. She said she was very happy with her new home and hoped to live out her days there. Then we walked a few blocks to a family that did not want to relocate. They are farmers and live in a mud house that was built 40 years ago. The man is in his 80's and was happy to show us around, though we did not understand a word he said. The house was very similar to the mayor's house in the village we visited in Viet Nam. There were chickens running all around, the rooms were dark with only a few simple chairs and a table and a bed (and of course a TV). Quite a contrast to the newer home.

You'll note no special food commentary on the cruise,  Just use your imagination!  The food has been delicious and plentiful--exceeding our expectations.  No worries... we're sure there will be more memorable meals to come.

Tomorrow morning we leave the boat for Guilan.

Before we leave you for now... some random thoughts.  Some of them rather basic--but were eye-opening for us.  This is 2011.  If you haven't been to China, perhaps you will be as surprised as we were. Yes, China is a communist country; but only small percentage of Chinese are actually party members.  We had assumed that people were either actively recruited for membership or that it was a mandatory thing, but such is not the case. Moving on... clearly, there is no Capitalism in China. Instead, they have a 'Socialistic Market Economy'. It costs a minimum of $8,000US to buy a license plate for a car. There are no nurses in Chinese hospitals. Instead, the family is responsible for caring for the patient including bringing in the food and washing and changing the linens! Family is important to the Chinese, so their names are 'last name, then given names'. As a sign of friendship, the second given name is often repeated. So our Shanghai guide is called 'Fun Fun'. So we are now officially 'Way Way' and 'Wen Wen'! Shanghai has a somewhat independent attitude (a la Saigon). There are no statues or pictures of Mao anywhere, because (per our guide) the people don't like him. They much prefer his successor, Deng Shao Ping, who encouraged development. Our Shangainese guide also told us that Shanghai and Beijing are quite different in their sensibilities.  Beijing is a government town (like D.C.) and is "conservative."  Shanghai is a business/cosmopolitan (she said like NY, but we don't necessarily agree).  All of our guides are quick to point out a particular item as "the biggest", "the fastest", "the tallest".......in the world. We got the sense that there was some indoctrination mixed in with the legitimate national pride. Per our guide, the three most famous Chinese in the world: 1. Mao.  2. Confucius  3. Bruce Lee. There are several hundred ethnic groups in China, although the largest makes up about 95% of the population. here is a one-child policy but it does not apply to the minorities because the government wants them to maintain their culture. For the rest of the people, if you do have a child after the first, that child(ren) can not get a citizen ID card. So they get no benefits, can not attend the public school, can probably not get a job. More cultural potpourri to come.


love,
wen wen and way way