I agree. The darker shadows and the well-lit dark greens give this a real mystery, and definitely enhances the original.
Yes the brand new Lightroom remove tool works very well, as proved here and also on mine! (I used it to remove a couple sitting on the steps, whose top half was obscured by the bridge.) These new software toys give us the feeling of a child at Christmas and also give the chance to trawl through the catalogue on a rainy day, rescuing little treasures, which remained as Almosts until rescued by the new feature.
Pete