Seoul in the evening

...where the "covered wagons" come out at night

Seoul is full of street food; open-air markets and sidewalk stalls abound. But wander the avenues at night, and warm light from under tarps beckons--the "poh-jahng-mah-chah." Literally meaning 'covered/tented, wagon,' these are an institution of...

Romantic? or an eyesore? What's your take on "love padlocks?"

Over the last decade or so, these "love padlocks" have been appearing at various sites around the world: Italy, Paris, the Brooklyn Bridge, Tokyo, and in this photo, on a mountaintop in the middle of Seoul (the park around N-Tower on Namsan).

With...

Silkworms, Anyone?

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...

Dumplings, delicious and hand-made, in Bukchon

Bukchon, the historic neighborhood between Gyeongbok-gung and Changdeok-gung Palaces in the heart of Seoul, is the home of "Buk-chon son mandu," which translates as 'hand-made dumplings.' Even though this is a Seoul chain restaurant, the namesake...

Unlikely art: crash-test-dummy Pietà on a rooftop

Tired, but determined not to succumb to jet-lag on my first evening in Seoul in almost two decades, I went for a walk in the Bukchon neighborhood...no backpack, no camera--just my iPhone in my pocket. One of the first things that caught my eye was...

"hanok:" a serene stay in Seoul

In the middle of a metropolitan area of twenty million, Seoul's historic Bukchon neighborhood has kept a traditional village feel. "Hanok"--traditional courtyard houses, with upswept tile roofs and latticed sliding doors--line the hilly streets....

Rice in a brass bowl with toppings and sides galore

In the Korean capital's Myeongdong district, you're not limited to 'Seoul-food;' you can also taste distinctive dishes from Jeonju city, in the country's fertile Southwest. Go to "Go-gung" (pronounce: goh-goong) restaurant.

The restaurant's...

"the ever changing circle of nature and the straight line of technology"

During my last stay in Seoul, I spent most of my time in the historic heart of the city north of the Han river. I did take a Sunday afternoon, though, to walk around the Gangnam district--the chic high-rise dominated neighborhood south of the...

a 'bell ringer' of a building...across from the old belfry in the heart of Seoul

One of the most distinctive buildings in central Seoul is the 33-story Jongno Tower, a triangular glass and steel tower topped with an oval floating above seven stories of emptiness.

Across the street is the traditionally reconstructed...