Retreat.

Introductions were made as I grabbed grocery bags and set them in the back of the white Mercedes van. A week prior, I agreed to spend twenty four hours somewhere in the mountains north of Beijing with friends of friends; people I'd never met.

The Po Shang house beautifully demonstrated minimalist and functional furnishing.

We talked and laughed. I grilled for the first and last time of the summer. We ventured through the village and mountains. We ate. Repeat.


Inside:

Waiting for me the next morning.

小白prior to departure.

Outside.

Tower to tower.

That evening we carried couch cushions outside, filling the silence with exuberance fueled by a night sky that remains unrivaled except for that seen on January 1, 2012 in the Outer Banks.

One of my favorite recipes- a dish made too rarely and for little reason.

1. Prepare several servings of Strangers and Acquaintances. Measure generously.
2. Good food. If you can't, find someone who can.
3. Mix company and food and garnish with good conversation. Speak freely.