Vietnam ~ Part Two

It seems I am not very good at regular blogging lately. A little tardy to say the least. Tonight I have started the task of putting our holiday photos into an album (something I still love to do in this day and age of technology) and I thought it was about time I posted some more.
When travelling I love to take photos of ordinary things, gorgeous flowers, an abandoned alley or bright fruit piled high (I took lots of these).  I also love looking back at the streetscapes from one city to the next to see the differences, and there were a lot unique to each city. From Hanoi to Hoi An and then on to Ho Chi Minh. Here are some of my favourites. You can see my daughter on her Dad's shoulders in a few... it's how she spent most of the holiday when she wasn't in the pool.

From the craziness of the traffic in Hanoi, to the serenity in Hoi An and then the manicured gardens and marbled buildings in Ho Chi Minh. I loved it all. What I really admired were the manicured gardens. The Vietnamese sure do love their hedges, which I do too. Ahhh after my own heart. Hence I have since taken to my garden with the shears for a tidy up (actually my Dad did most of it, but I helped with the rosemary and box hedges). Not quite as exquisite as we saw in Vietnam, but getting there.

Vietnam ~ Part One

We arrived home from our holiday last Friday and it already feels like we never went away. How quickly you slip back into life as you know it... slightly more refreshed and inspired though I must say.
Vietnam was a fantastic place to visit and our holiday was a brilliant mix of socialising, relaxing and cultural experiences. We travelled with my husband's family for his cousin's wedding which was an incredibly fun night in itself. Reminiscing now curled up on the couch (in my flannelette PJ's haha!) and looking back over our photos I have so many things to share that I am going to have to break it up into parts so that I don't crash my computer or yours, so... here is Vietnam ~ Part One.

We flew from Singapore to Hanoi where we stayed at the amazing Hotel Metropole Hanoi. Stunning! Oozing French style it was built in 1901 and is one of the top hotels in the world and a must to stay at (for the pastries at breakfast alone). I am a proud Francophile with a huge desire to visit France again and so this was perfect for me to get a brief taste of it while in Hanoi. The interior design within the hotel is a stunning mix of French and Vietnamese style, as you'll see for yourself below. Also, see if you can spot teddy. Enjoy!

Sweet words

I have been absent for a little while as we have been traveling in Vietnam for the past few weeks and I tried not to connect myself to a computer for too long while we were away. What a trip. I will share some gorgeous photos with you soon (once I get time to upload them onto the computer). Hoi An was my highlight! It's been a whirlwind since we've been home. My sister-in-law and beautiful niece are moving to WA so we've had family gatherings to boot to farewell them over the weekend, but we're now settling back into routine which is kind of nice.

I couldn't resist sharing this sweet little message with you from hardtofind. You can buy it in the form of a 100% linen handscreened tea towel and send it to someone special. Something to do today perhaps?... Enjoy your week. x

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