Where in the World are Dave and Elizabeth?

Move over Buck ee’s.  You have nothing on the quick stop we went to in our way to the city of Suzhou.  Ceilings painted with blue sky and white clouds. An artificial stream running down the center.  Places that sell things like duck on a stick.  Fresh fruit and veggies on display.  The Chinese traveler’s convenience store is something to see.  This was just a pit stop on our tour group’s nearly 2 hour trip from Shanghai to Suzhou. Known as the Venice of China, Suzhou has a population of 10 million. (Shanghai is 26 million.). At the heart of the city is an ancient canal system.  The main one is part of a canal that linked the city with Beijing and was built beginning in  500-600 AD.We loaded into boats to tour the area.  Following that, we had a lovely lunch in a local hotel and then headed to the Suzhou Embroidery Research Institute.  We met women who create the most intricate, exquisite embroidery with silk thread.   The detailing ...