Part 2 - Bathing in Beitou, Taipei

When I was in Beitou Taipei last February, I spent some happy hours discovering the small park (QinShui Park) in between two streets (Guangming and Zhongshan)  in the spa district - a calm oasis to get away from my traveling companions for a while.

There were two buildings in this park – the new Taipei Public Library and the older former Public Bath House.  The older building can be reached by crossing a bridge across a stream, the two storey house is built in a Euro-Japanese style with red brick arches on the ground floor supporting a upper storey in timber siding.

The flowing stream nearby masks the sounds of traffic while the evening sun and maple trees conspired to paint a picturesque scene – for me only it seemed. Until I noticed a young couple on the first floor balcony. They have stolen away for a moment to enjoy the scene together, unaware that they too were part of this touching vignette.