Summer Palace

Today we visited the Summer Palace.  It was built on a high point and was a very nice retreat for the highest ruler of the land.

We entered from the North and climbed up through a temple structure and over the top were met with a fantastic lake view.

The girls enjoyed their energy drink of preference.  Consuming the bubbly has been a common occurrence in China for the  girls especially now that they do not have to pay for the bathroom, like they did in Europe.  However, you get what you pay for and that is especially noticeable when it come to 'free' toilets.  Along with carbonated syrup we have been eating lots of soft serve ice cream cones, at least one a day.

There was a beautiful covered walked that ran half mile around the lake and told a story with the images painted on its beams.

The long view.

Again, I am a fan of the eaves.

And...no day is complete without a few dozen fan shots.

We said goodbye to our Beijing guide this evening, Noodles.  Yep, that was what he wanted us to call him.  A bit derogatory but endearing nonetheless.  He wins the prize for most consistently dressed guide due to his wearing the same outfit for the four days we were with him.  

Noodles did not smell like four day old clothes.  Patti and were remarking earlier in the trip that the Chinese do not seem to have body odors like the Europeans from our last trip.  I made a remark to one of the Brits we were with, he did not agree ;-). Patti and were wondering if maybe it was all the other overpowering odors in China which overwhelmed that which the body produced.

He, like all the other guides really took to the girls.

Images in 2013 Beijing.