Shanghai

We were up ridiculously early to get the train to Shanghai - we had about an hour to spend at Beijing station. We took the high speed express about which Thibault seemed particularly excited. The train had little screens recording how fast it was going, and it went over 200kms per hour. Which I guess is pretty quick. Worryingly though the greyness of the smog over Beijing seemed to follow for all the 5 hours down to Shanghai. Pollution is bad.

Having got the right exit from People's Square metro station (a fair feat given there were 20 exits) we found our hotel was only a few metres away. I had insisted on staying at the Yangtze Boutique Hotel as it was, for the price, a wonderful 5 star hotel in an old art deco building.  I fancied staying in a real quality hotel at much less than the equivalent price in the UK. And I thought it would be nice for Thibault too as he had invited over a Korean girl whom he had been dating in England to visit him and join us in Shanghai for a long weekend. I hope she was impressed. I certainly was. This was the best hotel I have ever stayed in from just the scent in the lobby when you entered to the luxurious bathrooms - right down to having a TV at the bottom of one's bath. The service was outstanding, the decor beautiful.

We got cleaned up and headed out with the intention of strolling to the most famous sight in  Shanghai - the Bund - a promenade by the river in front of a row of big art deco banks and hotels built in the thirties. But what immediately strikes one about Shanghai is the size of the modern buildings. This city is really high rise.

This is the equivalent of Oxford Street in being surrounded by high class department stores, but with the added advantage of being pedestrianised.

 And so eventually onto the Bund as the sun set and the lights started to go on. There are two aspects to the Bund. First the large art deco buildings along it, but secondly the view across the Yangtze to the new commercial district of Pudong with its modern skyscrapers.

Fairmont Peace Hotel to the left, built in 1930 by Sir Victor Sassoon. Bank of China building to the right.

From left to right, the Former Bank of Taiwan, the North China Daily News Building, the Chartered Bank Building and the Former Palace Hotel.

 The view across to Pudong...

Thibault wasn't slow to point out the phallic appearance of this building, not just the shape of the tower but the fact that it appears to be flanked by two huge balls at the bottom. Actually this is not part of the design, but just the viewing angle - the two globes are a completely separate building.

Thibault and Jean, who basically looked this happy throughout. Really sweet couple.

The illuminated tower here is the Customs House

To cap our evening we found an excellent Sichuanese restaurant for a hot and spicy dinner. A good first day. And nice to see Thibault so happy.