Just spent the morning sketching out a Shanghai-Suzhou trip for an Australian family of four. The dad sent me a voice note last night: "I showed the kids photos of the water towns, and now they will not stop asking when we are going." That voice note is going to keep me going all week. Here is the route we landed on: three nights in Shanghai (Bund view, Yuyuan Garden, a food tour through the old lanes), then a day trip to Suzhou by high-speed train (23 minutes, ¥40). The kids are 9 and 12, so I added a stop at the Shanghai Natural History Museum and a evening cruise on the Huangpu River. The mom asked me: "Is Suzhou worth it for just one day?" I told her: Suzhou is the Venice of the East, except the canals actually still have locals living along them. One day is enough to see the Humble Administrators Garden, walk a canal street, and eat the best xiaolongbao of your life before catching the train back. Monday morning — coffee in hand, a full week ahead, a family excited about their China trip. Not a bad way to start the week.