In China everyone usually gets a day off in September for the mid-autumn festival and then a few days in October for the National Day. This year the mid-autumn festival fell at the end of September and was combined with the other holiday to give everyone a week off.
The weather was in the high 20s all week and we decided not to go away but to stay in Shanghai and do some local sightseeing and general playing in the garden, riding bikes and going for coffee and lunch!
Some locals didn't even bother getting off their bikes to have lunch!
The first Saturday we had a family trip to Ikea! Luckily it was not too crowded and we stayed to have meatballs for lunch. We discovered that we can no longer get away with the boys sharing an adult portion - they both manage 10 meatballs and trimmings each! Fortunately it is still pretty cheap!
At the beginning of the week we went with the Hughes family and had a picnic in Century Park. It was actually on the official National Day. The park was crowded but we managed to find a quiet spot for a picnic.
One day we were joined by William's classmate Ellie and her brother Jamie so that their parents could take friends sightseeing. All four children had a great day playing, going to the park and for ice cream, making heart shaped pizza, having a bath together and playing table football. Sam and I were exhausted and cracked open a bottle at the end of the day!
The local government have built nine satalite towns around Shanghai and have modelled them all on different countries. Among others there is a Swiss one, and a German one and a British one - Thames Town! We decided to have a day out there at the end of the week. The town hasn't taken off as a residential area and many of the buildings are empty. However, because it looks British and has a church it has become a popular venue for wedding photos.
The attention to detail is excellent right down to the road signs and the names! We took a picnic and ended up having it on the Isle of Arran!
The weather was fab and we had a lovely day wandering the British looking streets, spotting signs with British names and watching many couples have wedding photos taken.
Oliver and William took great delight in spotting different buildings. The model is representing the plans for expansion and development over the next few years. As we looked we could see that some buildings where our friends live were no longer there and had been replaced with other structures, hopefully they will give people plenty of notice!
The weather was in the high 20s all week and we decided not to go away but to stay in Shanghai and do some local sightseeing and general playing in the garden, riding bikes and going for coffee and lunch!
Some locals didn't even bother getting off their bikes to have lunch!
The first Saturday we had a family trip to Ikea! Luckily it was not too crowded and we stayed to have meatballs for lunch. We discovered that we can no longer get away with the boys sharing an adult portion - they both manage 10 meatballs and trimmings each! Fortunately it is still pretty cheap!
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| William and Oliver made a boat out of the Ikea box |
At the beginning of the week we went with the Hughes family and had a picnic in Century Park. It was actually on the official National Day. The park was crowded but we managed to find a quiet spot for a picnic.
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| Oliver, William, Henry and Charlie enjoyed playing in the mud and climbing trees! |
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| Post picnic entertainment! |
One day we were joined by William's classmate Ellie and her brother Jamie so that their parents could take friends sightseeing. All four children had a great day playing, going to the park and for ice cream, making heart shaped pizza, having a bath together and playing table football. Sam and I were exhausted and cracked open a bottle at the end of the day!
The local government have built nine satalite towns around Shanghai and have modelled them all on different countries. Among others there is a Swiss one, and a German one and a British one - Thames Town! We decided to have a day out there at the end of the week. The town hasn't taken off as a residential area and many of the buildings are empty. However, because it looks British and has a church it has become a popular venue for wedding photos.
The attention to detail is excellent right down to the road signs and the names! We took a picnic and ended up having it on the Isle of Arran! The weather was fab and we had a lovely day wandering the British looking streets, spotting signs with British names and watching many couples have wedding photos taken.
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| One of the many wedding photo shoots going on in the town |
On our way out of the town Oliver and William posed for photos with a couple of famous Brits! It seems that some Chinese people think James Bond is a real person - great for Britain's international reputation!
The week was completed with a trip to the Urban Planning Museum in Shanghai. The highlight of this museum is the model of the city centre which lights up.
Oliver and William took great delight in spotting different buildings. The model is representing the plans for expansion and development over the next few years. As we looked we could see that some buildings where our friends live were no longer there and had been replaced with other structures, hopefully they will give people plenty of notice!
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