Yeouido Flower Festival

Saturday the 16th I day-tripped to Seoul. I went to the Yeouido flower festival and saw the cherry blossoms in full bloom. along with some amazing displays of experimental flower art. It was a beautiful day, sunny and in the mid sixties, and it was fantastic to walk through all the wonderful flowers. I started my day in the Yeouido Park, where I enjoyed a picnic lunch of takoyaki (the delicious octopus batter-balls I tried in Japan). They weren't as good as the ones I ate in Japan, but still tasty. I walked along the park before walking through the canopy of cherry trees that line the Han river, before finally finding the REAL flower festival and working my way backwards through it.

I was at the flower festival from about noon until 3 just wandering about, and then I decided that to make my trip to Seoul worthwhile I would go to the National Museum and cross something off my "to-see" list! It was a bit of a haul on the subway and I got a little bit turned around, but made it safely to the museum around 445. Luckily the museum was open until nine, so I was able to walk through and see the entire thing before walking around the gardens on the grounds at sunset. Then I headed back to the subway, then to the bus terminal, and then back to Gwangju. It was a busy day, but amazingly relaxing and I am so glad that I went!

Sunday I went into Damyang, which is on the other side of Mudeong Mountain with a group of friends. We took the bus up and around the mountain and then went to a beautiful little tea house where we relaxed and enjoyed a traditional Korean tea. We also walked partially down the mountain until we came to a bus stop and enjoyed walking through the cherry blossoms! We took the bus partially back but stopped at a restaurant up on the mountain with an observation deck and we were able to snack while over looking the whole city of Gwangju. Then, being the adventurous folk we are, we hiked the rest of the way down and into the city before taking taxis back to our apartments. Another beautiful day!

In other news, I'll be flying back into the states on June 2nd. I'll arrive in Syracuse around 1130pm on the second and will be spending some time with Josh before heading to Elmira and then back to New Hampshire. It will be a lot of traveling, but I'm excited to be coming home!

~Hannah