Weekend in Seoul: Cheonggye Stream

We headed out early on our Sunday morning in Seoul.  The usually busy city was quiet and deserted at that early (nine o'clock) hour.

Cheonggye Stream made for a perfect morning stroll.  And we got to check something off our summer to-do list.

 Lanterns lined the stream in preparation for Buddha's Birthday the following day.

Threatening clouds rolled in as we neared my favorite Mexican chain in Seoul.
Rain was the perfect excuse for a margarita at noon.

We finished the day in Myeongdong, where I shopped til we dropped.  

See you again soon, Seoul.

Weekend in Seoul: Good Eats & River Cruise

 Summer Saturday evening in Seoul.

{Beers al fresco after a delicious Moroccan dinner}

Sandwiches.  I repeat, sandwiches!  Excuse my excitement, but aside from Quizno's they are hard to come by here, okay?  Notice the magical ingredient: fried mashed potato patties.  Yes, they were as good as they sound, if not better.  And dill pickles?!  We've been fooled my many a sweet pickle at restaurants here.  

No bueno.  

(Okay so they're growing on me... but Ryan is definitely not sold).

The spiced carrot salad and lentil soup were also amazing.  Please go here if you are ever in Seoul.

  

 

After we were sufficiently stuffed from dinner (some people had two sandwiches....) we headed for a cruise on the Han River.

  

Seoul's numerous bridges were all aglow.  It was a treat to see the city from a new perspective. 

 The water show was gorgeous.  I'm just glad we were warned to move out of its way with three seconds to spare before the shower hit the open air deck in the exact spot where we were sitting.

Awww, summer night on the boat.  

Take me back!

Weekend in Seoul: Samcheon & Insadong

The last time we were in Seoul the temps were in the teens.  We had excellent company, but we were excited to return to the capital when Korea's weather warmed up.  On a recent weekend we took the trip we'd been waiting for.

Saturday morning was spent wandering the streets of Samcheondong, a cute area with cafes, restaurants and shops. 

We even spotted a bit of home :)

  
We stopped for lunch at one of the neighborhood's oldest Korean restaurants.  We were served sujebi: fresh pasta torn from sheets and stirred into broth with fresh veggies.  We also tried gamjajeon (potato pancake) and ordered maekgolli to accompany our meal.

Dessert was a mini pecan pie and coffee at an adorable cafe.  For the first time we asked ourselves, Why don't we live in Seoul?  We couldn't get enough of the unique eateries and adorable shops.  After jamming into packed subway cars and waiting in long lines nearly everywhere we wherever we went, we remembered why.  We loved the pie though.

We toured Korea's National Folk Museum and its grounds in the afternoon.

Later we walked the streets of Insadong, our favorite Seoul neighborhood.

And we stopped to eat more delicious food.

There was (a little) more to our trip than eating, I promise.  

Stay tuned.

{Mom and Dad in Korea: Part One}

Two weeks ago today, Ryan and I made our way to Seoul.  

What made this trip different from others is that two very special people were waiting for us when we arrived at our hotel.  My parents!  It didn't seem real when we first saw them there in the lobby.  I haven't been that happy in a long time.

We spent our Saturday in Korea's capitol visiting the ancient Gyeongbokgung Palace.

 

In the afternoon we had the privilege of catching a traditional Korean performance.  It featured an amazing variety of captivating music and folk dances.

photo source

We wandered around even more neighborhoods that evening, stumbling upon a maze of run-down old houses and a neon-lit street dedicated entirely to restaurants offering the beloved Korean snack of tteokbokki.

The next morning we strolled along the quaint streets of Samcheong, a lovely neighborhood my dad discovered while reading about Seoul.  The area is home to  countless art galleries, cafes, boutiques and a beautiful temple.  Good find, dad!

 

Later we explored nearby Bukcheon, one of the few neighborhoods in Seoul which remains mostly unchanged by modernity. 

 

Next we introduced my parents to our favorite Korean lunch and the most delicious winter dessert.  Oh, I didn't mention that it was freezing? It was. I'm talking weather in the teens.  Yikes! 

  In the afternoon we took a tour of Insadong before Ryan and I said goodbye and headed back to Busan.

Mom and Dad stayed in Seoul to tour the DMZ, explore the bustling center of Seoul and visit Korea's most famous market.  
I met them at the train station in Busan last Tuesday to begin their week-long visit in our home away from home.  
Details on the rest of our time together soon!