ROOM WITH A VIEW: Much to do on the streets of Beijing

My favorite day in Beijing begins with a 9 a.m. start, and breakfast at home in Xizhimen. I drink a cup of tea and eat some toast, as I watch the hustle and bustle of the market below my window.

Open-air stalls, some under brightly colored umbrellas to shade them from the summer sun, compete for space amid a throng of customers. Behind the market, the canal that runs through Xizhimen glitters beyond a bank of weeping willow trees.

Directly below my apartment, and in front of the market, a line of small restaurants serve breakfast on the street, as the day begins in earnest.

Finishing up a strawberry yogurt, I pull on some sandals, grab my door key, and a bag holding my Mandarin study book, and head out the door.

Nine floors down, across a courtyard and out…I pass the market and stroll along the side of the canal, buying a slice of watermelon as I go. Brought in straight from the countryside around Beijing that morning, it literally melts in my mouth.

After a 30-minute walk I'm at Jishuitan, where I stop for a coffee at a shopping center. It's a standard, fairly characterless café, but the staff are friendly, and it's quiet and comfortable. I settle down with my coffee and half-heartedly study Mandarin for an hour before turning to the television to watch the Olympic coverage.

"And Great Britain won another six gold medals yesterday afternoon, taking them into a clear lead at the top of the medal table," the commentator says.

"They claimed their first-ever table tennis gold with a stunning victory, and are expected to claim gold in synchronized trampolining this morning after the favorite from Canada had to pull out with mild burns after falling asleep in a tanning salon."

Later I take the subway down to the Tiananmen Square where I meet my girlfriend, Jingdi. Vast, and surrounded by history, it makes a perfect place for a stroll and chat before we head for lunch at Guijie, a street of food stalls selling everything from starfish on a stick to stinky tofu.

After lunch we catch a taxi up to the Summer Palace for yet more walking. It's a fantastic place on the outskirts of Haidian District. Constructed in the Jin Dynasty (1115-1235), and extended over the years by various emperors, it can be relaxing, energetic and interesting all at the same time. We walk for a few hours, taking the odd break for ice cream or a soft drink, around the lake, over the park's hills and amid its many temples.

Later, it's back to the apartment again to relax for an hour before dinner in Xizhimen at a great little Xinjiang restaurant. Rough and ready-its ashtray being the floor and toilets someplace down the street-yet with an opulent interior and great food, served by cheerful Uygur waiters amid a boisterous atmosphere.

Some rare English-language commentary on the radio announces English football transfers while I'm there. Apparently Derby County has signed Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard and are being tipped to win the Premiership next season.