Arguably Seoul's most memorable and most exotic street-snack, 'buhn-deh-ghee' (silkworm larvae) are pure protein...if you've ever had boiled peanuts, they're quite similar! They're a snacking ritual in the Korean capital: sooner or later, if you get to know any locals, they'll buy you some, generously insisting that you try the healthy specialty, just to see your face as you chow down on the steamed chrysalis... (for the "ritual" theme for the week of Feb 16th-22nd)

In the midst of the crowds, this roasted chestnut stand caught my eye in Myongdong's nighttime chaos. This bastion of neon and pedestrians in the heart of Seoul is known not just for its shopping, but also for its eating. In addition to international chains (there's a four-story! Starbucks here), the lanes of this district are full of traditional street-fare... The stand's sign is a play on words: one expression involving being hard-headed and a chestnut-homonym, and the other asking passers-by if they want some roasted chestnuts. Trends and fashion-fads come and go, but snacking is timeless...

I love eating at the food stalls of Insa Dong Street. This is where ladies of the royal court used to live during the Joseon Dynasty. Don’t miss the Korean sweet pancakes, fish cakes, and spicy rice cakes. Insa Dong is also known for its classic teahouses. —Heong Soon Park Photo by Kjunstorm/Flickr. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

Bukchon Hanok Village offers an old-fashioned Korean hotel experience. You sleep on thick sheets with a hard pillow on a heated floor. Try the Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul (shown) if you want to be pampered. —Heong Soon Park This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

Travelers looking for a rich cultural experience should book a room at a hanok, or traditional Korean home. One of the best, Rak Ko Jae, has fancy touches such as jade floors and a mud sauna. Guests can perform a tea ceremony and make their own kimchi to take home. —Heong Soon Park From $250. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

I go to Dongdaemun Market (Dongdaemun Stadium Station) to see how the locals live. The market is made up of 26 shopping malls over multiple blocks. There are more than 5,000 shops. You can find everything from food to clothing to electronic goods here. —Heong Soon Park Photo by d'n'c'/Flickr. This appeared in the May 2013 issue.

Seoul's Insadong district is one of the best locations for arts and antiques browsing in the Korean capital. On nice days, especially weekends, artisans demonstrate their traditional crafts on the sidewalks--the street turns into another of the city's outdoor markets. With so much manufactured for the souvenir trade, it was refreshing to see this 'haraboji' (respectful Korean term for 'grandfather') painting his fans, one by one, inkstone at his feet--a bit of unlikely art, still slowly painted with bamboo brushes, as smart-phone-wielding city-dwellers rush by... Artists his age have seen Seoul transform itself from the bombed-out ruins of the Korean War (1950-1953) into one of the most Internet-connected cities on Earth; just 30 miles from the world's most heavily fortified border, the DMZ, twenty million people call this metropolitan area home. To get here by subway: Line 3, exit #6 from Anguk station; Line 5, exit #5 from Jongno 3-ga station.

Namdaemun Market, the most bustling place in Seoul. Food vendors fly through unnavigable aisles with food stacked on their heads, touts selling their wares and a constant stream of shoppers looking to spot the best bargain. Three things you should buy in Namdaemun; 1. Korean Red Ginseng - POW, potent stuff that keeps you mentally and physically sharp. 2. Gochu Chocolate - A chocolate infused with the spicy Korean pepper, this stuff is affordable and perfect for taking on a plane. 3. Hanboks - Tourist can take home a handmade hanbok (something similar to a Kimono, only Korean). These can get pricey but a number of material and color combinations help reduce the price. To get to Namdaemun, take Line 4 to Hoehyun and follow the crowds, this place is packed on the weekends so pick and choose how you would liek to experience it. P.S. - keep an eye (and nose) open for yachae hotteok, a fried "pancake" stuffed with stir-fried vegetables and spiced glass noodles. The lines for these wrap around the corner so for 70 cents a pop by more than you can eat!

The "Altar to Heaven," hidden away in what is now the garden of the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul, was one of the Joseon Dynasty's last architectural expressions of independence. In the tumult of the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, the "Hermit Kingdom" struggled to assert its sovereignty as China, Japan, and Russia warred among themselves. Alas, the wake-up call came too late and by 1910, the Joseon Dynasty, founded in 1392, found itself annexed by Japan; it would remain a Japanese colony until 1945. Few visitors end up in this intimate garden; diners at the hotel's 'Ninth Gate Grille' restaurant can enjoy this shrine (built in 1897) almost to themselves, and guests staying on NW side of the hotel overlook this tile-roofed gem, dwarfed by the nearby skyscrapers. For Korean-history-buffs, this is one of Seoul's most poignant enclaves. For more information: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1064

"Oh-deng" is a street-food classic on the streets of Seoul. It's kind of hard to describe: 'formed crab-cakes,' or 'white fish sausage'...(sounds weird, tastes great!) Late one night in Seoul's Myongdong district (think Times Square meets the county fair meets neon-lit youth culture, all in skyscrapers' back alleys), I was strolling and snacking, marveling that even Krispy Kreme has penetrated S. Korea's capital...and then I saw this fry-stand: Oh-deng on sticks--wrapped with aromatic perilla (wild sesame) leaves, and then deep-fried: pescetarian corn dogs à la Korea!

