The windmill village just outside Amsterdam, in the Zaan region, used to have over 500 windmills that ran at the same time. Presently there are 10 industrial windmills at Zaanse Schans that still 'spin' away at this location. Click on that … [Read more]
Amsterdam, Netherlands: Zaanse Schans-The Windmill Village
Posted on June 13, 2016 // Leave a Comment
Beijing, China: Roasted Duck
Posted on December 7, 2015 // 1 Comment
I had ill timing in putting up this post, which would have gone well with the Thanksgiving holiday. Anyway, according to the locals, this restaurant was the place to go for roasted duck. Well, if what the locals say is true, then it has to be good! … [Read more]
Beijing, China: 2008 Summer Olympic Games
Posted on November 3, 2015 // Leave a Comment
Following the Hutong home cooked luncheon and tour, we made our way to 2 of the arenas/venues where the 2008 Olympics were held - Beijing National Stadium (aka Bird's Nest) and Beijing National Aquatic Center (aka Water Cube). After the Olympics, … [Read more]
Beijing, China: Hutong Homecooking & Hospitality
Posted on September 29, 2015 // Leave a Comment
Despite this next segment being part of a tour, it was still really neat to explore the Old Beijing town. We took a rickshaw to go through the town. I remember it being a smaller town consisting of mostly local residents living in smaller, … [Read more]
Beijing, China: Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City
Posted on August 24, 2015 // 8 Comments
Tiananmen Square is considered to be a large city square that has several distinguished buildings: the Great Hall, National Museum of China, entrance to Forbidden City, and Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall. The Great Hall is where … [Read more]
Beijing, China: The Finest Handicraft of Chinese Culture
Posted on July 7, 2015 // Leave a Comment
Considered to be one of the finest handicrafts of the culture, cloisonne combines the skills used to make bronze and porcelain pieces, as well as having a delicate hand of traditional Chinese painting and etching. To paraphrase from the sign outside … [Read more]
Beijing, China: The Great Wall
Posted on June 23, 2015 // Leave a Comment
The Great Wall section that we walked on was called Mutianyu, considered to be one of the best-well-kept portion of the Great wall. This section was used as a barrier to protect and defend the capital and the royal tombs. The initial construction of … [Read more]
Taipei, Taiwan: Food Adventures
Posted on May 18, 2015 // Leave a Comment
As with many of these mystery trips, food is something I'm on the lookout for to try some local dishes, away from the tourist traps and the familiar food chains. Indulging in the local flavor always makes my list. My apologies for the lack of images. … [Read more]
