See, China understands me. My ideal breakfast in a dish: fruit, fruit, fruit, and desserts! (There is nothing more I wanted in life).
Today, we had a (half)day trip to Yangzhou planned. As Yangzhou borders Nanjing, it was a worthwhile venture.
Our first stop was Hudson Taylor’s old house. Hudson Taylor, possibly China’s most famous missionary in history, greatly contributed to the rising Christian movement present – in his time, he brought over 800+ missionaries and dedicated 51 long years of his life to spreading the Word. He lived here with his wife until the Yangzhou Incident (in which angry Chinese citizens protesting again Britain’s imperialism rioted at Taylor’s house). His wife Maria, pregnant at that time, and several others had to jump out of the 2nd floor window to escape the havoc.
His old house still stands as a protected monument to Yangzhou’s history. 
We walked through an old street of Yangzhou – ragged conditions, worn houses, chipped paint was just the beginning. 
Lazy but lovely kitty with a nice little nap spot outdoors. Oh kitty, can I be you, can I be you?
Clever, clever! What I thought might be a broom at first turned out to be something much different.
Near the Grand Canal of Yangzhou. The waters were a lukewarm yellow at the time but the trees and buildings on land gave it a pleasant green spark. 
Naked trees against the solid blue morning sky.
Entering the marketplace.
The words read “Try Some!” (Finally, something I can just barely read) More snacks on the street ~ Street food!
Cute cafe window! Love the ballet slippers substituting the letter “V” in the word “LOVE”. 
I know dog, I feel you 😦 By the end of our time in Yangzhou, this was pretty much an accurate photo of my face – so exhausted. Yangzhou was absolutely lovely. I do believe I would have enjoyed it a lot better if I didn’t have the flu. But just to have the opportunity to explore a smaller-scale city in China reminds me of how blessed I am that our itinerary was packed with a diverse arrangement of activities.
soymilk on a sunday 