Why do i keep coming back?

I have been to Korea many times and each time I come here, I like it even more. By now, there is nothing really difficult about travel here and it is starting to feel a bit like a second home. I am always happy to arrive and a little sad to leave. Over the years I have gathered up more and more friends with every visit and I always look forward to seeing them. This month long trip was evenly divided between Tokyo and Seoul. My two weeks here felt much too short. There were a few people that I wanted to see that i wasn’t able to connect with this time around. All the more reason to come back soon : )

These are a few images that I like which didn’t really fit anywhere else:

Travelling Partner:

Our trip here was long and exhausting with many many flight delays and bad weather. So far we are starting our trip back with only a 2 hour delay. Hopefully it won’t get any worse! Wish us good luck.

한국 안녕! 다음에 또 만나요

If you plan to travel to Korea, check here for ideas.

A day spent travelling up to Namsan Tower by cable car and then having dinner at Seoul’s oldest restaurant, Imun Seolleongtang.

First stop: coffee along the old city wall near our home base. There is a strip of cute tiny coffee shops perched on the hill. You can get a good view of Seoul from here. It seems like a very popular spot for couples at sunset.

In his excellent book “Eating Korea”, Graham Holliday made a joke about Seolleongtang being the perfect meal to say “so long” 👋 to Seoul. I couldn’t agree more. I have read this book at least three times and would recommend it to anyone visiting Korea. Buy local ok?

Sounds of the Market

These sounds of Hwanghak-dong market give the pictures a little more life: look and listen

Hwanghak-dong is home to a permanent full time flea market. It is busy everyday with sidewalk and shop vendors selling absolutely everything. I won’t even try to list what is available. Anything you can think of…you can buy it here. It is crowded with people young and old from morning to sundown.

The Mystery of Old Photos

Personal photos that have become separated from their families are a mystery. There is always a story in the image but it is almost impossible to know what it is.

I found this loose snapshot in a basket in a store at the flea market. Because it is black and white and from the look of the cars in the background, it must be the 60’s. There is a building and statue in the background that look European. I love the kids faces (kids making funny faces in family photos is a phenomenon that knows no cultural boundaries). They look so unhappy in the moment. Maybe they have had to pose for too many photos that day or maybe it’s too hot outside to stand in the sun. The woman is most likely their mom. It is such a good photograph.

The best part is that there is writing on the back. I have trouble reading handwriting so a friend helped me to read and translate it: It says:

“This is the entrance to the Eiffel Tower where you can get off the bus from our place. The building behind is a military school. The statue behind us is far from where we are standing and the building is across a wide road.”

I looked up “Eiffel Tower” and “Military School” and found out that the building they are standing in front of is the Ecole Militaire in Paris. It faces the Eiffel Tower. Here is a modern picture of it including the statue she mentioned. I wonder if they were living in Paris and why? Or maybe they were just visiting. How many Koreans travelled to Europe in the 60s? I am sure it was unusual. How hard was it for a foreigner to use French buses back then?

I hope you had as much fun in Paris as I had finding your picture at the flea market. How did you get separated from your photos? Where are you now? Have I seen you on the subway sitting in the blue seats?

Coffee and Cats

A walk up the old city wall near Dongdaemun to feed cats was not a great success. It was a hot afternoon and they were probably asleep in the shade somewhere. Instead, we stopped at the little 3 story “Cafe Reading Cat” overlooking the west end of Seoul and sipped coffee in the sunshine. Cats are everywhere outdoors in Seoul. People who live here seem to take care of the homeless ones, bringing them food or setting up little shelters for them. If you want to see a post where we found lots of cats up here, check this one.

Dinner with Minu

Pyongyang Naengmyeon

I love naengmyeon. The icy broth and chewy noodles are unlike anything else. Woo Rae Oak has been serving Naengmyeon in Seoul since the 1940s. Noodles, broth, beef, fermented white kimchi and sliced korean pear are arranged in a big bowl. You can sharpen the flavour with mustard and vinegar from the pots on the table. The kimchi here is probably the best I have had on this trip.

There is normally a lineup from the moment the doors open but we were lucky with our timing today and sat down right away. Woo Rae Oak as well as Pildong Myeonok are my two favourites for this dish in Seoul. you can read about Woo Rae Oak in the Michelin Guide.

Emu Artspace

I have visited Emu Artspace many times and I always leave wishing we had a place like this back home in Toronto. There is a small theatre on both the second and the third floor where they show mostly independent and arthouse films. The main floor is a cafe/bookstore where you can relax with a drink before your film. One floor below is Panta Garage, a live performance space that hosts music shows across all genres. In addition to this, a small wooden stage in the grass behind the building provides an outdoor space for performances in good weather.

It is truly an art “centre”, a place where artists of all kinds can come together under one roof and there is always something going on for lovers of books, music and film.

Built on Geumjongsan mountain and established in 678, Beomeosa Temple sits in a picturesque landscape of old forests and mountain streams. Most buildings are covered in exquisite painted images of the Buddha. Massive statues and stone relics have survived through the centuries. Climbing up from the nearest subway station takes about an hour on a steady uphill slope. Today, we exercised body, mind and spirit. This was another afternoon of high bright sun so the colours in the photos are a little washed out. It reminds me of old slide film.

