chinese garden

Today we ventured out to the Classical Chinese Garden. I got a membership to the garden as a gift from a friend and haven't really used it yet, though I would like to use it a whole bunch for the remaining few months.

The Chinese garden is such a peaceful place right in the middle of downtown. It's been cold here and the lake in the center was covered with a frozen crust, a sight unseen in Portland. The garden looks a little sad in the winter. Only one rose bush was blooming and though it was bright and sunny out, the stone and bare tree trunks are what stood out most. Still, it's worth going any time of the year. In the winter hardly anyone visits, so the garden becomes a quiet place to reflect and be alone, much more so than in the busy summer season. Of course, it's too cold to walk around barefoot on the foot paths made of small stones, which work the feet over acupressure-style - an intense, but pleasurable experience better left for the summer.

The tea house is my favorite! Hot tea and moon cakes was the perfect way to wrap up our outing on a chilly December afternoon. I've put a few pictures from today's trip in the "outdoor adventures" photo album on the right.