I read on a friend's blog yesterday that so far in 2010, we have had around 32 days of rain. And most of the rest of the days have been overcast thus far. But, recently, we had one day that was warm and sunny, and we took the ENTIRE day off and went out to explore a National Park located right in our city.
We began the morning by visiting YangMingShuWu, the last and largest retreat completed in 1970 for the late President Chiang Kai-shek and his wife. It was mostly used as a summer residence and a place to host local and foreign dignitaries.
Besides history, this place is also a perfect demonstration of Chinese garden art, with plants grown according to the climate such as tea trees and plum trees and exotic stones in ponds full of elegant fish.
The east-wing reception room was designed to accommodate foreign leaders and VIPs; however, after TW left the UN in 1971, this beautiful section never really had a chance to be seen by these leaders. But, we got to see it, and it is indeed MAGNIFICENT.
Most of the furnishings are made of red wood and create the feeling of classic Chinese-style elegance. The eyes in this portrait are very interesting. They follow you no matter where you stand or move around the room.
Inside, it's an odd mix of classical Chinese decor, 1970s Western design (including Madam Chiang's pink-tiled bathroom) and extreme security: the basement is bolstered by reinforced concrete to resist air attacks, with a series of escape tunnels leading to the gardens and beyond. The contents of the house – furniture, personal items – are authentic reproductions, including a small collection of Madam Chiang's own paintings. If you go, make sure to call a day ahead and request an English-speaking tour guide. We learned alot about the history of our little island and Chinese culture in general.
YangMingShan is famous for it's flowering cherry trees at this time of year, and we were not disappointed.
We try to always take time off in the middle of the week in order to avoid the weekend crowds and acutally experience some peaceful moments.
Many of you that know Esther well are familiar with her obsession with flowers and photography. So, we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the fresh air while we waited for her to take pictures of every thing in sight.
We had never seen this flower before, but I now have a bouquet sitting on my dining room table.
And, Jack bought Esther a bouquet of these calla lilies for Valentine's Day. I think both of our daughters want these flowers for their wedding bouquets. Wish they were as cheap in the States as they are here. We got six long stem calla lilies for less than $2.
You could pick them yourself, have someone pick them for you, or just wander through the fields at your leisure. Incredible beauty! This is definitely the most relaxing and refreshing day we have had outside in the warm, sunshine since we returned. Isn't HIS creation unbelievable?
We began the morning by visiting YangMingShuWu, the last and largest retreat completed in 1970 for the late President Chiang Kai-shek and his wife. It was mostly used as a summer residence and a place to host local and foreign dignitaries.
Besides history, this place is also a perfect demonstration of Chinese garden art, with plants grown according to the climate such as tea trees and plum trees and exotic stones in ponds full of elegant fish.
The east-wing reception room was designed to accommodate foreign leaders and VIPs; however, after TW left the UN in 1971, this beautiful section never really had a chance to be seen by these leaders. But, we got to see it, and it is indeed MAGNIFICENT.
Most of the furnishings are made of red wood and create the feeling of classic Chinese-style elegance. The eyes in this portrait are very interesting. They follow you no matter where you stand or move around the room.
Inside, it's an odd mix of classical Chinese decor, 1970s Western design (including Madam Chiang's pink-tiled bathroom) and extreme security: the basement is bolstered by reinforced concrete to resist air attacks, with a series of escape tunnels leading to the gardens and beyond. The contents of the house – furniture, personal items – are authentic reproductions, including a small collection of Madam Chiang's own paintings. If you go, make sure to call a day ahead and request an English-speaking tour guide. We learned alot about the history of our little island and Chinese culture in general.
YangMingShan is famous for it's flowering cherry trees at this time of year, and we were not disappointed.
We try to always take time off in the middle of the week in order to avoid the weekend crowds and acutally experience some peaceful moments.
Many of you that know Esther well are familiar with her obsession with flowers and photography. So, we had plenty of time to relax and enjoy the fresh air while we waited for her to take pictures of every thing in sight.
We had never seen this flower before, but I now have a bouquet sitting on my dining room table.
And, Jack bought Esther a bouquet of these calla lilies for Valentine's Day. I think both of our daughters want these flowers for their wedding bouquets. Wish they were as cheap in the States as they are here. We got six long stem calla lilies for less than $2.
You could pick them yourself, have someone pick them for you, or just wander through the fields at your leisure. Incredible beauty! This is definitely the most relaxing and refreshing day we have had outside in the warm, sunshine since we returned. Isn't HIS creation unbelievable?
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