The details at this temple are intricate and beautiful with many original paintings on the walls under the rooflines

Beomeosa Temple also participates in a Temple stay program where visitors can enjoy an extended visit to experience everyday life as the monks do, participate is work prayer and temple meals. My friend also let me know that if you visit the temple between certain hours of the day (I think between 12 and 2pm) you can enjoy a meal of temple food for free. Here is the official website with more information Temple Stay and Other Info.

Just like in the Seoul subway system, Busan subway stations are mostly enclosed so you can’t see the trains. You enter through glass elevator style doors once the train has stopped in the station. Busan trains have their own unique seaside themes in the way that they are decorated and in the sounds that they make. We took a few lines that travel above ground for some time with an especially long stretch between Gwangan and Beomeosa. On a sunny day it is really pleasant to watch the city race by as you make your way to your destination.

Sounds of the Busan Subway

Busan stations and trains have cute and interesting sounds from the “bling bling bling” of the door closing signal to the flock of seagulls or boat horns announcing the arrival of a train. The terminal station song is especially cheerful and cute but I can’t quite make out what they are singing (at 3:55). I only had a day or two, but I got quite a few sounds. The last one is clomping up the stairs..you climb a lot of stairs here! The repeated phrase is “발빠짐 주의”. It means “watch your step” in Korean.

Subway sound collage:

Here is a link to an official Busan metro website for info Busan Metro Site. Just like everywhere else in Korea, you can use Navermaps or Kakaomaps apps to get good directions.

If you enjoy subway sounds and want to hear more, have a look at this post from Seoul or this one from Tokyo.

Gwangalli Beach 광안리

Busan, compared to Seoul, has a much more relaxed and slow vibe. It smells like the sea and has the feel of a resort town near the water. Of the famous beaches in Busan, Gwangalli is the one I like the best. It has a youthful and relaxed atmosphere and there are good restaurants, cafes and cheap hotels nearby. Our strange hotel was right on the beach this time.

Busan Food and Friends:

We met Sumi for Dwaeji Gukbab 됀지국밥 (pork and rice soup), one of my favourite Busan dishes. This restaurant also made the best sundae (blood sausage) I have ever eaten. I forgot to take pictures: too delicious, too much talking. Later, Sungmin joined us for some Kelly Beers (new Korean brew) and some snacks at a Gwangan local bar. A tiny place with maybe 4 tables run by a couple in a small alley, it is the kind of place that I would never find by myself. I am lucky to have some friends here to show me neighbourhood spots like this. The food and drinks were delicious, crispiest kimchi jeon I have ever had.

Nampo-dong at night:

Bakeworks Busan

History was the theme of the day as we visited a tabang (traditional tea house) in Insadong followed by a quiet afternoon at Changdeokgung Palace and secret garden.

Traditional Teahouse (tabang) in Insadong

신옛찻집 is a small and sunny teahouse (tabang) serving a menu of traditional teas and sweets. We had ssanghwa tea 쌍화차, a medicinal tea made with many different herbs and roots, nuts and seeds. It is rich and dark brown, a little sweet, a little bitter. We also tried a pear and ginger tea 배숙, sweet and spicy. Injeolmi are soft and chewy rice cakes dusted with roasted soy bean powder. They are delicious on their own and an excellent combination with these teas. A warmup for Changdeokgung Palace.

Hotteok 호떡:

I have tried lots of hotteok around Seoul and I always come back to these ones sold from a cart on the main street in Insadong. They are made to order so they are screaming hot and crispy.

Changdeokgung Palace

Changdeokgung and it’s secret garden are great places to come for a long relaxed walk among beautiful buildings, gardens and trees. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. All of the buildings flow with the natural landscape, like they have always been there. I think it is the most beautiful palace in Seoul but, surprisingly, not the most busy or crowded. It is especially pretty in the fall when all the leaves are changing. We were here just after noon today so the sun is high and bright and the colours are a little washed out. The pictures have a cool vintage look to them. Here is an official site with good info Visit Changdeokgung Palace

Beauty in the details….

I am a lightweight chimney enthusiast and this is a good one…

Before and after our tour of the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, we got to witness democracy in action during a demonstration at Gwanghwamun Square.

Four Seasons Seoul Tour

Today I connected with another old friend from the early kitchen days. I first met Shaun Anthony as a young cook at Canoe many years ago. Since then he has been travelling the world building his skill set and resume while working at some of the industry’s top kitchens. Recently, he became the Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. This afternoon, he gave us an extensive tour of the beautiful hotel and all of the restaurants and kitchens within. It takes a very special skill set to operate an organization of this size and complexity. I am in awe of my old kitchen comrade and proud to know him. Thanks and congratulations Shaun! Check out this fabulous hotel here: Four Seasons Hotel . I hope I can stay here one day.

Gwanghwamun Demonstration

Koreans have a long tradition of public protest. Almost any Saturday I have been near Gwanghwamun Square there is some type of demonstration happening. Today was a big one. Supporters of Yoon Suk Yeol, the recently impeached South Korean president, were out in the thousands. It was a peaceful demonstration but LOUD. Listen here:

The ruling on his impeachment is due as early as next week. I don’t think I want to be down here when that happens…well…maybe.