Nicola arrived late friday night, so Saturday morning we were up early for a great cheap breakfast and a walk over Charles Bridge, the historical bridge over the Vltava River, that was built in the 14th century. Unfortunately not early enough to beat the crowds.
Across the river and through St Nicholas' Church on the way up to the Prague Castle, the city's number one tourist attraction, and it seemed as though every tourist in Europe was there. Managed to catch some of the changing of the guards at midday (well we tried to, through the thousands of tourists), before walking through the complex. 
By now we were getting thirsty so we walked around the hill to the Letna beer garden overlooking Prague from across the river. Great spot to hang out in the sun for a few hours and drink some very cheap beer!
We had planned to get up early Sunday morning and make our way to a little town called Cesky Krumlov, but on Saturday evening after walking around to the bus station and the train station, we realised this just wasnt going to work. So we tried to make up for it by having a late one on Saturday night experiencing some of the Prague nightlife.
Sunday we let ourselves have a bit of a sleep in before walking through a different part of town and then out on the Metro to Vysehrad, a fortress built on the side of the river, dating back to the 10th century. After a bit of a walk around we sat in the sun for the afternoon and read our books and had a bit of a snooze.
After such a tough day we decided to head back to the beer garden for another one or two beers, and watched the lights come on over Prague over a few hands of cards.
After such a tough day we decided to head back to the beer garden for another one or two beers, and watched the lights come on over Prague over a few hands of cards.
Monday we got up early to find the awesome weather we had enjoyed on Saturday and Sunday was over. We got out to a castle about 40 minutes away by train in a small town of Karlstejn, but only really for a quick walk around as the rain was pretty persistant.
Back into Prague to give our umbrellas more of a workout. Time for a walk around, lunch, a trip up the clock tower for Warren, and one last cheap beer before the flight back to London.
View over the Palm Jumeirah:
Ours was the big glass building on the right.
View of the Hilton/beach from our apartment:
We had an hour or so to burn at the pool in our apartment complex. This is the pool from the lift up to our 41st floor apartment:
Friday night we had a drink and then dinner at a chinese restaurant at the Hotel Mina Al Salam (if you want a wine with dinner you have to eat at a hotel restaurant), looking across to the Burj Al Arab:
After a quick walk around the shops, we headed back to our apartment for a snooze (Ange) or some R&R on the beach (Warren and his workmate). Dinner on Saturday was at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, right in the shadow of the Burj Al Arab again. Then drinks afterwards were up the Burj Al Arab itself, situated on an artificial island you can only get to with a booking, and home of the world's most expensive cocktail!
The Burj Al Arab hotel lobby:
One of the slides goes through the shark/fish/sting ray tank!
Sunday night's dinner and drinks were across the road from our Apartment at the Ritz Carlton.
Wednesday we navigated the underground metro into the centre of town, to the Peoples square. Basically a large park in the middle of all the skyscrapers. 
We stopped in quickly at the Shanghai museum. We aren't really Museum people but had a bit of a nosy at some Chinese pottery, calligraphy and art.
More walking around a few other parts of town, this is Xin Tiandi, one of the tourist traps, and a pic of "real" Shanghai.
Thursday we again went back to the centre of town for a walk down the main pedestrian shopping street, Nanjing East road, and out to the bund, a riverside promenade that looks across the river to the relatively new financial district of Pudong.
After a genuine chinese lunch of dumplings with Dave (and some of his workmates, aka interpreters) and an afternoon shopping up a storm at the fake market, we went out Thursday night with Dave and his fiance Rachel to a western bar (as in served hamburgers and chips, not as in cowboys and indians), our first real glimpse of the city at night.
Friday we went back for another stroll along the bund in the morning. The weather was slighty better (i.e. could actually see most of the buildings in Pudong).
We then walked through Yu Yuan Chinese water gardens and the next door bizaar. The gardens history dates back to the Ming Dinasty in the mid 16th century, but was largely rebuilt in the 1960's thanks to damage suffered during WWII.
Friday night Dave and Rach took us out for dinner at a great Chinese restaurant and then for drinks at a very cool bar on the bund looking across to Pudong. Great views:
Saturday was a pretty lazy day, we went to a little market in another part of town in the morning and then had a cheap hour-long massage in the afternoon. An early night too, as we had to be up at 5am on Sunday for the flight back to London. Sunday was our first wedding anniversary, which due to the time difference was 30 hours long. Not the most fun way to spend it either, 12 cramped hours together in cattle class, but we still managed a bottle of bubbly and some takeaway pizza for dinner back at our place in Putney.