Spring Festival 2013 Destination: Xiamen!

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

http://i45.tinypic.com/2rw87e0.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/2moze38.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/bgsr9s.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/24exagh.jpg

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

http://i47.tinypic.com/2h7gjr4.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/2zjg68h.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/2uqhy4l.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/2w7qys6.jpg

[Guest ExChinaExpat]

http://i47.tinypic.com/14lt1ch.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/jj0g3o.jpg

Edited January 14, 2013 by JiangsuExpat (see edit history)

[Fu Lai]

When I am in Xiamen I will be in the water

[2mike&jin]

Great Pictures - reminds of all my time there.....our house is about a 1 1/2 blocks away....I'm there for coffee all the time. THe Marco Polo, now has a Starbucks - in the back on the Lake Side. I had a boat built in Haichang and started staying at the Marco Polo in 2004. My wife's house looks right at the Marco Polo and the Lake, new construction completed in 2007 - on the edge of the big park/Weather Tower and behind the KFC (which is not a good reference point in China - as there are so many of them)...but thank's for the flash back to the old HOOD!

Marco Polo area coffee shop

http://i49.tinypic.com/34go8q1.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/119tpy1.jpg

http://i46.tinypic.com/15o6iya.jpg

[Zhou Zhou]

Great photos! Of course I've enjoy coffee and the views at that cafe and others on the, "Coffee Street". Last time there we watched workers replacing the nice sidewalk in the pictures. The wife and I enjoyed the Island pictures too.

[tsap seui]

I like all the photos too. Looks like no matter where you go in Chinertucky, it's China. I could almost smell the foods and hear the street scenes.

[Zhou Zhou]

On the Coffee Street there are pricy restaurants that offer western foods in luxury surroundings....and coffee from all parts of the globe.

[Fu Lai]

While I am not into western restaurants (my girl says I have a Chinese stomach), I will check out at least one Italian one there though, I am so looking forward into vacationing in Xiamen.

Edited January 15, 2013 by Fu Lai (see edit history)

[Fu Lai]

any additions to this itinerary:

DAY 1: Ride the #2 bus around and sitesee restaurant and market streets
DAY 2: daytrip to Gulangyu until after dark
DAY 3: go to Nanputuo temple, bike around
DAY 4: meander around Xiamen University
DAY 5: daytrip to Yongding, Tulou
DAY 6: Piano Museum

[Zhou Zhou]

Sounds like a leisurely vacation and I'm sure you'll do some freelancing once there. The Piano Museum is on the island of Gulangyu, so you can check it out on day 2. We took a bus tour when we visited Tulou. It was a beautiful ride through banana plantations, over bamboo covered hills stopping in a small town for a (typical) very good lunch. We spent several hours touring the interesting Tulou buildings and arrived home to Xiamen just after dark. We had a pit stop at a gas station where a woman sold me a 2 week supply of bananas for 75 cents...they were delicious and surprisingly the were good for a week, maybe more. Lao po, always says that Chinese bananas hold much longer. What do you think?

[Fu Lai]

Sounds like a leisurely vacation and I'm sure you'll do some freelancing once there. The Piano Museum is on the island of Gulangyu, so you can check it out on day 2. We took a bus tour when we visited Tulou. It was a beautiful ride through banana plantations, over bamboo covered hills stopping in a small town for a (typical) very good lunch. We spent several hours touring the interesting Tulou buildings and arrived home to Xiamen just after dark. We had a pit stop at a gas station where a woman sold me a 2 week supply of bananas for 75 cents...they were delicious and surprisingly the were good for a week, maybe more. Lao po, always says that Chinese bananas hold much longer. What do you think?

Thanks!!!! Revised - this is for next week!

 

TUES Arrive at night

WEDS: SIGHTSEE AND SHOPPING DAY - Ride the #2 bus around and sitesee restaurant and market streets

THURS: TULOU DAY - daytrip to Tulou

FRI: GULANGYU - Piano Museum, watch the sunset and night cruise

SAT: GARDEN/TEMPLE DAY - meander around Xiamen University, gardens, Nanputuo temple, bike around

SUN: SITESEE DAY 2 - Hulishan Fortress, Sunlight Rock, special "splurge" dinner, depart at night

[2mike&jin]

While I am not into western restaurants (my girl says I have a Chinese stomach), I will check out at least one Italian one there though, I am so looking forward into vacationing in Xiamen.

The one to eat at...right around corner from coffee shop is "Tuto Bene". They have "Erdlinger Beer" as well. Good food, been there a 100 years. The place next to it, forgot the name....caters' more to wine tasting...food is Ma Ma Hu Hu, and expensive.

[Zhou Zhou]

 

While I am not into western restaurants (my girl says I have a Chinese stomach), I will check out at least one Italian one there though, I am so looking forward into vacationing in Xiamen.

The one to eat at...right around corner from coffee shop is "Tuto Bene". They have "Erdlinger Beer" as well. Good food, been there a 100 years. The place next to it, forgot the name....caters' more to wine tasting...food is Ma Ma Hu Hu, and expensive.

YES! I remember that restaurant and just couldn't remember the name. Moma mia, that's the place to go for Italian.

[Fu Lai]

I've been revising our trip plans after looking at tourist maps (haha) and we leave tonight. Very excited. Tomorrow (Weds) we will be tramping around the restaurant and shopping streets obviously eating seafood and buying trinkets. Then off to see the Tulou housing on Thurs, Gulangyu on Friday, gardens and temples on Sat, finishing Sun with other tourist things plus a big Italian dinner to celebrate our marriage.

 

Today is the first vacation day for my girl (I started vacation yesterday) so we are ready to ditch town and lounge as freebirds.

 

Incidentally, after getting a gift of Italian linguine from my work, she surprised me last night with a spaghetti dinner! Wow! She and (her son) my stepson asked me if Italian food was popular in the USA... omg yes I said. Spooling is a major thing in the States, not to mention all the other dishes. My girl is a great cook and her first Italian effort was delicious. mama mia I showed them how to spool with forks, they loved it. Now in Xiamen I will treat her to some real Italian cooking. She is very curious and there is a great place there where they allow the Chinese folks into the kitchen to ask the chef questions, La Bettola. This was the thing that made it our choice over Tutto Bene, Portofino and Greg's. And it was a tough choice because there are so many notable Italian restaurants there.

Edited January 21, 2013 by Fu Lai (see edit history)