SPRING SEASON IN SEOUL

Ah, the smell of cherry blossoms left and right, the sight of pastel colors here and there - that basically explains my love for the spring season. After days of walking under 32 degrees of sunshine in Manila, I finally got my own share of aircon weather after flying off to Seoul. 

Initially, the plan was just to see Coldplay live but since we had more time, we decided to go days before the concert to enjoy the cherry blossom season. 

It's my second time in Seoul, so most of the items on my itinerary consisted of going to cafes and parks and doing less of the touristy stuff. I am a big fan of anything floral and the blooming flowers during spring make me ecstatic! Luckily for us, we chanced on a spring season that also had a hint of sunshine (because who wants to go around under the gloomy rainy weather).

There were three things that I wanted to accomplish on this trip: (1) visit the places where cherry blossom trees are abundant (and beautiful), (2) eat anything and everything spicy (because hey, we're in Korea) and (3) indulge on anything cute (that includes cafes, stores, or items I find cute)! And happy to say, this trip did not disappoint.  For my hana (that's number 1 in Korean), we visited Ewha Women's University and Gyeongbokgung Palace! I got to wear a hanbok for the first time and I went around Bukchon Village wearing it too! It cost me 10,000 won (500 pesos) with a free entrance to the palace! I even got my hair made up Korean style! I felt like I was in a Korean drama. I also went out to see the Namsan Seoul Tower at night. Boy, those love locks have grown in amount over the years! The last time I went, there was only a section of it, now it's all over the place! The cherry blossoms were all in full bloom! It was a sight to see at night. For my Dul (number two in Korean - yes I'm trying to use Korean here), I ate as much kimchi as I wanted! Of course, the jjampong was also there, so is the spicy chicken!  Aside from everything spicy, I feasted on samgyupsal with my friends! We tried one at the Gwangju market and one in Hongdae. My favorite was the one in Hongdae - good for the wallet too! And of course, who could forget the different kinds of street food that you find in Korea? And the bingsu? Not me! I ate everything!  And for the number 3 in my agenda, this is where it all gets cute! If you know me personally, you would know that I have a big knack for taking photos and collecting items that I find aesthetically beautiful. It may be minimalist or fancy interior designs, beautifully made pastries or cupcakes with too much frosting. I've always known Seoul has its own share of this and prior to flying out of Manila, I did a little research with my friends on where to find cafes and areas where we could appreciate what I mentioned. On our first day, we visited Thanks Nature Cafe, a small cafe in Hongdae where you can also play around with sheep! For ice creams: I tried the rose-shaped gelato ice cream in Myeongdong (from Milky Bee for 3800 won) and the foot-long twirly ice cream in Hongdae (for 2000 won) And since it was the spring season, Starbucks offered a limited edition Cherry blossoms selection that included 3 different flavors: Cherry Blossom Latte, Cherry Blossom White Chocolate and Cherry Blossom Green Tea Frappucino. We bought the former and the latter. I loved the Cherry Blossoms Green Tea Frappucino! If you can, I suggest you walk around the Gangnam area if you want to find cute little cafes. The street where we found Mr Holmes Bakeshop were lined with really colorful cafes with different themes. I specifically suggest the cruffini from Mr. Holmes! Straight from San Francisco, these freshly baked pastries not just look good but also taste really really good! I literally got baked in Seoul (because it was 23 degrees at that time!) So far one of the best trips I've had! This is just the first of my Korean Travel Series, will be posting more in the coming days! If you have any questions, recommendations and comments, don't hesitate to message me! Kamsahamnida!