Vientiane

We've been on the move. When we left Vang Vieng we travelled to Vientiane, the capital of Laos. It isn't a really exciting city, since it isn't "old" but it does have a few attractive French colonial buildings including the lovely hotel we stayed at. Our room there was large with beautiful dark wood floors, two-poster beds and a bathroom with separate shower. That's a rarity in our usual class of hotel. 

What Vientiane does have though is food. Lots of European influence - we ate Italian, French and Spanish for our three evening meals. I didn't get pictures of the first but did have my camera for the other two. 

Geordie's blurry souffle. 

And my "Pâté of Duck and his Liver. Hearts of baby corn, the day before Valentines. 

My main course was pork with kiwi sauce which was not an inspired choice. Geordie's was pork chop with sauce soubise. It was very undercooked so he didn't eat it. This is my meal. It was meant to have lentils which did not appear. We ate at the same restaurant ten years ago when it was wonderful. Not so this time. 

Our Spanish meal was much better. Since it was on St. Valentine's Day we had red rose petals strewn on our table and received a glass of Spanish Cava (bubbly), complimentary. We ate tapas which were very authentic. The owner is a Spanish woman from Madrid, although she did have a chef named Nigel. 

We had a custard of Manchego cheese with crispy jamon serrano. Yum. 

Gambas ajillo (garlicky, not quite sizzling enough shrimp. 

And these very delicious Montaditos of soft fried pork belly. Montadito means "mounted", in this case on a slab of bread. That's a rose petal on the left. 

But we also ate Asian - for lunch.  Garnish for both spring rolls and for soup.

The spring rolls. Mmmm. Cold noodles and sauces added to the hot spring rolls wrapped in the lettuce leaves. 

This is the soup and the restaurant. The bright glare in the upper left is the name of the restaurant. 

Honest, it's pronounced"jeeung".

There were Wats and museums to see.  With Buddhas. 

And monks being shaved. 

I went to Pha That Lusng  by myself.  Geordie didn't feel it necessary to see again because although it's the national symbol of Laos it's really only a large monument, and actually a little shabby loking close uo  it needs a thorough cleaning. You can't go inside - I'm not sure there is an inside. It's big though. 

People do walk arond it with flowers or candles as an offering. 

And they stop to light incense. 

I did walk to another temple in the area with this large reclining Buddha. 

And other celebrants. 

Love the prostrate elephant honoring the Buddhas. 

And then we headed south.