Family Visit in Shanghai

From the hyper modern airport of Shenzhen just outside Hong Kong we flew to Shanghai Hongqiao the domestic airport of Shanghai where Ji's father was already waiting for us.

We stayed at a serviced apartment in Xujiahui next to a park we also had used in the spring of 2014 and it was touching that some of the employees there and even a lady selling ice cream and other snacks in a store 5 minutes away remembered us from earlier visits. Only our favorite dumpling place which still was there in the summer of 2016 was gone.

The next day we had a little birthday party for Ji's father - Mia's cousin was of course there as well

Mia helped with lightning the birthday candles...

..and with blowing them out

The next day had some coffee at a fancy shopping area a few steps from the our serviced apartment with interesting sculptures

Then we met the family of Ji's brother and his in-laws at their place - a grand house from the 1930'ies

The old neighborhood is also home to alley cats

While Mia played with her cousin we went for a walk in the side streets

It was cold outside and even inside it was a bit chilly

In the evening we met again for dinner at  the food court of a mall with traditional Shanghainese street food

A special Disney store was set up for the holidays in the basement of the department store

After dinner the children still had enough energy to fool around in our apartment

No energy was left for us to stay up until he start of the new year though

Day 3 in Hong Kong

We still were tiered from the jet lag on third day in Hong Kong so we took it easy and explored the city by the unique double-Decker trams that have been running for more that 100 years

We took a break in the Happy valley neighborhood with a racetrack for horses surrounded by the buildings of the city 

Time to read  a newspaper..

 ..or get some exercise on the plaground

 T
here was also a reminder of work

 Back to downtown

Bride and groom posting for wedding pictures in the middle of a busy street

We posting for pictures in from of pretty artificial Christmas tree

 One las try to ride the Ferries wheel

After one hour of waiting in line we finally made it

View down to the fair

One lat ferry ride back to Kwolonn

Day 2 in Hong Kong

After we missed so much sleep the day before and because of the jet lag with a seven hour time difference we slept in past noon om our second day n Hong Kong.
Once we were up and had some breakfast we walked to the bird market about 20 minutes from the hotel.

 Mia used her new - used - camera for some pictures on her own:

Traditionally birds are very popular pets for the Cantonese and we saw one lady that took hers for a walk

We soaked up some sun at a nearby playground

Back to the  waterfront

 Mia wanted a ride on the Ferries Wheel but the lines were really long

A singer was spreading some later Christmas cheer

Instead on the Ferries Wheel we went to see the big fun fair - Grand European Carnival - that was set up next to it

Back to Kowloon by Ferry and another good dinner at a restaurant close to the hotel