Sunday in Shanghai

We got into Shanghai Saturday evening.  We didn't sleep a lot on the 13+ flight here and were thrilled to check into The Bund hotel and just relax for a little while before falling into bed and sleeping for a full 12 hours.   Today we enjoyed a day touring The French Concession which used to be an area with traditional Chinese homes along stone alleys.  During the 1920's it was taken over by the French and now the area is a blend of Chinese and French architecture and is a high-end restaurant and boutique "alley".  It was a beautiful area to take a stroll through and the weather even cooperated.  Even though it was in the high 80's/low 90's, there was a nice breeze.   Next we visited the Bund where we stood along the river and viewed the British Concession and enjoyed the architecture.  Then our guide, Jenny, told us we could take an underwater tunnel ride to get to the TV Tower which is also known as The Pearl Tower.  We took the tunnel which boasts a fabulous light show.  Let me just say...save your money on the tunnel ride if you are ever in Shanghai.  However, once on the other side of the river, we went to the top of the tower.  The day was clear, and we had a magnificent view of Shanghai which, according to our guide, boasts a population of 23 million.    For a city this size, Shanghai is a surprisingly clean city.  They have done an amazing job of landscaping, cleaning the streets and controlling the air pollution.  Compared to Xian and Beijing, the other 2 big China cities I've visited, Shanghai is a beautiful city.    At the base of the TV tower is a museum about the development of the city of Shanghai over the last 300-400 years.  Shanghai has a fascinating history especially from the Opium War forward.  I read quite a few biographies and historical fiction books, before traveling, set in Shanghai, and they really came to life when I was walking through the museum.      And finally we went to the Ziyuan Jewel Exhibit where they explained the difference between freshwater and saltwater pearls.  The jewel store had their own freshwater pearl farm.  We each bought a piece of jewelry (how could we pass it up??) to remember the stop.    Then Jenny dropped us off at an Italian restaurant.  While in China, eat Italian?  Evidently all the Chinese restaurants stop serving lunch at 2 p.m. and since it was 2:30 p.m., we had to opt for another restaurant.  We had the fun experience of ordering our food by pointing at the menu.  We, of course, speak no Mandarin and the servers in the restaurant spoke no English.  It's amazing how much you can get across with sign language.  We were even able to get a to-go box at the end of our meal.  We were quite proud of ourselves.   Now we are back at the hotel where we are going to enjoy a quiet evening and prepare for the main event...getting Lily Rose.  We meet Jenny, our guide, at 8:30 a.m. in the morning.  She will then drive us to a civil affairs office to fill out paperwork and meet our girl.  The hours can not pass quickly enough!