From here we followed our noses through some typically confusing spider web, criss-crossing trails until we reached what resembled the main artery up the ridge line. Along the way we viewed the specatcular Taipei Grand Hotel, a magnificent Chinese style structure which famously had its roof and upper floors burnt in a huge conflagration more than a decade ago. Now fully restored, its majestic kitsch is something to behold. We also burst through to a point on the eastern side where we encountered a different panoramic view of the city. In the foreground was the Keelung River with wide, riverside parks full of fountains and intersecting bike paths. Beyond, the city rose inexorably in stages of brown blocks like a giant hippo emerging slowly from a muddy bank. The needle of Taipei 101 shockingly broke the horizon in the background, always sharp, dominating and dwarfing the rest of the skyline.
We walked and walked past tiny temples and teahouses, quaint entrance pillars announcing a new spot at regular intervals. We decided to turn back after a while, promising to return for a more intensive exploration of the area at a later date. Off for a very enjoyable coffee at the nightmarkets then home for a second "short week".
On Sunday we subwayed down to the Huashan 1914 Creative Park, where we visited the Living Arts Festival with its playful "Chinglish" slogan of "Let's Fun"! It was a fantastic day out in the sun! A double row of stalls out the front housed an eclectic mix of fancy, cute or arty gear and on the forecourt out the front, various shows were being staged. The tap dogs beat a rhythm to the strains of jazz saxophonists and trumpeters to the delight of the crowds lounging on the grass slopes surrounding. As we wandered further into the complex, we saw many of the old warehouses were showing short or impromptu live plays and performances. There were activities for kids and adults alike, balloon bending aficionados perfomed alongside kiddies scribbling on glass graffitti walls while carpets of climbing plants snaked and clung to the concrete fascias of the buildings behind.
As always when people gather in Taipei, there was a palpable feeling of excitement and happiness, partly due to the vast crowds of patient, polite people and partly due to the varied mix of sights and activities. Down an alley between two buildings we found the delightful "Al Cicchetto". The ambiance and decor along with the wine and pasta were sensational...we were transported back to the osteria alleys of Florence and Rome. More shops of tricks and curios caught our eye on the way out, and we enjoyed browsing lots of very cool consumables, somehow escaping with just a tiny purchase of a fridge magnet!
Cass is reading the excellent Jennifer Egan A Visit from the Goon Squad, while I'm attempting to read the near incomprehensible Australian award winner by Peter Temple, Truth. Either I've slowly become brain dead or I've lost my command of the Aussie vernacular or a combination of both. Photos are firstly of our National Day hike and after of the wonderful Huashan Creative Park.
