Wandering about Gulangyu Island

In January 2017, I took my son to Gulangyu Island and Xiamen Island, and arranged a five-day trip in one day. This place is fresh, artistic, peaceful and warm, suitable for strolling, dazing, and hanging out. This slow-paced life is exactly what I imagined. We stayed in Gulangyu Island and Xiamen for two days each. We wandered around aimlessly, looked at the beautiful scenery, and ate local delicacies. We also encountered some warmth and touch during the trip, and gained the "meaning of travel" in my heart.

On the return flight, my son said, Mom, will we come again? I like Gulangyu so much! I answered, definitely yes. When I was in Gulangyu Island, I made an appointment with the carambola yard there, with the little cat eating bacon, with the flowers in the alley, and with the beauty and tranquility. We have made an appointment with the sea, so we will definitely come back! The son smiled.

It has been two months since I returned to Shanghai, and I still miss Gulangyu Island. Maybe I have been fascinated by this fresh and free island! Therefore, I want to use words to relive the warmth and touch, harvest and gains from this trip. This can be regarded as an explanation of one’s own heart!

When traveling, I never travel with a group, and I don’t like to do any guides. I always like to take things as they come, and take things as they come. The only thing I would care about in advance is accommodation. I will spend a lot of time reading reviews from netizens on various platforms. I will first select two or three hotels based on word-of-mouth, and then determine the final choice based on the hotel's transportation, software and hardware, features, catering, and surrounding environment. Facts have proved that such careful choices are very worthwhile. The hotels I stay in every time I travel are, without exception, very cost-effective, and overall they are very suitable for my taste, leaving a deep memory and good impression on me. Yes, not a few.

So, if you want to see a travel guide introducing attractions and the like, then don’t expect anything from me. When traveling to a city, I may not be able to visit many places because my time is spent in places that many people think are not worthwhile. I might spend an afternoon at the beach, watching the waves hitting the beach, watching my son playing in the sand and building a castle; I might also sit for a long time in a coffee shop I met halfway, watching people coming and going, and listening to the waiters. Have an interesting chat and read a book with your son; you may also spend a long time shopping in a favorite specialty store, buy some interesting souvenirs, and chat with the shop owner; you may also spend an hour next to a wandering artist Sit down, listen to their songs quietly, and share their moods; more likely, because you want to recuperate, you may sit on the hotel balcony for a few hours, reading a book, listening to music, or even sleeping with your head covered in the hotel room.

So, strictly speaking, I am not a traveler suitable for traveling together because I am too freewheeling. Generally no one can tolerate a companion like me, except my son, because I have been traveling with him in this way since he was very young. So in his mind, this is what traveling should be like.

For this trip, I booked a famous B&B in Gulangyu - Yangtao Yard, Anhai Road branch. The reviews online attracted me deeply and made me believe that Yangtao Yard is very suitable for me. A B&B. So, after several days of constant inquiries, comparisons, and struggles, I finally booked this B&B on Gulangyu Island.

After the plane arrived at Xiamen Airport, we called a taxi and arrived at Sanqiutian Pier smoothly. I booked the ferry ticket online before departure, so I only had to go to the window to print the ferry voucher, which was very convenient. If only adults are traveling, this procedure can be ignored and you only need to use your ID card to check in and board the boat.

After getting on the ferry from Sanqiutian Pier, we arrived at Gulangyu Island in a short while. It was almost evening. After getting off the boat, my son and I searched all the way according to the text messages sent by Carambola Yard in advance. It took about fifteen minutes from the pier until we found the Carambola Yard on Anhai Road, which was full of green plants and shaded by flowers.

When we arrived at the entrance of the Carambola Courtyard, the lights were already on.

Before entering, I took a good look at the carambola yard.

The arched door, the walls covered with red bricks, and the high-hanging signboard reads "Carambola Courtyard Garden Style Coffee Hotel" in Chinese and English. It is hidden by a large cluster of yellow flowers and decorated with beautiful green plants. Especially refreshing and peaceful. I'm almost certain this is my kind of place.

Walking into the gate, you will see a very large yard. This outdoor space is divided into several well-proportioned areas.

There is a very large long wooden table, which has not been carved or modified in any way. It looks like natural wood. Because the original color of the wood is retained, it looks particularly simple and unique. There were several wicker chairs placed around, and small glass bottles were randomly placed on the table with one or two flowers in them. There were several tourists sitting at the table chatting, looking like a group of friends traveling together.

