2nd May 2010 Our early departure from Shanghai left us both feeling a bit glum, cut short before we’d had our fill of dumplings and neon skylines. But landing at Heathrow brought a strange sort of relief, especially knowing we could finally relieve Charlotte of her saintly watch over Jamie and Sarah. Parenting by proxy… Continue Reading

24th April 2010 As has now become tradition, I rise early and left Sue to enjoy her beauty sleep while I trotted off to the Crowne Plaza for a quiet breakfast and the Shanghai Times. Crossword completed (with only minimal cheating), I return to find Sue mid-toast and deep in conversation with fellow guests. It… Continue Reading

23rd April 2010 As usual, I was up before Sue had so much as blinked an eyelid. After breakfasting solo, I trotted off to the Crowne Plaza for my daily fix of the Shanghai Times and a satisfying go at the crossword (I’ll admit to a bit of guessing). I returned to the Ibis to… Continue Reading

21st April 2010 It was still raining in Pudong. The sort of persistent drizzle that doesn’t so much fall as hangs in the air and sulks. Other than a token mooch around, wrapped in rain gear (looking more like backpacking bin bags than tourists), we didn’t stray far from the Ibis. Later, while loitering in… Continue Reading

19th April 2010 As we returned from the airport, we decided to hop on the afternoon shuttle bus to Tai Mai Market. This proved unexpectedly fortunate. As we sat on the bus, another British couple climbed aboard and struck up a conversation. They informed us, somewhat gleefully, that they’d rebooked their return flight for the… Continue Reading

19th April 2010 Here’s a summary of our Asian adventure, so far… We began with a four-hour delay at Heathrow (thank you, Virgin), but once we were airborne, things ran smoothly. Our transfer from Shanghai airport to the Crowne Plaza in Pudong was efficient by taxi. Our hotel was technically near the airport, though it… Continue Reading