A road trip to the sea: part1

We arrived in Hanoi at 5.30am and I think we were all quite glad to finally get off the train.  However when your train stops in the middle of the tracks and you have to drag your cases over rails it isn't as easy as it sounds!

 

Vietnamese life starts very early, in a bid to beat the heat of the day.  Even so, at this early hour the streets were busy with traders and shoppers, buses, taxis and of course scooters.

 

So it was good to reach the hotel and head straight for breakfast.  But we were not stopping here, just dropping off the suitcases...because we were off on our holidays at the seaside!

Trouble was the seaside is a 4 hour drive away, so time enough for me to do some sewing.

 

About halfway we stopped off at a small ceramic workshop, where Lám was able to show us around and we got to see how the pots were made.

 

Here they have been removed from the mould and are drying off in the sun.

 

These don't look that big, but in fact they were huge,

 and this is what they are made from.  The clay is dug out of the field locally by the farmers and sold to the pottery.

 

Here is one of the kilns that has just been emptied.

 

I think it must be a hot, heavy and dusty job.  In the UK they would have to wear safety boots but here it's flip-flops or bare feet!

Love this bucket, don't you?  The colours and textures; I wonder if they'd notice if it came home with me for my rust-dyeing collection?

 

This gives you some idea of the size, they come bigger and smaller,

and in different shapes too.

Now it's time to add the patterning.  All done by hand, these workers are paid by the piece so not only are they highly skilled but very fast too.

This is the most perfect shade of blue - don't you think?

 

Crouched low, with just a tiny stool to balance on the pot is rotated on a small turntable but...

there is still time for a gracious smile.

Even the roof is beautiful.

There is a still life at every turn and

    

in every nook and cranny, from

bucket to

 

hand cart.

These pots have been glazed and fired and now gradually cooling down.

The fire keepers job is highly skilled and well paid.  He has to stay with the kilns all the time, making sure they reach the correct temperature - not too hot and not too cool, and for the correct length of time.  If he makes a mistake that's thousands of pots destroyed.

Here they are, all ready for sale.

We can't fit a garden pot in our luggage, but a couple of bowls and a teapot will do nicely, especially when

 

they are package so beautifully.

Marieangela is especially pleased with her new teaset, not sure if Matt agrees!

One last photograph for my floor collection and then we are on our way again.