We started our morning with a breakfast buffet. It’s been a while since we have had one. Nick and I were both happy to have high-fiber cereal after a few weeks of eating mostly carbs and meat. Our stomachs have been mostly fine but we are starting to feel the results of eating so much grease and spice.

After breakfast we got ready and set off for the day. Millie has been requesting a bike ride for weeks now, and we read about how you can take a bike around the top of the entire city wall. Win-win.

It took us a comically long time to figure out how to get to the wall. We could see it, but couldn’t get to the entrance staircase. It was surrounded by huge streets and different underpasses that didn’t connect. We’d go down and then reemerge only to find ourselves on a completely different corner than we expected. Eventually we did get there.

It was hot and we were in the direct sunlight and all a little grumpy from the annoying walk. Finally we found where to rent bikes and even though they had tandem bikes that looked perfect for Millie, the lady shooed us away saying “no babies, no babies!” Millie burst into tears from both disappointment and being called a baby. We started discussing a plan B, which involved visiting a nearby museum. She cried louder, saying “not a MUSEUM!!”

We entered and I sat with her while she drew and while Nick walked around. She correctly profiled our family by saying “Dad likes museums a lot, you like them medium, and I don’t like them at all.”

They had room after room of carved stones, each with teachings of Confucius. Apparently it is also a great collection of examples of different Chinese calligraphy. Museum enthusiast Nick said “this would be so amazing if I could read Chinese”. Museum medium-lover me agreed, and noted that since we don’t, it was just a lot of rocks. Millie drew and asked how to spell things.

From here we hopped in a Taxi to the Giant Wild Goose pagoda. As with all sights it was full of women of all ages in traditional outfits. We learned from our food tour guide that people do this for fun, like cosplaying. It makes for great people watching. The pagoda was in a large park and surrounded by Buddhist temples. Some had monks praying in them, and all had visitors walking up to them to pray. We explained Buddhism to Millie and probably about 5% sunk in.

We climbed to the top of the pagoda and then back down again. Millie sat on a bench for a while drawing, officially her favorite thing right now.

Millie started getting super hungry and requested pizza. After a few days of eating just Chinese food we agreed that some comfort food was needed. I found a place near our hotel.

The walls were covered in photos of the chef’s trips to Italy. He clearly took pizza very, very seriously. It was yummy and Millie finished her pie. Nick and I decided to give our stomachs a break from the crazy eating we’ve been doing, so we didn’t order anything.

But… then on the walk home we got tempted by the irresistible sight of a long line of locals ordering street food. We couldn’t resist. We did as the locals did: first got a craft beer at the shop on the left, then waited in line and ordered a “hamburger”. We sat and ate them on the red plastic chairs.

We got one filled with noodles and pork, and another with spicy chicken. They were so good. And we were so close to making it 24 hours without a beer and a stomach destroying greasy spicy thing. But like I always say, when in Rome… or wherever I happen to be at any given moment.