Our Little Get Away

 

Since having the scooter we've tried to take as many opportunities as possible to go and explore Qingdao before summer is over. We've loved riding it & have explored our city, even in small ways,  like taking a new route to our usual places. 

A few weeks ago we took the thirty minute drive out to Lao Shan Beach & took time to explore the Lao Shan area a little more. After we enjoyed a nice walk on the beach, we turned off the main road and followed a little road through one of Lao Shan's many villages ending up amidst the beautiful mountains with some stunning little lake views. It took less than 20 minutes to 'get away' from the city & car noises, with no one in sight.

 

2014 Rural Life 

We were amazed by the spectacular water views & the quiet people-less views. It's hard to come by in China.

There were several small dams on the way up.

This water was crystal clear. We wanted to jump in so badly!

After we walked around a bit, we found a tiny tea farm, which also had a few tables, where you could drink tea & have lunch.

They had fresh green tea and fresh vegetables for sale. I had to go to the bathroom and was directed by the little old lady & man, the farms owners, to the back of the shop, towards their house. I walked past a dog, a turkey and a few chickens to get to the small opened roof brick 'bathroom.' It was more like an outhouse but was surprisingly clean.

Green tea is famous here in Qingdao. I'm not a huge fan of it but this tea, nice and fresh, was delicious. Maybe it was the ambiance or my good mood, but I really enjoyed it.

The old lady shop owner let us come into her kitchen and point out which veggies we wanted.

We pointed to eggplant and green beans but she ended up bringing out all of the dishes above plus a huge plate of steamed scrambled eggs and veggies. We were so full! It was all delicious though, fresh and lacking the usual Chinese restaurant oil, which we appreciated.

Can you spot Zachary?

After lunch we rode back through the village & arrived home before we had our afternoon tutoring. It was so cool to us that we could have what felt like a little vacation by appreciating our city & God's creation getting away all in a few hours.

I loved this day. It reminded me that I don't have to buy a plane ticket to get away. Heck! I didn't even need a whole day! I just needed a few hours, with my love, with a grateful heart & a quiet soul, to feel refreshed & renewed!