Beijing Getaway

After months of great anticipation, Mariya and I finally made it to Beijing for a weekend reunion with the girls (Jill, Jess O and Chelsea) and what a spectacular treat it was! To be perfectly honest, as far as weekends go, I find it hard to believe that it could get any better. Mariya and I were ready and waiting for the 3 o’clock bell on Friday and were out of the school gates quicker than a blink in an attempt to beat the traffic. We got the ferry and were in HK with plenty of time to get some food and relax before boarding our 3hour flight to the big city (smooth isn’t often a word we use here in China, but it all went rather smoothly). After waiting in a rather lengthy cab line Mariya and I made it to CISB where Chelsea was waiting in the cold to let us through the gates. We were welcomed with a lovely wine and cheese spread and was up into the wee hours of the morning catching up J

Saturday we got up bright and early and hit the pavement. It all began with a delicious breakfast at The Rug, a place that I would be frequenting if I lived in the city. It was Wonderful, so neat and it screamed Pinterest to me. From breaky we headed to The Pearl Market where we got some killer deals on Michael Kors watches, sunglasses and scarves (we really had to bundle up, Beijing is really cold!). When we were satisfied with our purchases and done playing with things that we had no intentions of buying we headed to our Top Secret Lulu supplier’s new office (Betty). We were lead to the office by a little boy no more than 7 years old and were all in heaven upon walking through the doors. 

I must say I showed great restraint and only bought myself a few items (sadly). Poor Betty was left with a bit of a mess but a happy wallet. Of course in the excitement I left without my bag of purchases from the market, thank goodness Betty is so lovely and dropped it off at the school for me later in the evening! After all of the Lulu excitement we only had enough energy to visit one more market where Mariya was able to purchase her beautiful red Canada Goose jacket! I certainly plan on buying one when I have a little more money in the bank. That is a jacket that I will need when I return to Canada (or, if the girls have their way, Beijing). After relaxing at home with a glass of wine we all went for a delectable sushi meal at a great spot near the school. The girls picked brilliant kinds of sushi and we certainly laughed a lot. Following the meal we went to Mohiki for some fancy drinks and then after some more at Jill’s her and I went to Sparks for a few hours of dancing to end our wonderful day of shopping.

 Sunday was spent on The Great Wall of China…needless to say Sunday Funday has a whole new meaning to me. It took us a couple of hours to get there (nap time) and when we arrived we were all buzzing with excitement. 

Lee, our guide, took us to a much less populated part of the wall and it turned out that we had the whole thing to ourselves (a rarity and true treat). We were freezing (I wore a long sleeve lulu running top, a lulu jacket, my Banana Rep jacket, a knit scarf, hat and mitts) and the wind was wild but the day couldn’t’ have been more beautiful. It was a clear day with some lovely white clouds, a perfect combo to see the stunning views surrounding The Wall. It was such a treat to spend such a wonderful day on The Wall with such beautiful friends – we took a million and one photos and laughed the whole time. WHAT A DAY!

       LIFE IS AWFULLY GOOD :)