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Korean Ceramics Shopping in Yeoju, Korea
Korean Ceramics Two weeks ago I had a fun day ogling and purchasing a few pieces of lovely and practical Korean Ceramics in the City of Yeoju, a 90-minute drive east of Seoul. Welcome to week 325 (4/27/2017) of Travel Photo Thursday. Come in and see the pieces that will be making their way back to Canada and my new condo later this year. If you are in Seoul and you want to purchase Korean ceramics or pottery, avoid the touristy shops in Itaewon or Insadong. Instead, grab a public bus or find a tour going to Yeosu. The city has been producing quality ceramics and pottery for centuries. Here you will pay a quarter of the price for the same vase or dish-set you may have eyed in downtown Seoul. Our first stop didn’t look like much, but once inside there was lots to choose from. My first purchase was this stunning white-on-white celadon short vase with cranes for a mere $20.00. I priced a similar piece in Itaewon a few days later, less than half the size and the shopkeeper quoted me $40.00. Our next stop was a shop with loads of gorgeous tableware in a rainbow of colors. I love tea, and could not pass up this stunning teapot ($25.00). This was a fab bargain as we found them sporting much higher price tags in other shops. I can’t wait to brew my first pot! The bamboo handle is perfectly heat resistant. This stunning piece had my name written all over it for a mere $25.00. This was my absolute favorite piece of the day. I...
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A Traditional Craft Workshop in Seoul: Kum Baek Yeon
Entering the small hanok workshop in Seoul’s Bukchon’s Hanok Village, we were eager to try our hand at creating Kum Baek Yeon (gold leaf imprinting on silk). Welcome to week 314 ( 2/2/2017) of Travel Photo Thursday. Join us as we learn the Korean tradition of gold leaf imprinting on silk. We’re pretty easy going here at BTS, but please remember to follow a few guidelines. To join in the Travel Photo Thursday fun simply post a photo on your blog. Return here and place your link in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. Please post a link to a post featuring a travel photo, not simply a link to your blog. Leave a comment before you go. I do read each and every one, and always try to respond. Kum Baek Yeon is a technique originating from Korea’s Joseon dynasty (around 1849) and was used only on clothes stitched for and worn by the royal family. The first master craftsman was Kim Wanhyeong and now the fifth generation, Kim Gi – Ho, continues the tradition. Our first task was to choose the stamps we wanted to use, and under Mr. Kim’s guidance, we practiced our imprinting skills on a fabric swatch before being “let loose” on the real thing. Kum Baek Yeon After choosing our stamps, we all got down to preparing for the embossing. The technique is quite easy, but believe me, it takes time and dedication to produce high-quality gold imprinting. The first thing you do is cover the seal with just the right amount of glue and hold it over the heat for 5 seconds. Next, you take a wooden stick with a...
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Seoul: Insadong Street Food
Insadong Street Food From Gwangjang Market ( last weeks post) we headed off to find the Insadong Street food scene. Welcome to week 298 (10/20/2016) of Travel Photo Thursday. First, we trekked along Seoul’s Cheonggyecheon Stream what seemed like forever for about twenty minutes. Returning to street level, we came face to face with a piece of the Berlin Wall located in an outdoor plaza dubbed “Berlin Square.” A piece of the Berlin Wall in downtown Seoul took me completely by surprise! The city is home to three cement slabs from the Wall, along with a Berlin Street light, and benches and trees gifted to the city by Germany. The plaza symbolizes the future reunification of the two Koreas and Berlin provides financial support for the plaza. In fact, the last time I saw the Berlin Wall, it was standing, and I was on the verge of being arrested for not having the correct train ticket to travel between East and West Berlin. What a day that was! We’re pretty easy going here at BTS, but please remember to follow a few guidelines… To join in the Travel Photo Thursday fun simply post a photo on your blog. Return here and place your link in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. Please post a link to a post featuring a travel photo, not simply a link to your blog. Leave a comment before you go. I do read each and every one, and always try to respond. How to get to the Berlin Wall Seoul: Located along the Cheonggyecheon stream adjacent to Samilgyo Bridge. There are three subway stations nearby: Line 1 Jonggak Station exit 5 Line...
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Korean Traditional Food at Gwangjang Market
Korean Traditional Food This week we’re in downtown Seoul on a quest to discover and sample some of the best Korean traditional food the city has to offer. Welcome to week 297 (14/10/2016) of Travel Photo Thursday. Here we are at Gwangjang Market, exploring the three food alleys with the most popular traditional dishes, namely: Mayak Gimbap Alley, Yukhoe Alley, and Jeon Alley. We’re pretty easy going here at BTS, but please remember to follow a few guidelines… To join in the Travel Photo Thursday fun simply post a photo on your blog. Return here and place your link in the Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. Please post a link to a post featuring a travel photo, not simply a link to your blog. Leave a comment before you go. I do read each and every one, and always try to respond. Gwangjang Market Gwangjang Market, opened in 1905, is Korea’s oldest market, and one of the largest traditional markets on the peninsula. Locals frequent Gwangjang for its quality silk products, kitchenware, hanbok, bedding, and fabric. However, what brings out the hordes of people is the traditional Korean food on offer, and we sampled the three most popular. Here we have bolts of fabric and other dry goods that bring in the local shoppers. Mayak Gimbap Alley Our first tasting was a very popular Korean snack food, Gimbap/Kimbap (김밥). However, this was Kimbap with a twist! Instead of the laver (seaweed) being the outside wrapper, as is the norm, this version has the rice (bap) as the outer layer and has the nicknames Nude Kimbap or Mayak Kimbap. The word mayak in Korean means...
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Canada 150: A Song, A Video, and Some Photos
Canada 150
Canada 150 is all the talk in Canada this year, and the big day, July 1st, is fast approaching. Welcome to week 333 (6/15/2017) of Travel Photo Thursday. This week have fun listening to the Canada 150 song, a 2-minute video of Canadian moments (not my video), and photos that I’ve taken when I’ve been traveling around and spending time in my country over the past few years. I won’t be in Canada on July 1st to celebrate Canada 150, but I will be arriving in Vancouver on August 8th, and then onto Nova Scotia on August 22nd. Indy and I will be taking up residence in beautiful Annapolis Royal at least for a little while 🙂 Enjoy the song, the moments, and the photos.
A stunning Vancouver Island sunset taken way back in August 2006.
Korea DMZ: North – South Divide in Photos
Korea DMZ
This week we are roaming around the Korea DMZ, that swath of land that separates North Korea from South Korea and came into being when the Korean War Armistice was signed way back in 1953. Welcome to Week 332 (6/8/2017) of Travel Photo Thursday. Join me on a tour of the North – South divide in photos.
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I initially took this tour back in 2001 or 2002. I know it was before digital cameras (or just before they came to market). I did take photos that day, and I had them developed, but they’ve disappeared during one of my moves over the years. I was anxious to see what was still the same and what had changed, and if I can still brag about having a good memory!
I am always surprised that the DMZ is only an hour outside of Seoul. This is why we foreigners get a little antsy when the big guy up North starts his saber rattling. Our first stop of the day was the Imjingak Unification Park, in the city of Paju on the banks of the Imjin River.
About Me
I'm a longtime expat and traveler, experiencing the world one country, one photograph, and one chili pepper at a time. I'm an expert on experiencing priceless travel adventures on a budget. Grab Your Travel Photo Thursday Badge
