South Korea
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I’m travelling again, after about six weeks of catching up in Sweden. There’s always so much to do when you’ve been away. I did manage a cinema visit — a Finnish film called Ohjus (Missile). It “tells the empowering story of an abused single mother working at a small-town newspaper who gets drawn into the investigation surrounding a missile crash, which upends life in a small northern village.” It was a very good film, full of satirical humour and sharp dialogue.
I also saw a fascinating documentary about Picasso. Having visited his museum in Paris, I recognised many of the places featured. He was truly a man of many talents — never confined to one form of artistry, always seeking new challenges.
Otherwise, I’ve been dealing with the usual bits and pieces that need attention. Someone hit my car while it was parked outside a shopping centre, which meant dealing with the insurance company — never a favourite task. I’ve also been managing ongoing issues with my hip, leg, and foot, but I found an excellent physiotherapist at our spa. I’m on my way to healing, I think, though all the walking here in South Korea has set things back a bit. That’s why I’ve taken the day off to write this newsletter.
Seoul
Finally, we set off on our much-anticipated trip to South Korea and Japan — a long journey, about 14 hours in total from Copenhagen via Helsinki to Seoul. We left Helsinki in the early evening, so the flight went rather smoothly: dinner and then an attempt at sleep. We arrived in Seoul around midday to lovely, sunny autumn weather and were taken straight to our hotel. After a quick lunch, we checked in and enjoyed our first walk through the city.
Our hotel is very central, and over the next few days we walked a lot. We have a wonderful guide — very knowledgeable and even speaking Korean. We explored the city, admiring the modern skyscrapers, and visited the Cheonggye Stream — an 11 km-long urban renewal project that runs through downtown Seoul. Once covered by a highway, it has now been restored to its original river form. Walking along the stream, you pass stones, small waterfalls, and 22 bridges, discovering attractions along its length. We only walked a short stretch, but it was beautiful. The stream runs below street level, and the walls are decorated with tiles illustrating the history of the Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910), when the stream was still a natural habitat. We ended up in a square surrounded by art and high-rise buildings.
From there, we continued to admire the very modern City Hall — a beautiful glass building filled with greenery.
Before heading back to the hotel for dinner in the nearby “old city” — a charming area of narrow alleys, restaurants, cafés, and shops — we wandered through a downtown food market.
The way they cook and display food feels like an art form. It was a fascinating stroll. Here are a few photos from the area opposite our hotel:
And there are so many clever signs playing with words — here’s one with a literary twist. What’s not to love, even if you don’t like beer?
That was our first introduction to the trip — and I can just say: so far, so good.
How wonderful. You always make the most of it.
This looks like a fascinating place to visit. Love that city hall, the reflections of the gold thing and the wonderful glass inside. The food looks fun and delicious. And what's not to love with the beer! It's a spot I've never been and so I'm interested in this. Thanks for sharing so many photos!