My trip to Korea (suite&end)
Friday April 13thOriginally I’ve planned to visit Sheraton Wakerhill hôtel this day but my friend wanted to see the real Jungjuno avenue. One of her main reason to come to Korea with me was to see cherry blossoms in this famous avenue so she didn’t want to miss it. And she also wanted to visit Coex mall and Insadong.
So we took the subway to visit Coex mall first. It was a cloudy and windy day, the coldest day of the week, a little surprising for us as Thursday was quite warm.
Coex mall is an underground shopping mall in the south of Seoul, and I think it’s also the largest shopping center in Seoul with lots of shops , food courts and even an aquarium.
I have to say that for me, a mall is a mall, they're the same anywhere so it didn’t interest me that much but my friend likes it. Anyway, I’ve managed to take some interesting photos
In fact, it’s quite surprising to see a “boulangerie - pâtisserie” and “marché” with people having lunch inside. In France, a “boulangerie - pâtisserie” only sells bread and pastry.
My friend found a beautiful green Korean vase in a shop for tourist, and nice surprise, all the sellers there speak English fluently. We saw a lot of children who lined up to visit the aquarium and I wonder how is the mall during the week-end as there are a lot of people who visited the mall in weekday.
We had lunch then we took the subway to go to Yeouido station - exit 1 again. This time, after some wrong direction, finally we found it, the famous Yunjungno Avenue. In fact, you have to walk till National assembly and there, turn right, then walk a little more (about 15 minutes walking if you walk fast from Yeouido station) and you will arrive at the avenue.
I think you have to see this avenue with your eyes to admire really the beautiful cherry blossoms because my pictures didn’t give them justice. We only regret that this day was a cloudy day because seeing cherry blossoms in sunny day must be wonderful.
Although it was very cold with the wind, we kept walking and walking under the cherry trees to admire them. It’s when my friend broke one of her shoes that we decided to come back to the subway. It’s already 5 pm, we were tired and cold so we didn’t have any courage to go to Insadong and come back to the hotel.
Fortunately I didn’t give appointment to youngsun for dinner at Insadong this day because we couldn’t never make it.
Finally we had dinner at Myeongdong, in the restaurant where we had our first dinner the day we arrived. Sitting at the same place, in the same restaurant and feeling already a kind of nostalgia and sadness. Time flied so fast, our trip came now to the end. In the way to the restaurant, I bought this
C has shown it to me saying bb once blogged about it as one of YJ’s favorite drink so I would like to taste it. It’s good, too bad I couldn’t bring it in France.
We ended our day to go shopping in Myeongdong for the last time then came back to the hotel to pack our stuffs.
Saturday April 14th
It’s my last day in Seoul and I woke up early because I would like to take some pictures in front of Seoul plaza hotel, thing I couldn’t do in daytime because of the crowd. Seoul Plaza hotel is just behind Lotte hotel and so, very near to my hotel.
Does the name of this hotel ring a bell to you ? I guess everyone who has watched Winter Sonata must know it, right ?
Staying there early in the morning, alone, at the same place where YJ had shot this scene, I was strangely happy. I got to know YJ and became his fan with Winter Sonata, I’ve seen this drama so many times and now I can see this place for real with my eyes, like I did at Nami island, wow !
Then I remembered about last Saturday when I just arrived, at this time I never imagined my trip would be so memorable.
Fortunately it’s Saturday and there weren’t many people at this hour, because they would think I was mad standing there to look at the street fixedly or, worse, I was waiting for an occasion to suicide on this street ha ha.
Before taking the bus to the airport, we went there to have breakfast
I recommend you kiwi fresh fruit juice and strawberry yoghurt which’re delicious. They also have some kind of pastry we never see in France.
Ah, and last thing to recommend to my Bae sis who doesn’t go to Korea yet, if you still have some wons left, you can find at the duty free shops of Incheon airport this box of chocolate
We took Korean Airlines’s flight at 13h30 (Seoul time) to come back in France (Air France and Korean Airlines have signed a partnership so we can choose the flight we want) and after 12 hours, we arrived at Paris at 18H30 (Paris time). Before leaving the plane, my friend and I, we said for the last time “gamsahamnida” to the crew as we won’t have any occasion to do it in France now.
To end my trip report, I would like to wish to all my Bae sisters who always want to visit his homeland and couldn’t do it yet to be as lucky and happy as me at their first trip.
PS : To all the sisters who were worried for me, gamsahamnida, I’m very touched by your messages and e-mails.
Très chères amies, merci de tout mon coeur.