There are two or three four-person tables with awnings on them. The lace tablecloths are covered with glass. There are also small vases with flowers on the tables. It is simple and fresh. Presumably on rainy days, visitors can sit here, drink a cup of coffee, read a book, enjoy the beautiful scenery in the yard, and watch the comings and goings of travelers. There is no other beautiful thing in life.

There is also a small area similar to a rockery. The overall location is higher than other areas. There are some two-person tables placed everywhere, making the space more private. There are one or two couples here who are chatting quietly. Talk and laugh.

Another area is the hotel bar, which is decorated in a literary and fresh style, which is what I like anyway. This bar is also the reception area for travelers, used for check-in and check-out. A few hotel guests were sitting in front of the bar, drinking and chatting. The years are so peaceful!

After looking around, I was reassured that my decision was right. This is indeed a place I like.

When entering the courtyard gate, a male waiter hurriedly ran forward, took my suitcase, smiled at us, and led us to the bar, that kind of warm and familiar feeling. It feels very strange, as if it is saying to me: Welcome home! When checking in, I sat on the chair at the bar and chatted with the waitress inside while checking in. Looking at the bright smile on her face, I suddenly had an illusion. Isn't this the first time? Coming here? How come there is such a familiar feeling? Why do you feel like you've been here before?

Under the guidance of the waiter, we walked along the stairs to the second floor. I booked a terrace garden room, so the room is very spacious, and there is a large terrace outside. Looking out is the bar downstairs. From a distance, the entire yard can be seen. There was a small round table on the terrace with two small chairs next to it. I stood on the terrace and breathed in the fresh night air, and the fatigue of the journey was swept away. Tomorrow I can sit on the terrace drinking coffee, reading, and watching people coming and going in the yard. How pleasant that will be!

At this moment, I can finally tell myself with certainty, Gulangyu, I’m here!

After a night of sweet sleep, it was already around eight o'clock in the morning when I woke up. I walked to the terrace and looked out. The two waiters at the bar downstairs were busy making coffee, baking toast, and frying eggs and bacon. There were already tourists in twos and threes having breakfast in the open air in the courtyard. Some were chatting softly, and some were alone, eating breakfast quietly, occasionally looking up at the star fruit tree in the courtyard.

I stood on the terrace and watched quietly for a while, then went to have breakfast with my son. We did not go to the open-air courtyard, but chose to eat at an indoor restaurant that we had to pass when walking from the room to the courtyard. The restaurant was very decorated and there were two or three cute cats inside.

The waiter brought over the hot standard set meal, including two or three slices of toast, two slices of bacon, two fried eggs, and a cup of freshly ground coffee. My son asked for freshly squeezed juice. The food was fresh. And abundant. I felt like I was in a good friend's home, felt at home and comfortable.

The piano music "White Moonlight" was playing softly on the speakers in the restaurant. At this moment, in the Carambola Courtyard of Gulangyu Island, I cried when I heard the melody. No warning.

Maybe, it's just a certain melody that touches a certain corner of my heart! Yes, everyone has a sadness and a past, but time will help us repair everything. Even if the world is uncertain, I just hope that we will still be the innocent look we were before. Facing life, I have cried, laughed, and experienced, but I am still full of expectations and hope.

After breakfast, my son and I planned to play with the cat for a while. While we were eating, there was a little white cat who kept staring at the bacon on my plate, so I left a piece for it. I put the plate on the floor and motioned for the cat to come over and eat. The little kitten snuck over and ate the bacon. It kept licking the plate. It was so cute!

After playing with the cute cat for a while and saying goodbye to it, we went back to the room to get the map, put on our backpacks, and started our walking tour of Gulangyu Island.

Gulangyu Island is indeed a city suitable for walking slowly and feeling slowly. My son and I walked out along Anhai Road at the entrance of Yangtao Courtyard, and visited the Oriental Fish Bone Museum, Organ Museum, and Bagua Tower along the way. That is, when I see a new place, I will discuss with my son whether to go in and visit. If both of us are interested, we will buy tickets and enter. All places are very close together, so you don’t feel tired at all when walking around. And each place does have its own characteristics, so we still gained something.

