Korea 2025

Dorit
Jun 22
2 min read

Zoë went to Korea last year and loved it, so when John was invited to speak in Seoul were excited to go. Seoul is a very modern city filled with skyscrapers, not that you would know it from my photographs!

One of my favorite images is a classic view of the palace grounds with the mountains in background.

I took an odd assortment of photos this trip. I am a fan of the cuteness that is prevalent in Asia, and Korea did not disappoint. There were adorable things to be seen everywhere.

John and I love street markets, and especially the food stalls with all the fresh produce. We had some great dumplings for lunch one day, and great stew another. The food was spicy and very delicious.

We did some interesting activities that were fun and allowed us learn more about Korea. We did a soju tasting which was great but I took no photos, and a cooking class. We learned to make some of the classic Korean dishes, and then had a feast.

We visited the palace in Seoul starting with the changing of the guard.

It turns out if you wear a traditional outfit your visit to the palace is free, and there were lots of people dressed in costumes, but these two caught my eye.

We had a state-provided tour guide who was a lovely retired school teacher. She spent a few hours showing us around the palace grounds and taught us Korean history and provided insights into the culture. I was enthralled with the stone figures and it was beautiful overall.

Outside of the palace grounds I saw these old stone sculptures I really liked.

There was interesting art and sculptures everywhere you looked in Seoul. It was something I really appreciated.

We took the train to Busan which is by the ocean and visited their huge fish market. It was interesting to see the wide assortment of fish, followed by a very fresh seafood lunch.

We took a hike along the coast which was wonderful. The ocean was on one side while we walked under forest cover with an ocean breeze and great views.

Seen on our walk; a couple carrying their dog, and like everywhere, people want an Instagram shot.

Our hike ended at a Buson suburb with the requisite skyscrapers that house most Koreans.

A must for John on this trip was a visit to Audeum, an audio museum built to house an incredible collection of audio equipment.

Seoul was an interesting mix of very modern skyscrapers with a strong regard for nature. Throughout the city which is built around a river there are multiple river walks for people to jog, walk, relax, and there was even an outside library.