JP had a school thing in Shanghai so we decided to make a short holiday out of it and I tagged along. It was my first time in Shanghai and I was looking forward to spending an entire day exploring the Former French Concession. The Shanghai Former French Concession is also known as the Paris of the Orient because it was a French settlement from 1849 to 1943, so naturally you get tree-lined trees, coffee shops, bookstores, boutiques and all that comes with a place that's been occupied by the French for several decades. Even though the area has undergone a lot of changes (it was turned over to the Chinese government in the early 1940s!), it still has this distinct European, Old World charm to it. There's also a higher expat-local ratio here than in CQ, which is refreshing because that means more people can converse in English and getting around and ordering food isn't quite as challenging.
There's a lot of videos and blog posts on the Shanghai Former French Concession already and how to get there from various points in the city (we stayed at the Novotel Shanghai Atlantis in Pudong, so we got to the French Concession by subway), so I'll keep this post short.
Would love to spend another afternoon exploring more of this place again. But for now, pictures.
Travel, Travel, Travel, Travel, Travel, Travel, Travel, Travel, Travel, Travel
“A Wasn’t just isn't. He just isn't present.
But you…
You ARE YOU!
And, now isn't that pleasant!
-- Dr. Seuss
Happy Birthday to You!
Spent a wintry Friday afternoon with this darling little girl and mommy at one of the Zoo Coffees in the city. Zoo Coffee has this theme going on, with horses and life-size giraffes as cafe decor, indoors and out. It's something to look at, really. They also serve pretty good comfort food and the usual waffles and coffee. When I arrived, there was a film crew taping on the top floor, but they were wrapping up so Sophie, Mommy and I were the first ones to get to our spots as soon as the crew left.
I first met Sophie when she was just half a year old, and now she's two and I can barely keep up with her. Mommy wanted photos to mark the start of the year for Sophie so when she messaged me about doing it at Zoo Coffee, I was all for it. Sophie is so easy on the camera and her smile is just infectious. And that energy! I'd give an arm and a foot for an ounce of the energy she has.
Photographing her and mom brought back all sorts of feels for me too. Shooting moms and littles is so much fun, especially when I scan through my camera and see all the adorableness in each snap. And because mom is a good friend of mine (she makes the best cakes in CQ, hands down) it felt natural, like I was just meeting a friend (and a half!) for afternoon coffee (or hot coco for me!).
Looking forward to more of moments like these all over this beautiful city.
Family, Family, Family, Family, Family, Family, Family, Famiy, Family, Family, Family, Family
