Hutongs Beijing

 Here is the huge pizza we ate for Thanksgiving!  Yummy! Too cold and tired to go out for the Peking Duck like we planned.

 This is a Hutong in the middle of Beijing.  It has been in this family for many generations.  During the Communist Era it was taken by the government and many families were crowded into the tiny rooms including one family in a bathroom.  They had to go down the street to use the public toilets.  The family that originally owned it was relegated to the kitchen as their home.  It was a rough life and left some bitter memories.  Somehow now the family owns the entire place again.  The mother was a single mom and the daughter now owns it as the grandparents no longer living.  Very interesting lovely people and we thoroughly enjoyed staying in their home and visiting with them.  The house is many rooms and bathrooms all the way around two large court yards.  There is a common room at the middle for the kitchen.  The owners live upstairs and in back of everything.  Very interesting house I am so glad we stayed here right in the heart of Beijing!