Well Hangzhou is all well and good, but it was a bit like the Chinese phrase:”People mountain, people sea“- too frigging crowded.
No problem though, we were already booked to go a resort out of the city called Sofitel Xanadu which is where I sit tapping away as Emma taps her fingers on the desk in front of me. (Five minutes Emma, I’m nearly done).

This place is beautiful, built next to a peaceful lake full of fish, ducks, geese and swans. The staff put food on a little wooden island in the middle of the lake and the swans actually pick it up and give it to the fish. Probably to lull them into a false sense of security so that the swans can eat them later, but it’s still nice to see.

If you give the swans some bread, they let their guard down, then WHACK! Into the cooking pot they go.

Yesterday we took a little pedal boat out onto the lake- there was a table in the middle of the boat so we asked the staff for a bottle of wine. Out it came, icy cold, two glasses- that’s the kind of service I don’t mind paying 15% for.

The wind was rough though and we were blown all over the lake, with little control over mother nature. By the time we maneuvered the boat back to the mini harbour I was a red-faced ball of sweat whilst Emma was still as fresh as a daisy. Judge for yourself who was doing most of the pedalling / hasn’t been to the gym since “Achy Breaky Heart” was at number 1.

Sofitel Xanadu Resort, 900RMB per night incl. brkfast (and swans).