Today (Day 11) ended with "high tea" (aka late lunch) in Yangguan 阳关 town, a very pleasant leafy little enclave that has prospered on the back of growing grapes. Throughout Yangguan town are vineyards - they grow mostly green grapes which are sold fresh or dried by wind in special clay houses with small windows for flowing through the strong Hexi corridor wind currents (see photo).
The vineyards have also now developed their own small al fresco eateries serving "farm cuisine". Today, we tried a spicy braised wild hen with fenpi 粉皮大盘鸡, served with freshly made noodles. The fenpi was super chewy 弹牙, made from wheat (unlike Shanghainese fenpi which is made of green beans and more translucent and soft). A glass of sauv blanc would have been great but still, what more could one ask for, dining under grapevines against the setting sun.
A restful end to an occasionally trying day.
