Hue

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Spent a very pleasant morning strolling about the Nguyen imperial palaces, built between 1803 - 1844 or thereabouts. It is not old by any means but they lived according to Confucian rules and hierarchies which meant that the emporer was entirely removed from his subjects, with his mandarins to take care of affairs of state and his many wives and concubines to keep him happy. They could easily have been living a thousand years earlier such was the dress and ceremony and the rules and regulations covering every aspect of government and every day life.

Hue is a very elegant city, with the Song Huang, or Perfume river, running through the centre. They have really nice tree-lined parks running the length of the river as it winds through the city, and with mountains in the distance an altogether pleasing place to walk until the thermometer climbs above 35 or 36, then you start to fry. Sought refuge from the sun in the local market, they have an amazing array of fruit and vegetables on offer but I'm thinking the seafood is probably best bought very early in the morning.

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