Taipei is fortunate to have beautiful excursions just minutes outside the city that show another side of the island. One of the most popular is Yangmingshan National Park, a beautiful mountain park my grandfather used to visit daily until his health got the better of him.

Taiwan seems to be so much about the eating, shopping and sights of Taipei that it's easy to forget this is a volcanic island. Its origins led not only to the beautiful Datun mountain range where Yangmingshan sits, but to numerous hot springs throughout the island as well.

Yangmingshan is easily reached by public transport, but our friend took the day off to accompany us. We didn't have time to explore the larger nature park so we stayed within Yangming Park, with its manicured paths and twisting wooden staircases. It can be a very relaxing place once a solitary spot is found; I noticed a few people meditating near small waterfalls or doing tai-chi chuan on bridges.

In late November the weather was gorgeous and many colorful flowers were in bloom. The mountain views from the park were spectacular. After that we drove up the winding and increasingly foggy path to visit the bubbling sulfur pits, a sight all the small children in the area regarded with wonder.

We then drove to nearby Danshui, a small port which increased in popularity ever since the construction of the Metro connected it with Taipei. Since we were on someone else's schedule, we only ate lunch. Delicious as always! We ate at a market with a restaurant upstairs, allowing us to choose our seafood before cooking. We had whole fish, delicious small squids and crabs smothered in butter. Perfectly fresh and simple preprations.

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