Alice and Randy's Adventure in China: Visiting the Bund and the Luxury Train to Nanjing

We woke the next day (Friday) and lounged in our comfortable and spacious Marriott Executive Apartment at Tomorrow Square. This building splits between the apartments and the J.W. Marriott (the J.W. is on the upper floors). However, we were way up (about the 35^th floor) so we were plenty high.

We stored our luggage and took a taxi to the center of the Bund, the most iconic area of Shanghai. We walked along the river and took in the view to ultra-modern Pudong across the river. We then walked the main stretch of the Bund admiring each historic building, most built by European powers as either banks or trading centers. The buildings mostly dated from the 1920’s or 1930’s though a few were older. The best part was the interior of a main bank which was an awesome mosaic ceiling of the zodiac and the top world financial centers of the time. Unfortunately the guard there would allow no photos so I can’t share these with you.

Squeezing in a taxi to the Shanghai Bund.. Taxi rates in China are very reasonable by U.S. standards.

Randy walks across from the Bund. Note the white haze, which is the only color of sky we saw during daylight hours in Shanghai.

Nick and Tianqi take a selfie on the Bund looking towards the modern Pudong area

The Huangpu River and the Pudong area

Panoramic of the Shanghai Bund

Randy and Alice on the Bund with Pudong in the background and Nick and Alice with a Communist era statue below

The trio at the concrete boardwalk across from the Bund

An architectural detail from one of the Bund buildings from the first part of the 20th century

A European type building behind the Bund

A wonderful Art Deco metal gate opens to a dirty garage area behind the Bund - an interesting combination of historic beauty with ugly modernity

We had spotted a brewpub, The Bund Brewery, on our walk and circled around to it. We settled down to some pre-lunch beers and snacks. The beer (either light or dark) was very drinkable and the setting was pretty much classic brewpub. Next we headed to a premier French restaurant on the Bund. They could not take us as they said every table was booked. Across the way, also on the Bund, was another recommended Western style restaurant – M on the Bund. We were seated in a corner table with a great view of the river and the Bund and Pudong beyond. The food was amazing – fresh, healthy and delicious (and expensive). We really enjoyed this lunch.

The Bund Brewery - please much describes it

At the brewpub

The tasty light beer in the colorful glass

Nick tries the dark beer

A very good place to eat (but pricy) on the Bund

Nick and Alice on the balcony area of the M Restaurant

View of some of the iconic buildings of the Bund from the M balcony

The delicious juice concoction that started the healthy set meal wich Alice and Nick both had

The second course of the Healthy Menu was gazpacho

The main course of the Healthy Menu was a grilled fish. The Healthy Menu finished with a sliced, peeled peach.

The group at the M Restaurant

The Chinese flag flies on the M Restaurant balcony. We did not see that many flags on display in China.

We grabbed a taxi, picked up our luggage from the hotel and went to the train station for our 2:30 PM train to Nanjing. Unfortunately, we went to the wrong train station. But, the situation was saved (and even improved) as Tianqi traded in our other tickets for ones from this station on a 2:50 PM train. The only seats left were business class, which were pricier but super comfortable. So, it worked great. The high speed train was smooth and we relaxed with the mostly rural scenery.

The crowded Shanghai Hongqiao rail station located next to the domestic air terminal

We were all relieved to get the train tickets straightened out

Randy and Alice get ready to go to Nanjing

We say goodbye to Shanghai as the train takes off. The train hovers along the track making it super smooth.

Randy relaxes in the Business Class seats of this luxury car

A snack bag was passed out to each of us but the snacks did not look very appealing to us. The newspaper is the big English language one for southern China. Up north we read the China Times.

A view of rural China between Shanghai and Nanjing on this rainy afternoon. Lots of farming and lush vegetation.

We arrived in a rain shower (it is the rainy season in China now) and Tianqi’s mom was waiting for us. We split between her car and Tianqi’s dad’s car and went to the hotel – the Jingling in downtown Nanjing. This is a highrise and a five star and recommended as the most comfortable hotel in Nanjing. I had booked an executive room which was very large with walk in closet, walk in wet bar area and a living room area (although it was all one room – not a suite). The Gao’s hosted us to a multi-course Chinese dinner at the hotel restaurant. Some of the food (like pig feet) were not what we were used to (I passed on those) but it was interesting. We then visited the Gao apartment for a little TV and conversation. They live in a three bedroom (one bedroom now an office), two bathroom fourth floor apartment in a gated community. The living and dining area were combined with a small balcony and the kitchen was a galley style just off the dining area. It was furnished in the modern style. Still massively jet lagged we headed back to our room at the Jingling leaving Nick to stay at the Gao’s (where he had visited since mid-May).