In Germany, they call this "Second Christmas"

December 26th a busy day indeed.

We started off by getting to church at 9AM sharp. Well, there was a quick stop at the Paris Baguette and then onto church. (Ecclesia's espresso machine takes 30 minutes to heat up, and we needed coffee STAT!) I showed him around Ecclesia and the church. Although Ana told me not to work, I ended up making a few drinks before service anyways. ^^ Mike was very impressed with the cardboard walls of Ecclesia and also with the service. This was awesome to me, because Jubilee has been such a big part of my life and experience here in Seoul.

I want to go to there: Take Subway #3 to Sinsa. Go out Exit 6 and just walk for about 10 minutes, veering to the right. Jubilee is on the 3rd and 4th floors of the Lourus Little School.
Listening to Jubilee: December 26th's message was entitled Worship Service.

After church, we walked around Sinsa's Garosu-gil. This street is filled with unique shops, trendy restaurants, and cozy cafes. It tends to attract a fashionable crowd, but makes for a nice stroll. I had wanted to eat at one of my fave's, the O'Taco Burger, but was saddened to see it has been replaced by something else. (Things is Korean move quick!) We ended up going for Vietnamese Pho, which was also tasty on such a cold day.
I want to go to there: Sinsa Station (line 3), exit 8. Walk for 10 minutes.
I want to read more: This is one of my favorite blogs about Seoul. He has a pretty good description with pictures of Garosu-gil: Discovering Korea.

From Sinsa, we decided to start out site-seeing north of the Han. I gave Mike a few choices, and he decided Deoksugung sounded interesting. A palace and an art museum all in one? Definitely a winner! Deoksugung (Deoksu Palace) is right in the middle of downtown. It is (mostly) traditional buildings, surrounded by skyscrapers and visions of skyscrapers. Deoksugung means "Palace of Virtue and Longevity." It was built in the mid-1400s for Prince Wolsan. In the early 1900s, King Gojung remained here even when forced to abdicate his throne by the Japanese. King Gojung's son named the palace in hopes that his father would live a long life there.

Deoksugung is interesting because it is the only palace that incorporates foreign architecture. It has a pavilion designed by a Russian architect, A.I. Sabatin, who mixed Western and Korean styles. The most notable "foreign" style building is Seokjojeon, which was King Gojung's quarters and office. It is the first Western-style building in the Joseon palaces.

The current exhibit at the National Museum of Contemporary Art was "Picasso and Modern Art: Passion and Solitude." The exhibit featured works mostly from the 20th century by Picasso and his contemporaries, highlighting the changes brought about by the tumultuous time in world history. Many of the pieces came from the Albertina Museum in Vienna. Mike and I decided...we are not fans of pastels and also could not understand how paintings from the 1990s snuck into the exhibit. Really, they just don't seem old enough.

I want to go to there: Exit 12 of City Hall Station, Line 2 or Exit 2 of City Hall Station, Line 1.

I want to read a real blog about it: Lucky for you, Discovering Korea has lots of info.

I love modern art: Well, you can't beat an afternoon with German Expressionists. Especially if you get to walk through a palace on your way to the art museum.



Merry Christmas from Namsangol Hanok Village



My plan for the evening was to go to Namsan Tower, but I decided to take a round-about way to get there. First, we visited Namsangol Hanok Village. Hanok is the name for traditional-style Korean houses. This village has 5 Hanok buildings, featuring traditional house arrangements. During the day (or when the weather is nice!), you can learn traditional crafts and games there as well. In past visits, I've been able to try on hanbok (traditional Korean dress), and also took a manners lesson with my Korean class.

However, it was a cold and blustery day-closing-in-on-evening when Mike and I arrived, so there would be no print-making or hanbok for us. We DID find, though, something even more magical. We entered the park and see this forklift driving around big blocks of ice. We look at each other thinking, "What is all that ice for?" Well, when we turned around the corner, we saw the answer. There was an AMAZING ICE SCULPTURE VILLAGE!!! Even if Namsangol Hanok Village had been blown away, it was worth seeing the ice sculptures. There were ice Hanok and an ice-table set with ice-dishes and Christmas messages and everything.



Evening sets in on a Hanok

I want to go to there: Line 3 or Line 4 to Chungmuro Station, exit 3. Walk a few minutes and be sure to pick up some hot "fish" from the street vendor. If you turn too soon, then you accidentally went to Korea House. Turn around and keep going straight.

I want to learn more: You can choose English or Korean. But just go, that's the best way! And it's free, so what have you got to lose?



Seoul from the Namsan Hiking Trail

Our next stop was Namsan Tower. When I went to the Hanok Village with Korean class, we took a path that led from the village up Namsan (san is the Korean word for mountain...Namsan means Mt. Nam...but Namsan sounds better). Bipassing the time capsule, Mike and I started out on the path. It was a lot colder than my last "hike," but I knew we would get to the cable car soon, so we powered through. About a 1/3 way up the mountain, we came to the cable car station. For the winter, this is the *best* way to get up the mountain. Luckily, many Seoul-ites seemed to still be gone for the holidays, so we didn't have to elbow too many people out of the way.^^



Merry Christmas from Namsan Tower



Namsan Tower is, in my opinion, the landmark of Seoul. It is the most recognizable building on any city-scape and visible from almost everywhere in the city. At the base of the tower are a few restaurants, shops, and pavilions. These viewing decks alone give a commanding view of the city and remind you that yes, you really are in the middle of one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. The tower was build in 1971 and open to the public in 1980. It is the sending and receiving antennae for all of the major broadcasting channels in Seoul.

The tower is 236.7 meters high from the top of Namsan. You can take a high-speed elevator to the top, where there is a 360 degree observation deck.




Another famous Seoulism is at the base of Namsan Tower. Here, there are a few terraces where you can see all the scenery that Seoul has to offer. Namsan Tower is often heralded for its "romantic" experiences, and the terraces prove just how romantic it is. Over the past few years, the terrace fences have become covered in locks of love. These padlocks represent lovers' commitment to stay together. Traditionally, lovers throw away the keys to ensure that they stay together forever.

I want to go to there: As you should. Why come to Seoul and not see its major landmark? Walking: I suggest the path leading up from Namsangol Hanok Village. Head towards the time capsule, but then start following signs for the cable car. You have to walk through one parking lot, but don't get thrown off, you will reach the walking path!

It's too cold to walk: Take Line 4 to Myeong-dong. Go out exit 3. It's a 10 minute walk up to the cable car station.

It's really too cold to walk: Take the bus! The Yellow Namsan Bus leaves from Chungmuro Station (exit 2), Dongguk University Station (exit 6), Itaewon Station (exit 4), or Hangangjin Station (exit 2).

I want to see Seoul: Luckily, the website offers you a view. Check it out!