It's a tonic to see your life from another viewpoint. During our preparations and subsequent visit from Chris and Val, we've had an opportunity to do just that, running the full gamut from our living spaces to our lifestyle habits to how we eat and work and play. In some ways it has been re-assuring, yet in in others, a little unsettling!
It was wonderful to welcome our parents (and parents-in-law) back to Taipei on Monday morning last. I know they won't be offended when I mention that they're no spring chickens , yet they were far more relaxed and rested after their travel than we usually are: lesson number one....get over our first world problem of complaining about travel! We got them settled in and they brought out various presents for us including some nectar of the gods in the shape of twin Henschke's reds of quality and "cans of gold" in the shape of Australian red salmon!
The week unfolded as casually as a linen serviette on a lap, semi-formally in planning yet relaxed in application with a nice feeling! We managed to negotiate some of the new local sights and sounds, including the new Sogo building and our favourite restaurant, Din Tai Feng. After we enjoyed the artisan dumplings and rapid fire service we made a short trip to our new wardrobe of Uniqlo to show the visitors some product.
Cass cooked up some storms at home where we enjoyed some relaxed meals with fine wine and conversation and we ate out at various junctures as well, depending on what our schedule demanded. We whizzed around the city on the MRT after arming Chris and Val with some loaded Easycards for their convenience on public transport, bikes and convenience stores...the cashless society is really taking off in Taipei! As Cass and I guided and observed it was noticeable to us how much had changed since C&V's last visit some 6 years ago....lesson number two: be more aware(and appreciative) of your surroundings!
Cass knew that her Mum and Dad would love our recently discovered treasure of Houtong Cat Village and we nursed the ailing Honda (spark plug trouble diagnosed by the visitors!) along the freeways and onto the mountain byways to the village. It was a weekday so we escaped the weekend crowds, although there were still a healthy number of visitors. It was wonderful to see the cats roaming free and befriending anyone willing to give them some attention. We wandered and patted and admired until pausing for some delicious waffles and creamy coffee at "Hide and Seek", a cat themed (what else?) cafe perched on teh hillside high above the tracks. Afterwards we wandered across the restored rail bridge and took a ride on a tiny diesel railway engine and open carriages as it explored the old mine workings. It clunked and hiccuped it's way through some leaky tunnels and under impossibly low roofs (think Health and Safety concerns back home....oh!) till coming to a shuddering halt back at its "station" Great fun and the car managed to limp home safely at the end of the day!
On another day, we took the opportunity of a full sun/low smog day to catapult up to the top of Taipei 101 in the world's fastest elevator (still), while I lamented the fact that the building is now relegated to a lowly number five in the world's tallest building list! We wandered around the re-vamped area up top and below and again marveled at the engineering genius (and the amazing array of tempting souvenirs, especially the stone inlaid globes of the world). I ended up buying a new jacket and t-shirts at the trendy Japanese "Superdry" store and we had a light lunch at Agnes B. Lesson number three: don't take your city for granted...visit the sights once in a while!
As we had the week off fro Spring Break we were delighted to feel the first thawing and drying of what has been an unusually depressing long cold, wet winter. We drifted down to the Chungshan station area on another day and Val and Cass had a fine time checking out the beautiful bags on offer at the "bag shop", hidden down a tiny alley in a nondescript building in the shadow of another giant Sogo store. Onward to source a jacket for Cass then some surprises at the Contemporary Art Museum with a queue spilling out the door for their latest exhibition. Chris and I are committed non-queuers, so we all elected to re-charge with a coffee in the stylish adjoining cafe instead!
Youbike action ensued the next day! Perhaps stirred by my over enthusiastic descriptions on this blog, Chris was pretty keen to give the phenomenon a crack, and had requested a session if it would work out. Our new cards slid the bikes out of their racks at Jishan station and we threaded our way through the back streets towards the canal and bike track proper. Valerie survived a scrape and fall with a scooter parked precariously close to a sharp corner and soldiered on for the duration. We had a lovely day with light wind assistance and managed to go quite a fair distance along the Damshui River and the Guandu wetlands. It was picturesque and good fun, especially when we could just bank our bikes when we were ready and catch the MRT back home! Check it out.
The slightly less than crushing crowd at Yuanshan Station and surrounds was welcome on Saturday but initially we were perplexed at the paucity of humanity on such a sensational sunny day. The Farmer's Markets are usually teeming with people on the weekend and the restaurant open area at the rear of the stadium is similarly packed. Tomb sweeping weekend! Vast flocks of the Taipei populace had flown south for the weekend to visit ancestral homes for family time and remembrance of lost relatives: all the better for us and the non-claustrophobic experience! We shopped the eclectic stalls, dined at the English style pub, watched the kiddies drive their mini designer vehicles, listened to some crooners and shopped for some quirky goods at the market before renegotiating the MRT back home. Lesson three: get more adventurous with our food purchases...c'mon, you live in Asia!
I totally blew the cherry blossom calendar yesterday when I suggested we cruise up to our little hidden mountain viewpoint in Yangminshan! Taipei, being south of Japan actually has the early bloom so we missed the full force of blossom by about two weeks. The drive up was interesting for the visitors even with a dearth of views owing to an eerie sweeping mist that whispered across the upper reaches of the mountain. We spied some blown blossoms, game intrepid hikers appearing from the mist and grunting cyclists "enjoying" their mountain climb. On the way back home, we called in at the famous Beitou fumaroles and were amazed to find that they had first been worked in 1697: what on earth did they use sulphur for in those days?! The mini-geysers spat and hissed and a heady spume of egg laced cloud wafted and danced around us as we went from spot to spot. Right on cue, a classic Taiwanese moment occurred as a heavily made up and barely dressed girl posed for photos among the yellow hills and floating mists...Chris was particularly impressed!
We're back at school today so we're wondering what the guests might get up to now they're "off the leash" of their over-protective daughter and son-in-law!!
Youbiking video and photos of our fun first week together!