However, what I like more is the clusters of flowers in the alleys that I encounter on the road. He turned around and waved to me; he preferred to see the focused eyes of the sketch artist sketching the scenery on the roadside; he even preferred the ivy climbing the wall that he encountered on the road. You see, I am indeed not a traveler in the normal sense.

After passing by a painter, my son and I asked him to help us draw a color cartoon of a mother and son in the same frame. It was very childlike and cute. I think this is also a good thing to preserve. Thoughts.

As we walked, we arrived at the busiest Longtou Road, where we wanted to have lunch. Then, after walking around for a while, we found that we no longer needed lunch because those delicious special snacks had already fed us.

Anyone who has been to Gulangyu Island must know how lively Longtou Road is, and how familiar those famous shops are, such as Zhang Sanfeng, Su Xiaotang, Miss Zhao’s shop, Federal Tea Blending Bureau, Zhu Tou Three, Aunt Lu, too many to count.

And some of the local food stalls sell a variety of local snacks, such as oyster pancakes, grilled squid, fish balls, and roasted grass jelly. My son and I ate and ate until we couldn't eat anything anymore.

We bought some souvenirs and some weird gadgets, and sat in the square on Longtou Road for a while, watching the tourists coming and going. The square was almost full of people standing, sitting, and squatting eating. It was crowded and noisy. We suddenly lost interest in continuing to stroll and decided to walk back to the hotel and see if there were any coffee shops where we could take a break. .

After walking for more than ten minutes, I saw a small coffee shop on the corner of the street. Its name was written on the signboard, "Drifting Slow Delivery." It has a very literary name, and the style from the door is also fresh and fresh, so we decided to go in and sit, have something to drink, read a book for a while, and take a rest.

Entering the coffee shop, I found that in addition to selling coffee, this shop also provides postcard delivery services. There are many postcard delivery shops in Gulangyu Island, providing postcard delivery services for tourists.

And this store does it even more extreme. There are rows of small drawers in the store to store various postcards according to date. From January 1st to December 31st, there is one drawer for each day to store tourists' postcards separately. It is said that there is also a way to send a postcard. You can make a reservation at a coffee shop, and then on a certain day every year, the coffee shop can send a postcard on your behalf. Some are sent to your lover, and some are sent to yourself. It sounds good. Romantic and warm feeling.

I suddenly understood the meaning of this store name. It turned out to be "Rafting Slow Delivery"! The postcards drift from the warm Gulangyu Island to the destination. Year after year, the recipients slowly gain every touch and warmth as the years go by. I instantly fell in love with this special coffee shop.

My son and I ordered something each and read the book we brought with us while drinking. Just take a break. From time to time, there will be a few people at the bar asking to send postcards, most of which are sent to themselves. Perhaps, this is a hope sent by "myself in Gulangyu" to "myself in that city" where I live!

After sitting in the coffee shop for nearly an hour, it was almost dinner time. I thought about returning to the Star Fruit Courtyard early and enjoying the rest of the day. Before that, we can enjoy a light and wonderful dinner at the restaurant we passed by, Zhenzhenghai. When we came out in the morning, we had already seen this restaurant near the Star Fruit Courtyard. I was already fascinated by its name, the decoration style of the store and the food photos on the sign at the door. I thought I must go there tonight. Go and pull weeds here.

Walking back all the way, looking at the beautiful scenery and passing strange crowds of people, we arrived at the door of the Zhengzhou Restaurant.

There are neither too many nor too few diners inside, but it is very quiet. The tables and chairs are furnished in a simple and elegant way. The store is also dotted with many succulent plants that I cannot name. A mother and son run this restaurant together. The mother is in her fifties, gentle and kind, speaks very softly and slowly, and has a particularly loving smile. The son is in his early twenties, wearing glasses, gentle and polite. Rather shy. And all these elements combine to create a tone that I like.

We ordered beer ginger duck, boiled asparagus, and salt-grilled mackerel. As a staple, I ordered seafood rice, and my son ordered seafood noodles in clear soup. The food was served very quickly, and the food was all there. It looked like light, fresh and delicious food. My son and I felt hungry immediately. Everything we had eaten on Longtou Road in the afternoon seemed to have disappeared. The mother and son devoured it. . In less than an hour, the food was gone. Then, my son and I decided to have dinner here before leaving Gulangyu tomorrow night.

