Fun at the Taipei Children's Recreation Center

Wow! What a great day we had today!

Just got back from taking the girls to the Taipei Children's Recreation Center - can't believe we've been here 5 years and this is the first time we've been!! It's sod's law really - there are so many things we've done this year that we should have done years ago, or things we've only just discovered, like 'Tien Mu Butchers' - it sells FANTASTIC meat at brilliant prices!!!

Anyway. Back to our trip today. Only a short drive - it's almost adjacent to the Grand Palace Hotel and is soooooooo worth the money. It cost 30 NT per adult - children are free - to get in and then each ride costs 20 NT. But there's so much to do and see and there are plenty of fantastic play areas and climbing frames and picnic areas that are free of charge inside.

It has lovely exhibitions and traditional Taiwanese handicrafts and toy making shops and displays and gardens to walk through and then you get to the Amusement place! The girls (especially Annalise) had a ball! She went on her very first Merry Go Round (Carousel) - and she couldn't believe that 'it's just like Mary Poppins!'. We went on the twirling teacups and some rocket spaceship fairground rides (some that were a bit scary actually - but both girls loved it! Juliette couldn't stop giggling and squealing the higher and faster we got on the spaceships!) and a little train that went through caves full of fairy lights and treasure, a ferris wheel ride and a dragon boat ride. There are dodgems and fairground swings - but you have to be 100cm and poor little Annalise isn't quite there yet. But she took it all in her stride and found other things to amuse herself with!

The day was just perfect - weather was cool but sunny and the place wasn't crowded at all.

A brilliant playdate with our friends!