When I suggested my friend, Mai, having a walk with me a few days ago, she asked how far I could walk. “Around 10 km,” I proudly replied. After arranging our time, we met up at Papaya shop where she is working as a saleswoman, and started our walk this morning. Unlike many other walks that I have taken around my hometown, this one wasn’t led by me but by Mai, a walker and Huế-lover. It was a “blind walk” for me so all I had to do was to follow her.
The route that she secretly planned for me turned out to be quite familiar to me. I knew the area and the streets but I never walked them before. We visited some royal residences and temples of the princes of Nguyễn Dynasty as well as Lại Thế Village’s communal house along the way.
It was a lovely stroll and I’ve learned so much from it as well as the talk with Mai. I felt thankful to be able to walk our hometown with such an enthusiastic young woman who loves Huế dearly, and who is very knowledgeable and open-minded.
Here are the photos from our walk this morning:
Đập Đá – The dam separating Hương River and Như Ý RiverThe wood carving artisansThe ruised house of Doctor Ưng Thông who was also a minister for Nguyễn DynastyWhen the dog ran after and barked at Mai, she assured me, laughing, “Barking dog never bites.”Dì Tuyết, the delighted noodle womanI wondered what the dog was thinking about.The residence of Prince Tuy Lý Vương, the 11th son of Emperor Minh MạngThe gate to the temple of Prince Diên Khánh Vương, the 7th son of Emperor Gia LongThe breakfast womanLại Thế Village’s communal housePrince Cương Quận Công’s temple in Lại Thế VillageWhen the owner of the coffee shop saw that I loved the roses in his shop, he placed this giant vase of roses in front of us!I saw mahogany fruit for the first time.Mai said she wanted to live on that tiny islet on Như Ý River.We ran into another walking lover.Noon napLunch break on Nguyễn Công Trứ StreetThe residence of Princess An Thường, the 4th daughter of Emperor Minh MạngI was hungry and tired but I couldn’t ignore this calm dragonfly in the princess’s garden.We ended our walk with delicious noodles at Thanh Liễu Vegan Restaurant.