PPS : It's the first time of my life I write a trip report, and especially in English, a language I'm not familiar and at ease. But I'm very glad to do it as it becomes a wonderful diary for me. Thank you for your support, my dear Bae sisters.
posted by Toujours_BYJ @ 5/11/2007 07:40:00 PM
10 Comments:
Dear Camille,
The blogger was down earlier, all my comments were gone.
I enjoy reading your detailed trip report, very informational and I also like your expression of your sensitive emotions. I am sure it is a memorable trip of a life time. How much I wish to have a chance of visiting Korea. By then I can use your report as a tour guide.
I did not know the second accident scenes in WLS were shot at the street in front of the Seoul Plaza Hotel. After watching it a dozen times, there are still new things to discover from this drama. Thanks very much for bringing it up. I wonder what else I did not know yet.
Do take care and happy Mother's Day!
-H.
my dear camille,
Tears are swelling in my eyes as I read about the last day of your trip. I can almost picture how you felt that quiet morning standing in the middle of the street reminiscing where MinHyung got hit. Thinking back what you have experienced in the past week - walking on the same soil as Yong Joon, meeting so many Bae sisters from all over the world and seeing where all these memorable Winter Sonata and April Snow scenes were made - you must have been overflown w/ emotions.
We have to thank Yong Joon for bringing all of us together. Without him, our lives are still fine but will never have this longing for a higher level of love, warmth and understanding w/ other human beings.
Thank you for this beautiful trip report - a reflection of your beautiful and gentle personality.
Now please rest your arms a lot and don't type anymore, ok?
love ... Jaime
My dear H
The blogger was down ? Oh I'm sorry all your comments were gone and you have to type them again.
Thank you very much for your nice words, I wish you have a chance to visit Korea and to see HRH like I did.
Me too, I hope I can go there again because one week is not enough, there are still so many places to visit.
Happy mother's day !
My very dear Jaime,
Reading your comment moves me deeply, thank you my dearest chinggu, a big big hug to you lah !
But I can reassure you even with one hand, I still can type, it's only just a little bit slow ha ha...
Have a nice week-end and Happy mother's day !
am almost sad to read the last part of your trip report... i've always loved loved loved to read of fellow fans going to baeland and these days, even tokyo. i guess only fellow fans would understand the feelings when we see the spots where the memorable bae-scenes were shot... and only bae fans would understand the excitement we feel when we see places like nami island for the first time.
and like you, am so very glad that my own bae journey has brought me to places i'd never thought i'd go, and more importantly, brought me friends in places i'd never thought i'd know a single soul.
thanks for all the sharing, camille :)
p.s. the banana milk's really good huh? i love it so much that i make it a point to drink one every morning whenever i'm in korea :p
Hi bb
You're absolutely right, I think only fans would understand this kind of feeling and excitement.
My only regret is my trip was too short and I wasn't able to go to Samcheok, Wakerhill Sheraton hotel and Jeju.
But it will give me a reason to go to Korea again, right ?
Btw, this banana milk's really good, and cheap, but as I met C a little bit late so I just have 2 days to drink it. But next time he he ...
My dear bb, thanks again for everything.
Dear Camille
I've just posted the last part of your trip report on the KOB.
You did a great job despite your intensely aching arm!
Thanks for your efforts!
it's already a month since you left Seoul!
Today Seoul is beautiful with freshly green leaves glistening in the sun.
Yes, May is one of the best months here in Korea.
Hope for your quick recovery with the left arm!
Take care!
youngsun *^^*
Dear Youngun
Yes, time flies too fast, it's already one month but for me it's like just last week.
After a hot April, May is rather cold here in Paris, it makes me thinking more of Korea, how I wish I could go there again.
Thank you for taking your time to translate all my trip report and a big big hug to you for your kindness.
Chère Camille,
Merci d'avoir si bien partagé ce voyage inoubliable avec nous ! J'aime bien les photos des cerisiers en fleur, même si vous dites que ça ne leur rend pas tout à fait justice. On peut deviner que ce serait très spécial de se promener sous ces branches couvertes de pales fleurs.
Comme H, moi non plus, je ne savais pas que le deuxième accident dans WLS avait eu lieu devant le Seoul Plaza Hotel. Voici une nouvelle excuse pour le regarder de nouveau, non?
Chère Gosijo
Eh oui, il faut voir l'avenue en fleurs de vos propres yeux pour admirer pleinement cette merveille.
En ce qui concerne le second accident dans WLS, c'est le guide du BYJ's day tour qui nous a indiqué son emplacement exact.
Et vous avez raison, c'est l'ecuse parfaite pour le regarder une énième fois ha ha.
En fait, je viens de republier l'interview du metteur en scène Hur pour vous.
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