16: AN AMAZING TRIP TO HANGZHOU - The food, people, history, sites, and lake - NOTHING CAN BE MISSED

Hangzhou is an amazing place to visit and experiencing life there is a joy. We loved seeing the variety of dancing that spontaneously popped up around the lake. It was a highlight for the locals as well as they were able to let their creative juices flow! Hefang Street and the surrounding walking streets are a quiet break from the busy city streets. With only pedestrian traffic, you could meander without the worry of the cars. The architecture was beautiful with boutiques selling custom crafts and trinkets and eateries were everywhere offering unique Hangzhou traditional foods. We ate at various vendors trying all different kinds of delicacies. Hu XueYan Mansion was just a short walk from Hefang Street outside the gate at the southern end of the pedestrian area near the Catholic Church. The tall white stucco walls hide the gem found inside. The mansion is well worth a 2-hour visit; hire a guide and go on a weekday to avoid the crowds. Once on the estate, it’s difficult to navigate with all the passageways, small rooms, outdoor gardens, and courtyards. The guide will give you background information that you would never otherwise have so it’s well worth the time to get one. Take time to look at all the details; it’s truly amazing! #china #chinalifestyle #chinalife #qingdao #hangzhouchina #hangzhouspark NEW TO OUR CHANNEL? We are Eileen and Brown Councill. Welcome to our channel and a glimpse into our life adventure! 2020 was a year of uncertainty and change (for all of us, right?), but we overcame the challenges and decided it was time to chase our dream, to sail around the world! Did I mention that we had very NO sailing experience? Before leaving Qingdao, China, our home of 4 years, we sold almost all of our earthly possessions and started our international search to find the right sailboat that we would call "home." After 5 months of unanticipated twists and turns, we found what we were looking for, a used Leopard 44' Catamaran located in St. Lucia. So, here begins our journey, filled with unmatched excitement and honestly, a bit of trepidation as well. We have much to learn as we travel the world on our floating home and we intend to document that journey and share it with you. We are so glad you have decided to join us, and we hope that you will find our story so compelling that it will inspire you to chase your dreams too! As a viewer, we consider you to be part of our family and look forward to getting to know you. Don't hesitate to comment on our videos and ask questions. We will do our best to answer every correspondence! All we ask is that you have patience with us as we work really hard to improve our camera/video techniques and ability to tell a story. Hopefully, you will be as BLOWN AWAY from watching, as we are in experiencing and producing our adventures! HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT US? If you wish to support our video efforts, all we ask is that you SUBSCRIBE, give a THUMBS UP, SHARE our videos with your friends, AND COMMENT! WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET TO KNOW US MORE DEEPLY? It would be an honor and pleasure to deepen our relationship with you as a Patron. Please click on the following link to see how: https://www.patreon.com/sailingblownaway WOULD YOU LIKE TO FOLLOW OUR JOURNEY?