Shared this iCloud gallery of pics processed with Darktable 4.8 from my hols in Bavaria with some relatives, so thought could also post here in case of any interest or suggestions. Bit repetitive, tbh, and inevitably too many shots in harsh midday light. All taken with LUMIX GX9 and some prime lenses. Thanks
I can PlayRaw if there’s interest in any of them
Note that of you want to refer to a specific frame, there is a series number at the end of the URL.
I like the pastel-like look with smooth contrast (ex. in pictures #1, 28, 29 
, 52, 61, 62). Colors are never oversaturated. How do you achieve this in dt 
?
Sometimes I think the low contrast leads to a lack of highlights, or the subject could have a bit more emphasis with more brightness, in my opinion.
In the last one (#65, place), I think the color is too much on the salmon side, but maybe it is a matter of taste.
Overall, I think you succeeded in your edits, even with the hard light you mentioned, and you retained colors in the skies!
PS: My preferred is #29 (URL ends with /28/), if you were doing a playraw I’d vote for this one 
I’m not sure I have a specific method but it’s true that I use filmic/sigmoid, tone equaliser, color balance rgb to remove contrast and raise the mids and shadows and curb the highlights quite a lot. Maybe too much. Partly compensating for the slightly lower dynamic range of the m4/3 sensor, perhaps. Then I rely on multiple instances of different types of local contrast to add back detail. I’d quite like to try some really high contrast shots but somehow I never manage it. Hard to give up on the “detail” fetish.
I sometimes use the opposing colours in color balance to try to make things more subdued, like adding some green if the shadows are a bit magenta. I typically do a first pass edit, then come back a few days later and realise it’s way too warm or pink or something and tone it back, then probably end up pushing it too far the other way.
Oh fun, photos of my hometown; and well-captured, too!
Oh wow. Nice place!