I woke up to a glorious, crisp, blue sky day! What a treat it was to experience Harbin both during a snow storm and a bright, sunny day. It was quite a contrast. The first thing I wanted to do this morning was go back to Liansheng Square to see St. Sophia in the light of day.
Tower at entrance of square
St. Sophia in the sunshine
How 'bout this shot, Christiane? : )
I didn't have time to go inside...I'll save that for next year. Plus, it was such a lovely day, I wanted to spend every moment I could outside soaking up the heavenly sunshine before I had to head to the airport.
Looking up into the tower
The Ibis Hotel
Thought I'd give Zhaolin Park another shot in hopes that the gates might be open today, but no luck...
...so I took a few more shots through the fence.
And I took a walk back down Zhongyang Dajie to the Songjua Jiang.
"Snow plow"--it truly amazes me how the Chinese can clear the roads and sidewalkds using only shovels and brooms.
Songhua Yiang (River)
If it weren't for the freezing temperatures and stark landscape (or shall I say riverscape?), I would have sworn I was in Central Park on a bright summer's day. People, vendors, and entertainers were everywhere enjoying the icy playground.
Me and my shadow on the steps down to the river
Cotton candy anyone?
This gentleman had a variety of metal tops spinning on the ice and kept them going using the whip.
Dog drawn carriage across the ice
Buggy rides and horseback rides
Quite an eerie feeling to be standing out there upon all that ice. The clear day gave me a totally new perspective of the grandeur of the Songhua Jiang. The towers you see the background are holding up the cable car I took across the lake yesterday.
Kites for sale and carriages for rent. If I had more time I would have done both. Next year....
More cotton candy. She's standing on a block of styrofoam to keep her feet off the ice and warm.
This place cracked me up! I popped inside to check out the menu and the walls and counters were plastered with American highway souvenirs and knick knacks. Uncle Marshal, you would have loved it...Route 66 signs everywhere! : ) After checking out their lunch menu of Chinese influenced American food, I decided I could do better.
Harbin's pedestrian shopping street, Zhongyang Dajie
I'm sure glad I continued to find another restaurant for lunch because I happened upon the most delicious Japanese food ever...right there in Harbin, China! Again, I sure wish we had something like this in the Dalian area.
The most incredible tempura mushrooms in the world...
Sushi!!
I love Harbin!
My weekend did not unfold quite the way I expected it to, but I had an awesome adventure none the less. Harbin is a beautiful city and I'll be back next year to see her breathtaking ice lanterns in all their magnificent glory. Here's a little preview for you and me both:
Anyone want to come with me? : )
No comments:
Post a Comment