Seoul Scenes

One of the things I love about Seoul is the mix of old and new. These are pictures from a quaint neighborhood of hanok - traditional Korean homes - that I explored with Sun Young and her girls last Friday. I think the juxtaposition in this first picture gives a good sense of that mix: stone walls, paper windows, and curved roof tiles contrasted with the car and motorcycle on the street and the modern buildings in the background.

The girls and I sat down on this front stoop to finish our ice cream and have our picture taken.

Here are Joo Yun and Na Yun, then Sun Young, Na Yun, and me posing by the chimney of one of the hanok.

After ambling through the alleys, we stopped to recharge at this tea house, which wraps around a serene garden and has a fantastic view through a wall of windows of one of the mountains that surrounds Seoul. While Sun Young and I chatted, the girls created their own renditions of the hanok we'd seen. They were both excited about the tiny tea pot and cup that Sun Young's tea was served in, and they took turns filling it again and again from the thermos you can see on the floor and then pouring it into the cup. (Kirsten, this tea house has been added to your Seoul itinerary. You'll love it!)

One of these days I'll buy a digital camera, and then I'll be able to post pictures more frequently. Those you've seen on my blog so far are from kind friends who share their photos with me. Thanks, Sun Young and Eric!