Posts in Category: Travel

Demonstration at Gwanghwamun and Four Seasons Tour

On March 8, 2025 0 Comments - Korea 2025, Travel

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.

A meeting of old friends at the Four Seasons hotel in Seoul
Canoe restaurant kitchen crew circa 2002
Shaun is seated on the left, I am in the middle. Circa 2002 at Canoe Restaurant.

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:

demonstration at Gwanghwamun square 2025 showing US and Korean flags together
demonstration at Gwanghwamun Square in 2025 showing Korean and American flags together
Gwanghwamun Square demonstration with US and Korean flags waving
Woman cradles young boy at demonstration in Gwanghwamun Square 2025
Korean and American flags wave together at Gwanghwamun Square demonstration 2025
Old man on bicycle in front of Gwanghwamun demonstrators 2025
US and Korean flags in the air during protest at Gwanghwamun Square in 2025
Yi Sun Shin above the demonstration at Gwanghwamun Square 2025

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.

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Chueotang and Cheonggyecheon

On March 7, 2025 0 Comments - Korea 2025, Travel

Today I reunited with an old restaurant colleague for chueotang (loach soup) and later took a night walk along Cheonggyecheon stream.

History:

While I was a cook at Canoe Restaurant in Toronto, Gloria (a student from Korea) worked as an intern for a few months. I have not seen her for over 20 years but today we had lunch together at a chueotang restaurant near her home.

Canoe Restaurant Toronto crew circa 2002
Around 23 years ago…That’s me sitting in the middle with a beer in my hand. Gloria right in the front.
2 old coworkers meet in Guri Korea for chueotang
23 years later…wow
Canoe kitchen crew Toronto circa 2002
Gloria also sent me this picture today. That’s me in the back with the crumpled chef hat. With the hat on I was almost 7 feet tall so I was always crushing it on the edge of the exhaust system hoods. David Castellan of Soma Chocolatemaker is right next to me. I worked for him shortly after I left Canoe and my daughter works for him now.

Chueotang 추어탕:

a bowl chueotang at a famous Seoul restaurant
Chueotang 추어탕 at 담터고개추어탕 This soup is made of ground up loaches that live in the muddy water around rice paddies. They are small fresh water fish like you might see in an aquarium. The soup is rich and strong flavoured. It is a favourite of mine. We also had some fried whole loaches…also very tasty.
The table and side dishes at a chueotang restaurant
City wildcat we saw on the way…

Cheonggyecheon Stream:

Tonight we walked home along Cheonggyecheon. The stream cuts through the middle of the city for around 10km. It is peaceful place for a quiet walk surrounded by nature and city lights at the same time. After the Korean War this natural waterway was filled with concrete and the Cheonggyecheon Expressway was built overtop of it. In 2003, the government decided to remove the freeway and restore the stream as part of its urban renewal project. It was all finished by 2005. TWO YEARS! I can’t believe how fast. It is one of my favourite places in Seoul.

Cheonggyecheon stream at night Seoul
Cheonggyecheon stream at night looking around a bend in Seoul
Two young women taking pictures under a bridge at Cheonggyecheon stream at night
Popular spot for photo shoots
Grey Heron on the walkway at Cheonggyecheon stream at night
Grey Heron (i think)
Couples walking under a bridge along Cheonggyecheon stream at night
Rapidly moving water on Cheonggyecheon stream Seoul

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Seoul Subway

On March 7, 2025 0 Comments - Korea 2025, Travel

The Seoul subway is shy about getting photographed.

Seoul subway station showing entry doors open to stopped train
Train stations are sealed and you enter the train via sliding doors once it has arrived, like getting on an elevator
Long photo showing closed doors in Seoul subway station
Seoul subway train photographed in station with glowing windows and people visible inside
Unlike Japan where there is only a half wall, the Seoul subways are completely enclosed in the stations. This is a photo through the door glass of a train on the far tracks. I know there must be stations where the trains are visible but I haven’t travelled to one yet.
Seoul subway ticket machines
Ticket machines
Spotless interior of a Seoul subway train
The trains here are wide with sliding doors so you can travel between cars. All of the trains and stations are spotless.
Crossing the Han River on Line 2. Video by me with music credit to Airy “Eden” from the album “Seeds”

SOUNDS OF THE SEOUL SUBWAY

The subway system has a few different sounds for different purposes.

This one is for the arrival of a southbound train:

Here is the one for the arrival of a northbound train:

Doors closing/doors opening announcements:

Transfer announcement music: This one is interesting because there is a pre-pandemic song and a post-pandemic song. The new song with an upbeat 4/4 tempo was chosen by Seoul Metro to “give a sense of vitality to citizens as they prepare for a new daily life, now that the end of the pandemic is in sight.”

Pre-pandemic transfer song (you can still hear this one on line 1 sometimes)

Post-pandemic transfer song

If i can get a picture of a naked train later, I will update this post…

Getting Around Seoul

Here is a link to the Seoul Metro website for maps, fares and user guides: Seoul Subway. In Japan, Google maps and Apple maps seem pretty reliable but, I find local mapping apps much easier and much more accurate in Korea. I would recommend using either Naver Map or Kakao Map instead. They both have excellent apps which will work (mostly) with English too.

If you do end up using Google or Apple for directions in either Korea or Japan, I would suggest selecting the “direct” or “easiest” route (if there is a choice) rather than the “fastest” which often goes through alleys, construction sites and backyards to save a few meters. Trust me on this one…

If you enjoy subway sounds, check out this post from Tokyo or this one from Busan.

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