Every day is a blue sky day

Is it the fact that more than 1M cars have been off the road for the last six weeks? Or that all construction work across Beijing has been halted? Perhaps its because some high polluting factories have been shut down? Or maybe simply because we are coming into autumn..and Beijing's best months.

Whatever the reason - and I'm sure its all of the above - we have enjoyed truly spectacular weather over the last few weeks. Normally August is horrible...grey, overcast skies all day and temperatures over 35C. This year we have had plenty of blue sky days with the occasional, wispy, clouds. We even could see STARS on some nights!

Last Sunday was one one of those perfect, wish they never end, days. A round of golf in the morning under glorious skies and a light breeze. Even though I lost - normally the cause of a grumpy rest of the day - it failed to dent my spirits.
Da Li Courtyard

Then onto my one of my favourite restaurants for a lazy lunch with friends. Da Li Courtyard is a small, hard to find, restaurant in a Beijing hutong (don't expect any help from their website...) near the Drum & Bell towers running out of a renovated courtyard home. The food is from Yunnan province in south west China - so more south east Asian flavours than classic Chinese - including spring rolls, grilled goats cheese and terrific grilled fish. There is no menu and no choice. You are served 8 or 9 dishes of whatever they have cooked that day which is great because you end up trying things you might never have ordered. This is especially true in China where our limited language skills mean that we often go with safe menu choices.

It was just a perfect lunch..every dish was wonderful and we drank delicious Grace Vineyards chardonnay - a Chinese wine (yes, they exist but most are called things like Great Wall or Dragon's Seal and aren't up to much).
Da Li Courtyard

You can't get those big red fire engines down Beijing's narrow hutongs...the fire brigade take a rest on Sunday afternoon in Nanluoguxiang