After walking out of the Rebirth Sea, we walked for about 5 minutes and returned to the Carambola Courtyard. The smell inside was still the same as when I first saw it last night. Tourists in twos and threes were chatting softly in various areas, and some even had candlesticks on the tables; a few young people were sitting at the bar drinking, talking and laughing happily, but it did not make people feel noisy; there was a hanging chair under the star fruit tree, It is fixed to the tree with a rope, like a swing. There is a 4 or 5-year-old boy sitting on it. The mother beside him is gently pushing the chair. The chair slowly rocks back and forth, and the boy makes a clear and loud sound. laugh. In addition to the sweet smell of star fruits and the smell of the sea floating in the distance, there is another gentle feeling flowing slowly in the air in the yard. I just stood there and watched dreamily, as if time had frozen at this moment. (As I write this, my eyes are red. I miss that moment so much. What should I do?)

I walked through the yard with my son and prepared to go back to the room. After passing the bar, the waiter inside smiled at us and said, are you back? My son and I smiled and replied, yes, we are back. It feels so good. It's like coming home.

Back in the room, my son took a bath by himself, then read, drew, and played games. He was very busy alone.

I boiled a pot of hot water, made a cup of jasmine tea I bought on Longtou Road in the afternoon, and sat on the terrace. The wind was a bit cool at night, so I covered myself with a thick coat and sat on a wicker chair. Beautiful music slowly floated from the bar downstairs. It was a melody I was familiar with and loved, Hotel California. I don’t know why, but I always hear this song by the Eagles when I’m traveling. Listening and listening, I fell asleep in a daze.

The next day, breakfast was still in the carambola yard, and the kitten was still there. It must be waiting for my bacon, right? This time I left two slices of bacon for it, then touched its head and said, "Little meow, wait for me, I will give you bacon next time when I come back!" Unconsciously, I used the word "come back".

In fact, during breakfast on the first day, when my son went to refill his drink, the waiter asked him, "My kid, have you been here before?" Why does uncle think he has seen you? When the son came back with the drink, he described what had just happened in a curious tone. It turns out that it wasn’t just me who felt this way when I first walked into the Carambola courtyard. It turned out that both parties had a feeling of déjà vu. Is this fate? Or is it some other reason? I don't know.

My schedule for the next day was even simpler. I only planned to go to Shuzhuang Garden and then take my son, who loves marine life, to the underwater world. I will give the carambola yard the rest of the time, because tonight, we are leaving.

Starting from Yangtao Yard, we walked to Shuzhuang Garden, which took almost half an hour.

Shuzhuang Garden was built in 1913. It was originally the private villa of Lin Erjia, a famous local gentleman. It was dedicated as a park in 1955.

When we entered the garden, at first glance it was an exquisite and elegant Jiangnan courtyard, a bit like the Humble Administrator's Garden in Suzhou. But as you walk, you suddenly find that you have come to the sea. And this is the most special place of Shuzhuang - the garden is on the sea, and the sea is in the garden! Therefore, the small bridge and flowing water on this side of the garden are warm and elegant. You can feel that "the lake and mountains are beautiful, and the wild paths are sloping in the shade of locust trees." While walking, you suddenly see the vast sea and the majestic seagulls. Flying, so I changed the feeling of "30,000 miles of river to the east into the sea, 5,000 miles of mountains to the sky" to express my feelings directly, so, just like this, in an instant, the stars changed.

After walking for a short time from Shuzhuang Garden, we reached the underwater world. Went in to watch the sea lion show and visited the exhibition hall, and we were done shopping in no time. To me, the ocean parks or underwater worlds in each city are absolutely the same, but my children like them, so I will definitely take him to see them as long as time permits.

Today’s planned trip ended at two or three o’clock in the afternoon. My son and I decided to stroll around Longtou Road again, buy a Gulangyu specialty notebook, and also go to some of my favorite shops to get a few stamps. Then, find a small shop that can send postcards on your behalf and send a postcard to yourself in Shanghai. After returning to Shanghai, I can receive a memory from Gulangyu Island.

After completing these two things, we walked back slowly and arrived at Zhengzhou Restaurant at 4 or 5 o'clock. We ordered almost the same food as last night and had a delicious meal. Then, he walked for five minutes back to the Carambola Courtyard and went to the bar to pick up the luggage he had stored before leaving in the morning.

