Following our trip to the Citadel that morning, we enjoyed a break away from the relentless sun and heat at a restaurant on Hue's Perfume River.
There we met Canadians Kay and Denise, and decided to take the "dragon boat" together to Hue's iconic pagoda, Thien Mu, the informal symbol of this ancient city.
Its location on the Perfume river is splendid, and its sweeping perspective over this grand river was reminiscent of Mount Vernon, to me.
Behind the pagoda is a simple but beautiful Buddhist shrine.
One of the major highlights for me was a young monk's occasional ringing of an ancient bell within the shrine, its peal resonating perfectly with the serenity of the sylvan property.
A bonsai garden behind the shrine was a perfect complement to the pagoda and shrine.
Later, we ended the day at our new favorite Vietnamese evening establishment, the DMZ Bar, following a truly memorable dinner at a French and Vietnamese restaurant, La Carambole.
We were joined by our German friends Sven (Dusseldorf) and Peter (Stuttgart), whom we had first met en route from Hanoi to Hue.
We shared many laughs that night, including ones with the beautiful hostess / manager, Na and her outstanding and hilarious waitress / assistant Vuong.
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