Pictures of Korea, Part 2

One of the loveliest things about being in Seoul last week was our escape from the dreadful wintry weather New York has been experiencing.  The buildings at Eastern (and in Korea in general) are kept very warm and humid, and we frequently had the window to our room open to welcome in the fresh spring air.  I realized on our second morning there that the faint swishing sound I was hearing was the wind rustling the leaves of the bamboo outside of our window (above). 

Room 408, the view.  The city as seen from our window, looking right.

Looking left.

In the alley below our window, a neighbor climbs the stairs next to a selection of newly planted spring flowers.

License plate.  I take odd pictures, don't I?

Detail of a chimney we could see from our window.  I love the attention to detail, how every little thing can be made something of beauty.

More of Seoul, as seen from the sixth floor of Eastern.

And in the other direction.

If you take a left out of the front door of Eastern and walk, you will pass this sculpture, which is in front of a bank.  We saw art all over the city.

Arriving in Insadong (a street and its sidestreets in Seoul that boast hundreds of little shops with an artistic/traditional craft/antiques focus) we saw these sculptures across form the information booth where we had stopped to get directions.  We both thoroughly enjoyed our time in Insadong, and felt as though some of the emotional weight of the week melted away while we strolled the marketplace.  The following pictures in this post are all of Insadong.



You'll notice a tinge of green on the trees.  When we left Eastern in the morning there were no leaves to be seen, but by the time we left Insadong the leaves had all popped out. 

The sidewalk space in front of the shops was prime real estate all over the city, Insadong being no exception. 

We found a little marketplace (also part of Insadong) full of shops that spiraled up and around a cobblestone marketplace.  There were butterflies hanging from wires across the courtyard, and they bobbed and danced on the gentle breeze.  Lovely is the only word that comes to mind when I think of that market.  At the very top was a traditional teahouse, and good smells emanated from various shops along the way upward. 

A view of the shops from across the courtyard.

More butterflies as we walked up the stairs.


This man was beating some sort of dough in order to mix it.  He drew quite a crowd, and I think they sold lots of the snacks he was making.  We bought a similar treat from a vendor across the way.


A banner hung from the walkway.

I have one more post of pictures coming, which will cover our dining experience in Insadong, saying farewell to Eastern and Korea, and arriving safely at home. Right now I am off to bed, as I was running a fever today (all of those people hacking and coughing on the plane have finally caught up with me).  We're all getting along very well, though, and Emma is more happy each and every day.  Harry had a better day today, as well, and I think he'll be fine once we settle into more of a routine.  Thank you all for your congratulations and good wishes...they mean the world to us.