We said goodbye to the three or four waiters who had provided us with various services in the past two days. They said goodbye to us with a smile. It was the same one who took the suitcase from me that day. The male waiter helped me carry my two suitcases to the gate. My son and I each dragged a box and waved goodbye to him. After walking a few steps, we turned around, and he was still looking at us at the door, and waved to us vigorously. Suddenly there was a feeling of reluctance in my heart!

I silently told myself that I would definitely come to this place again, definitely!

We got on the ferry from Gulangyu Island to Xiamen. The ferry blew its whistle several times and took us away from this place that I am deeply obsessed with. Although the next trip to Xiamen was also very enjoyable, in comparison, Gulangyu Island touched my heart even more. It is a beautiful feeling of warmth, kindness and touching intertwined with each other.

This evening ferry was very crowded and crowded. After arriving at the shore, we must quickly follow the crowd and leave the cabin door. However, even a female man like me has to pick up two suitcases and carry them out of the cabin door, and at the same time hold my son’s hand to prevent him from being squeezed away by the crowd. I had to take care of my feet so as not to trip over other people's luggage, which made me a little helpless. At this time, the crowd had begun to move forward. I was going crazy when I suddenly heard a crisp voice in my ear, "Let me help you!" I saw it was a girl of seventeen or eighteen years old, very delicate and slim. Before I could answer, she picked up the big luggage. I saw that she must have used a lot of strength to move the box out of the ferry gate for me and put it at the door. She smiled at us, then turned and left.

I thanked her loudly, and she waved to me from behind, but did not turn around. But I seemed to be able to feel the smile on her face.

I have been thinking, is it because the fate of the previous life has not been resolved when we are on the same boat?

After arriving in Xiamen, I was still lazy. On the morning of my first day in Xiamen, I only went to Xiamen University, and spent most of the time in a cafe halfway up the mountain, drinking coffee and watching the scenery. , I went to the Convention and Exhibition Center in the afternoon and took my son on a sailboat to go out to sea, and then went to Zengcuo'an in the evening, this so-called must-see place for young people. This is a full day trip.

At the Swiss Grand Hotel Xiamen, we stayed in a sea view room. The floor was high, so the view was excellent. Looking out the window, we could see the entire Gulangyu Island opposite.

Early the next morning, I was awakened by the sound of sirens. When I opened my eyes, I suddenly didn’t know where I was. I heard that many people have such an illusion when they wake up in a hotel. I walked to the window and opened the curtains. It turned out that there was a ferry honking its whistle on the Heping Pier opposite the hotel. The Gulangyu Island outside the window is beautiful and confusing, making it even more mysterious than when you are in it.

The first stop in Xiamen was Xiamen University. We only had a brief tour, but Xiamen University is indeed a very beautiful and distinctive university campus.

When we found a coffee shop halfway up the mountain, our trip to Xiamen University stopped there. The mountainside is filled with blooming flowers, the valley is quiet, and the breeze is blowing. It's like a paradise.

After coming out of Xiamen University, we called a taxi and went to the Convention and Exhibition Center to go out on a sailboat with our son.

After going out to sea, it was almost dusk. Our last stop today came to Zengcuo’an as promised. It is already brightly lit and crowded with tourists.

Some small bars have also started to open, and the resident singers inside have begun to sing. For some reason, it always sounds sad and vicissitudes of life.

Wandering all the way, I slowly saw all its prosperity.

The next day, I walked from the hotel to Zhongshan Road and walked around. My son went to various shops to buy some weird little things, and then returned to the hotel.

I called a taxi from the hotel and rushed to Xiamen Gaoqi Airport. This trip to Gulangyu Island and Xiamen ended perfectly.

When I return to Shanghai, I always think of the white kitten licking the empty plate in the carambola yard, the blooming flowers on the branches deep in the alley, and the sound of the sea outside the window of the Swiss International Hotel. The ferry with the flute, the carambola-scented breeze blowing from the terrace of the Carambola Courtyard, and the waiter standing at the door of the courtyard waving to us, all these images seemed to have left a mark on my heart that can no longer be erased. .

And these beautiful things feel like they happened yesterday, and they seem like they happened in a dream. I even wonder if it is a reincarnation in a previous life. . .

Then I understood that my heart had been lost, lost in that extremely beautiful little island. . .