Breakfast on the way to the metro.
Pancake mix, smeared with whole fresh egg and a few seeds, then chopped herbs and spring onions. Turned, and painted with chilli and something else, then large crispy item placed on top. Folded, cut, bagged, and totally delicious.
So by metro to the Forbidden City, having discovered that the Guloudajie station is but a ten minute walk from the hotel.
The FC entrance was packed, as was the whole central walkway, but found that advancing on the right flank was quieter, and interesting. Saw the treasures housed in various buildings, gold, jade and jewellery. Certainly these were areas unapproached on my last visit.
Then Jinshan Park, straight to the central and topmost pavilion, with book.
The view over the Forbidden City would have been spectacular on a clear day, and even on a rather murky afternoon it was good, the myriad of tiled curved roofs striving to clear a way through the shrouds of mist.
I walked all the way back through the hutongs and round Qianhai Lake, feet very tired.
Quick change and back in the metro - rush hour sardines a million times worse than anything experienced in London, and finishing with a mile or two in a small tin shed surrounding a motor-trike, a very special sort of taxi - to the Chaoyang Theatre and an acrobatic show to end all others. Balance, contortion, awesome arm strength of some of the guys - and finally a motorbike spectacular to take your breath away. First one, then two... and finally five guys on motorbikes spinning very fast, and doing coordinated fast manoeuvres inside a wire sphere no more than 10m in diameter. Roaring engines, smell of diesel, headlights on, and just the most exciting thing to watch!!!
Back to base by metro, and needing food. 10 assorted skewers of dubious nature retrieved from some hot bubbling liquid, finished with chilli, from streetside stall. Probably wouldn't pay to ask what they were, but they were tasty, and I seem to have survived so far.
Night night.
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