The Gallery of Palaeontology at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris encapsulates all that I love about nineteenth century French architecture. First of all there’s the scale. There’s something special about French public buildings from this time. To
Vietnam Days 12-15: Hanoi & Ha Long Bay
Ha Long bay was an unexpected delight. I’d seen photos of the karsts (the little limestone islands) before, but their extent – and the feeling of being within them – caught me by surprise. We travelled to the bay by
Vietnam Days 8-10: Quy Nhon & Hoi An
“It’s not hot – it’s very very hot.” This joke was first made by Tiet – our guide – in relation to chilli, but it applied equally to the weather. May seems to be the hottest month of the year;
Vietnam days 6-7: Da Lat
Leaving our resort we headed north up the coast past abandoned building shells that gave the appearance of a war zone. We turned inland and started to climb. The land became drier with red sandy soil, less farming, wider vistas,
Vietnam Days 4-5: Southern Coast
“Vietnam – land of contrasts.” While first uttered as an attempt at guide-book cliche among or group, the phrase proved apt as we travelled along the Southern Coast from Loc An to Mui Ne. Leaving Ho Chi Min City we