SNS—Something New Let's Do It!
好代
3 days ago
This was my memorable 10th time visiting Seoul on my own.
It is a city where I always discover something new, where art and tradition are shared openly, and their blend with fresh sensibilities shows me a different scenery than before. That is why I want to try something new myself and tap into the city’s energy, visiting places I still have not been to and diving into new experiences.
(My first time visiting Osulloc Tea House at Amorepacific. You can sample the aroma of the tea leaves. The service is so thoughtful, it really warms your heart. I had fun chatting with them while choosing my tea.)
(A tea blended with Jeju tangerine. Warm tea felt amazing after being chilled by the A/C! The matcha sweets were also incredible!)
(↓ This time, I visited the National Museum.)
When you go up the big staircase, you can see Namsan Tower.
Of course, because it is my 10th visit, I also have my routines. I go back to my favorite spa to relax and start the trip right, I never get tired of Korean food no matter how many times I eat it, and I stop by the cafes I always visit, thinking, “Yes, this is it, I am back,” as I savor that excitement of being in Korea.
(Spa Bidan, my go-to place. Body scrub and massage. They use top-quality oils and skincare products for everything, it is just on another level. I love the owner’s kindness and attention to detail, my trip always starts here.)
(↑ A gimbap and tonkatsu spot packed with locals. Huge portions, and delicious! The warm service fills your heart, too.)
(↑ The Hyundai Department Store B1 in Yeouido is a sweets heaven!) I love Cafe Layered. It is a sister store of London Bagel and Artist Bakery. The display is always beautiful, and the scones are truly delicious. They feel special, almost like cake.)
(↑ A small juice stand in Dongdaemun that I always visit in summer. My mornings start with this watermelon juice.)
(↑ Olive Young Seongsu always has interesting displays on the 1st floor. This time they had a pistachio chocolate smoothie made with an Olive Young protein shake product! It was perfect before a workout!)
And of course I listed things I can only do this season! The Rainbow Fountain at Banpo Hangang River Park made the list. This time I decided to bring along salt bread from the popular Beton, and the trendy jasmine milk tea from CHAGEE. I bought them at Shinsegae Department Store in Gangnam, and since you can take the underground passage, it is a straight shot to the park, so I walked there while sipping my milk tea. After arriving, I enjoyed three fountain shows, all the way up to the last one at 9:30.
(This location has a shorter wait!)
(Jasmine milk tea. Refreshing and delicious! It is cheaper than Starbucks, so if I had one nearby, I would want it every day!)
(It is amazing no matter how many times I see it! A beautiful fountain with my beloved K-pop songs! It is fun to watch from the bridge too, and the breeze feels cool and so nice.)
Now then. For something new this time, I decided to take a Pilates lesson in Korea. Booking through the CREA trip site felt reassuring. I reserved a studio in Gangnam and visited at 3:00 pm. A bright, cheerful instructor welcomed me into a neatly kept room that smelled lovely, with all kinds of machines. I changed and we started right away! Just as they said, Korean Pilates is quite different from what we have in Japan, it is very training-focused. We really worked my glutes and legs, and I was drenched in sweat. With lots of encouragement, I somehow made it to the end. They corrected my posture again and again, which helped me fix my own habits while training, a one-on-one lesson that I could never get from group classes back home. I could also feel that they were tailoring the session to what I needed right now. We chatted a little too, so the atmosphere was fun, but the content was solid, exactly the kind of lesson I was hoping for! At the end, they even taught me some poses that would look great in photos, and we wrapped up saying, “So Korean Pilates, right!”
The best memories from travel are, after all, the people you meet. New experiences always bring new encounters, and that excitement becomes a kind of power that adds color to life, even after you return to Japan, giving you little sparks and new inspiration. I told the instructor, “I will definitely come again! I will train more before next time!” and they said, “Next time, let’s use different machines too!”
(↑ The instructor was great at teaching, fun, and seriously gorgeous, and we trained together ♡)
After leaving the studio, I went to a nearby place I had been wanting to try and had mugwort kongguksu. Because the seasoning is mild, you really taste the soy milk and mugwort, and when you pair it with kimchi and side dishes, the flavor changes again. I enjoyed a dish that feels so Korean. The base is traditional and makes the most of the ingredients, and then it is like, “Make it how you like,” that style is exactly like this city.
(↑ Mugwort kongguksu. Even though I went after 4:00 pm, it filled up right away with locals. It was better than that famous place where I waited for ages!)
I want to come back again to this lively city where changes happen one after another at lightning speed. Just as traditional venues collaborate with avant-garde art and reveal different charms, I want to take in something different too, and become a new version of myself. That is what this experience made me feel. I want to come back soon. I probably will come back again. People around me say, “Seoul again?” but to me, it is a different city, with the same comfort and new surprises every time.
