Shanghai, China

About 11 of us decided to see Shanghai on our own.at breakfast Kat and I sit with Sepi and Olga, we had some interesting conversation and we decide to get together to see the city. So Mark, Sepi, Olga, Jscki, Glenk, Kat and I decide to visit the Old Shanghai. More than half the group will be returning home tomorrow. So I thought it would be best to meet in the bar tonight to say goodbye and then five of us will try the best rated ITALIAN restaurant in the city. We start walking and found a double decker city tour bus where you can board the bus at anytime, anywhere or take the Ferry across the river. We walk in many parts of old Shanghai, here we definitely see other nationalities but not many Americans. We start by having a Tea ceremony on the fourth floor of an old building. We learn a lot about different teas and their health attributes; hoe many minutes to seep it and how many time we can reuse it the same day. The most beautiful ones were the very ornate tea flowers they call Romeo and Juliette. We all assume the most beautiful flower was Juliette, but ohh noo it was Romeo!! They were both very tasty! Then our tea Maestra introduces us to a terra cotta pipi boy. When you pour tea on its head it pees on you! From the roof top we take beautiful pictures of the views. Shanghai is the epitome of growth, but from the rooftop of the old city you feel the dichotomy of the old and new in the ancient Chinese rooflines and the skyscrapers far ahead. A most entertaining and educational time. We continue to shop and we all end up buying something, being that it was quite hot and did not have a hat, I buy this dainty umbrella, and we start posing with it. Then I find this most unusual red leather purse for $55.00. After our shopping spree here, we return to the hotel to meet the rest of our group at the bar to say goodby. Everyone seems to have had a great day. We start with Proseco, slowly people start coming in. Glen, Jacki, Karyn, Kat and I decide to walk to the waterfront to try this highly rated restaurant I found on yelp called Goodfellas. We head there for 8.30 and we finally get a table by 9.00. We have been craving ITALIAN food or any other type of food for at least 10 days now! We order this great wine; ohh here is something else!!! For 2 weeks none of us have had a glass of wine! We ordered some great red wines., appetizers, gnocchi’s, the best I’ve had in a long time in china yet! Just like my grandmother use to make them! There was tons of laughter! Of course in Vino Veritas. After this most delicious meal we take in the magical lit city across the river and head back to the hotel. What do you know! Everyone was in the bar, quite drunk by then. MARY played a beautiful tune on the piano, some sang, some danced a little most talked and were a little sad to leave. Another perfect day!!