From the upper floors on the north side of 'The Plaza' hotel in central Seoul, this is the view up Sejong-ro, the city's historical main axis. Reopened in 2010 after extensive renovation and redesign by the Italian designer Guido Ciompi, this is Seoul's luxury boutique hotel in the middle of it all. Toward the end of our trip to Korea, my wife and I decided to splurge on a night here. We didn't have time to enjoy all of the hotel's amenities, but the spa and artisanal French bakery were on our list. In room, everything (including drapes and curtains) was 'remote-controllable' from a bed-side touch-screen phone. Perhaps one of The Plaza's greatest amenities is its central location. After my wife's spa treatment, but before catching the direct bus from the hotel to the airport, we were able to go for a walk in the garden of 15th-century Deoksu-gung palace across the street...(The basement of the hotel also connects to underground-shopping-arcades and the subway.) Specifically, the view above looks over giant television screens on the sides of skyscrapers, over monument-dominated Gwanghwamun pedestrian plaza, on to Gyeongbok-gung palace (built when Seoul was established as the capital in 1392), and finally 'The Blue House' on the flank of Bugak-san mountain, the official residence of the South Korean president. For more information: www.hoteltheplaza.com/eng/

In the Samcheong-dong neighborhood, I saw this whimsical mural on the side of a bakery--perfect for a Francophile Korean sweet-tooth. I became a lover of macarons (NOT to be confused with 'macaroons') when I lived in Paris. I had no idea that the Korean capital would have such a love-affair with these French pastries as well--available throughout the city! Bon appétit! (To get these delicious treats, if you're in Seoul's Bukchon area, check out 'Palette Seoul,' Jong-no-gu, Samcheong-dong, 39-beonji.)

Expecting a stuffy museum, the King Sejong Story was a pleasant surprise. This monument in the center of Seoul housed underneath one of the hippest areas is worth a look. No amount of rambling can present how great King Sejong was for Korea but for starters him along with his cabinet were responsible for Hangeul (Korean alphabet) and advancements in science, culture, arts and politics. I had expected to find busts and dioramas showing off Sejong accomplishments but the whole museum had an artistic spin on it. While walking down a hallway I thought this lighting installation would make a perfect backdrop for a silhouette. To get to the museum take Seoul's purple line, Line 5. Surface and fine the large walkway (fountain included) then walk to the large gold colored monument of King Sejong, the entrance is on the back of his chair.

You don't need to go to back alleys or historic markets (although those are great!) to sample traditional snacks in Korea; almost all the major boulevards in the center sprout mini-kitchens, set up on the sidewalk even across from chic western-style businesses. Here, next to an artisanal French pâtisserie and across from a café (Seoul is caffeinated and macaron-crazed), I sampled 'kim-mah-ree'--sweet potato noodles wrapped in seaweed, dipped in tempura batter, then deep-fried. Sizzling oil speaks all languages!

Amidst the almost hypnotic repetition of pattern and color, I spent an afternoon 'lost' in the colonnades of Changdeok-gung Palace. Focusing my vision on architecture in a historical context far removed from my everyday life--one of my favorite ways to get 'lost' on a trip abroad...This immersion in 'the other' is often one of the most refreshing aspects of travel. (for the 'lost' theme in the 'Catch' contest)

When we fell in love with lover, we want to promise the eternal love. N seoul tower is one of the sacred place of love. Lots of couples have visited there then locked their own lock at the fence and throw the key out of the fence. They believe it'll protect their love from all situation that interfer with their love :) but you know, when I saw that at first time , I thought how many locks were loose their masters ...

Seoul has to be Asia's most caffeinated mega-city. There is plenty of tea to be had, but coffee rules in Korea's capital. Along with an abundance of multi-storied Starbucks, every street seems to have sprouted a home-grown café: from the Italian-inspired (Pascucci, Caffe Bene) to the French (Paris Baguette, Tous les Jours), the sacreligious (God in a cup) and the pseudo-religious (Angel-in-us), royal (Coffee Prince) and musical (Johannes Brahms), prepositions ("at-to-on"?), from the purely Asian (Gurunaru), to delightfully fractured English (Yoger presso, A twosome place, Me Too, cafe sand&food). Coffee and kimchee--it's what Koreans run on! As erstwhile Seattlites, my wife and I had our fun sampling the different interpretations of the bean while in Seoul. Some were good, some were bad, many were puzzling (red bean latte? black bean latte? GREEN bean latte?), and most all were pricey...