The subway in Seoul
I had used the subway last time around. This is by far the most reliable way to go around in this megalopolis. Not the only one to think that way apparently, judging by the number of people using it! It is reported that some 6.5M people use it every day; that is the equivalent of almost 2/3 of Seoul’s population (10.5M)! It’s user-friendly, even for the English-only speaking crowd. And very clean – no garbage on the floor; nobody spitting; no graffiti. Then, there is the old-man-picking-up-the-discarded-newspapers: once finished reading them, people leave their newspapers on a shelve above the seats; I was wondering why until I saw these older men coming around picking them up and piling them neatly into bundles, taking them away. I asked and was told they were reselling them by the weight; they can collect as much as $2 a day for that – certainly not enticing enough to quit your day job (although perhaps a good way to provide for the hundreds of “transient people” sitting begging in the streets of Toronto)! I used it again to commute between the hotel and the meeting location: 25 stations, one transfer, from one line to the other, in less than an hour, from the south-east of the city to the west end!
Food
Korean cuisine is not a preferred one of ours, and this was proven once more! Our host had very graciously organized a traditional dinner at one of the most prestigious restaurants in Seoul, the SamcheongGak, a respite, high on one of the hills, surrounded by forest: great traditional entertainment (see picture at the top) but food was rather bland and served almost cold – no barbecue though!
Found what was reported as one of the best places to have an “English” breakfast in the city: 3 or 4 year old Butterfinger Pancakes in Apgujeong district, 10 minute taxi-ride from the hotel. They were right: we went twice for pancakes, French toast (honey – maple syrup is an imitation) and scrambled eggs; with a Shakespeare quote on the wall about flat jacks!...
We went all the way to the Wood & Brick (Ga-Hoe-Heon) Italian restaurant for a bite to eat (www.woodnbrick.com), just north of the Anguk metro station. A modern 2-story building - can’t miss it; very airy and welcoming. We had the day’s pasta; can’t compared to what Cynthia had in Firenze a week or so before, but very acceptable – served with decent house wines.
Tidbits
Cynthia picked up a few places to go and visit from Monocle’s City Survey (spring 2010), Lonely Planet and Wallpaper city guides (bought at one of the few bookstores with English language books in Seoul – the mammoth Bandi & Lunis bookstore, one of the largest bookstores in all of Asia, we read; at the CoEx mall, in the WTC, by the hotel). Notably the must-go recently open, very modern, National Museum of Korea; the Hyundai Development Company building,
walking distance from our hotel, with its huge aluminum ring superimposed on the glass façade of the structure, designed by Libeskind (of ROM’s fame!); and the Galleria store which you have to see at night, with its lit-up LED discs exterior shell, constantly changing colors.
Could not resist either going one evening to see local slap-stick theatre piece, Nanta (“Cookin”), around for almost 15 years now, which would have toured the world over! “Stomp”-inspired, a comedy of chefs intended to preparing a wedding banquet, swinging knifes and throwing cut vegetables around – funny and crowd-engaging show. Very popular with foreign and local tourists alike; played in 3 facilities around town – we saw it at the Gangnam dedicated theatre.
Had a glass of Moët Chandon at the Schilla Hotel bar, to mark our stay at this wonderful hotel many years ago…before joining Ted, a very good friend and current ambassador here, for dinner at his place.
October 21, 2010
