Lazy Days at the Bird's Nest

 The Suzhou Cultural Arts Center is just mile or two away...across the causeway that spans the North side of JinJi lake.  The complex contains a concert hall for in-the-flesh performances as well as an IMAX theater and conventional cineplex.  We call it the "bird's nest" because it somewhat resembles the Beijing Olympic Stadium made famous in 2008.

 During the lazy days off of the Golden Week, we spent quite a bit of time near the bird's nest.  There is a Starbucks on the back side with a patio....a perfect morning hangout to sit and drink coffee and talk with friends.  From Starbucks, you have a good view of the amusement park, as shown in the photo above.

 After killing two or three hours at Starbucks, we might move to the other side of the Bird's Nest to catch lunch in the Muchener Biergarten German Restaurant.  From their patio you can see the other side of the lake.  Brunch lasts until 3 pm, so it's easy to kill another 4 or 5 hours there.

At night, the bird's nest lights up.  Not that that's unusual.  Every building of significance in China lights up at night.  But the bird's nest is one of our favorites because, from our apartment windows, we can see it twinkle and change colors.  The following photos give a hint of the light show....but certainly do not do it justice.