miss b loves ......the Metropole Hotel Hanoi, Vietnam

  

One of the highlights of our recent visit to Vietnam was The Metropole Hanoi, a very special hotel with a rich and fascinating history. It opened in 1901 as the Grand Hotel Metropole Hanoi and was built in the French colonial style with a striking white façade and green shutters.  

No wonder it's such a popular spot for brides to pose for photos! 

Its pretty, lush gardens are a tranquil oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city....

Located in Hanoi's French Quarter, near to the Opera House, this legendary hotel has welcomed many entertainers, writers and Heads of State and during the seventies several Embassies including the Australian and Italian Embassies were based there.

miss b loves ..........Hanoi, Vietnam (Part 2)

During our stay in Hanoi, we were constantly amazed by the volume of traffic, mainly scooters and it's not uncommon to see three people on one scooter .......

 and often a family of four ......

The Temple of Literature, a 1000 year old national treasure and Vietnam's oldest university, is a tranquil place away from the noise of scooter horns...... 

Beautiful manicured lawns, lotus ponds and courtyards........

The 82 steles which sit on stone turtles are carved with the names of students who were awarded doctorates from 1442 to 1779. 
In Vietnamese culture, the turtle is a symbol of longevity.

Outside another cyclo ..... ready for the next tourists to come along......

Our next stop was a short walk just around the corner ...... Craft Link, a non profit-making shop selling high quality textiles and supporting craft workers in rural Vietnam. How could I resist these pretty silk purses, a perfect size for clutch bags!

The brown one for me and two cute gifts

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) .......