miss b loves ......... Hanoi, Vietnam (Part 1)

Vietnam has been on my must-visit list for a while now and after considerable research, I thought that Hanoi would be our kind of place ..... and it exceeded all our expectations! 

We had arranged to be picked up by the hotel and in the back of the car there was iced water, cold towels and ...... a tray of macarons! More macarons awaited us in our very elegant room ..........

The Hotel Metropole ...... We had definitely made the right decision! Complimentary macarons every evening! 

Our first morning began with a stroll around Hoàn Kiếm Lake .... 
      

Turtle Tower

....where locals come to sit and watch the world go by .......

We spotted an interesting looking bridge (The Welcoming Morning Sunlight Bridge!).....

   
.....which led to the Ngoc Son Temple (Temple of the Jade Mountain) .......

It was time to explore the Old Quarter but first we had to learn how to cross the road! There are so many scooters in Hanoi (an estimated five million!)....

You just have to step out in the road and cross ...... the scooters simply drive round pedestrians - a bit scary initially!

The narrow streets in this area were fascinating....

 ........ providing a real insight into everyday life here which in some ways hasn't changed much over the ages.....Tiny women balance heavy wicker baskets on a bamboo pole .....a mobile shop!

It's surprising what can be carried on a scooter or a bicycle ..... who needs a van! 

So many cups!

There are so many places to stop for street food, a drink or just a bowl of pho (traditional beef noodle soup) ......

These little blue stools are everywhere .....

We opted for the Green Tangerine .......

and a refreshing green tea ...... to escape from the heat and humidity ......

Too hot to enjoy the pretty courtyard ......

.......but it's never too hot to shop! Each street has  a speciality .... shoes .......

.......basketware.......

or my favourite street .... silk and embroidery.

 Tan My Design is a beautiful store .....

....with gorgeous embroidery.........

and here are my cute purchases .........

There's a stylish café there too ......
  

Back out into the heat ........the artwork is so impressive with rich, vibrant colours......

Beautiful lacquerware .....

and more souvenirs to take home ...

Later, back at the hotel, we enjoyed an amazing Vietnamese meal in the Spices Garden Restaurant ..... intense flavours and all beautifully presented ..... blue and white tableware and on wooden trays .........what a feast but the garlicky 'Ga roti' young chicken marinated with ginger and cinnamon and the traditional Hanoi 'pho'(pronounced 'fuh') were definitely the highlights of our dinner..... 

Pho soup -  ginger broth, spices
 and nooodles with beef

I do hope you will join me for Hanoi, Part 2 ........ coming soon ......the French Quarter!