Category Archives: Travels

“Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” I love Dr. Seuss. I’ve wanted to go to Paris, France since I was in Mrs. DeBiase’s french class in high school. No, I haven’t been there yet. But…..one of these days!

Gyeongbokgung Palace

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The Jewel of Old Korea, Gyeongbokgung Palace was built in 1395 and the 7,700 rooms housed the Kings of the Joseon Dynasty, all of their households and the government.  It was destroyed by fire during the Imjin War and abandoned for two centuries.  Then in the 19th Century it was rebuilt only to be destroyed again in the 20th Century by Imperial Japan during it’s 1910-1945 occupation of Korea.

Today, the palace complex is being reconstructed to its original form covering 100 acres.  It houses both the National Palace Museum and the National Folk Museum.  Paths from the East Gate lead to The Blue House, the 62 acre complex that houses the executive office and official residence of the President of the Republic of Korea.

gyeongbokgung palace

The doors of Geunjeongjeon, the Throne Hall, above, were open, but roped off.  We couldn’t enter; but, we could see the elaborate decorations and furnishings.  It was beautiful.  Below you’ll see the picture I took of the center portion of the ceiling, ornately designed and covered in gold leaf.

Our guide is a romantic.  She took us through the museums and told us about the place we’re standing in front of in the picture above.  “It’s the Kissing Place” she announced as she took our camera and told us where to stand all the while describing couples centuries ago strolling around the lake, pausing to kiss near the Palace of Shining Happiness.  Behind us is the Royal Banquet Hall, Gyeonghoeru.

There were monsters everywhere on the palace grounds. They were guarding the canal, the entrances, the tops of the roofs, the stairs and walkways.  I would expect monsters to be frightening, especially guarding monsters.  But, most of them were smiling.  Lots of them were outright pleased with themselves and with us.  It was so much fun to happen upon them, see what they were focused on, look at the expressions on their faces with so much detail and decoration and wonder what the artist had in mind.

It’s not difficult to imagine the royal sculptors having a wonderful time creating the many fanciful animals inhabiting the royal enclave or the royal children that were inevitably drawn in to watch the process.

 

Sightseeing in Seoul

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I love to go sightseeing when visiting a new city or country to get a sense of place and of it’s history and the people who live there…..where they came from, when and why.  They are all different and all fascinating.  We, human beings, are all different and all fascinating.

We visited Namsangol Hanok Village to see Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897) korean homes and community buildings that had been dismantled and reconstructed on this site to preserve the buildings themselves and a sense of the way villagers lived their lives during those almost five centuries.  It was so interesting to see the mats and bedding used to make beds on the floor, the utensils used for cooking and housekeeping and articles of clothing.  All of  these things looked very different from what we’re used to today.  I was so impressed by  the beautifully made wooden dressers and the construction of the homes.

The word Hanok meant that the construction of the house took into consideration the surrounding land and the seasons.  This principle is called Baesanimsu.  It literally means the house is built with its back to a mountain and a river in the front with a heated rock system to warm the house in the winter and a wide front porch to keep the house cool in the summer, all to provide a healthy environment for the family.

Namsangol Hanok Village Seoul, South Korea
Namsangol Hanok Village Seoul, South Korea

In the center of the village stood a communal pavilion next to a beautiful pond, perfect for important ceremonies.  While we watched, a young couple had their wedding pictures taken in rented traditional korean clothing.  Couples from all over South Korea come here for that purpose.  Witnessing that present day excitement in this ancient traditional place made the whole experience so much more memorable.

Behind us on the hill is the N Seoul Tower, the highest point in Seoul.  We drove up the winding road lined with Cherry Trees through Namsan Park.  It was beautiful, even in the winter, with its walking trails and benches.  I’d love to come back in the spring for the Cherry Blossom Festival. The tower contains a radio station, gift shop, observation deck, restaurants and food court with a large demonstration area for folk dancers and martial arts performers.  One restaurant, N Grill, revolves every 48 minutes and had a gorgeous view of the surrounding city.

On the observation deck, a group of 25 school children about 7 years old with their teachers rushed up to me, surrounded me and in their best english said hello and asked where I was from.  They told me, one by one, their names and asked me about mine.  It was so much fun.  They were as curious about me as I was about them.

Outside, on the plaza, we watched some colorfully dressed young men dance while swirling balls tethered  to their hats. They would start out slowly beating their drums and tossing their heads, snapping them quickly around to send those balls zooming all over the place.  Then the pace would quicken and build to a crescendo.  Very dramatic!  Very Korean! So much fun!

dancers N Seoul Tower

My Travel Wish List

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I hadn’t written mine down, my travel wish list, that is.  I have thought about it alot though.  The first item on the list was Paris, France.  When I close my eyes, I’m walking along the Seine, sitting on one of the bridges sketching, sitting at a sidewalk cafe eating a croissant and watching people walk by or methodically covering every inch of the Louvre.  The next few places on my list are in Italy.  As I go down my list, in my mind’s eye, Korea is nowhere to be found.

And…..yet…..Korea is where I am.  Korea.  I know nothing about Korea. The language is so foreign to my ear.  The signs that would normally help me find my way are so intriguing but yield no needed information.

Yet, from the moment I boarded the plane in Seattle, a gentle introduction began.  The in-flight magazine had lots of pictures, maps and feature stories about Korean cities, sightseeing, companies and people.  The meals were typical Korean foods.  This was my first introduction to Bibimbap. Little did I know that I would encounter Bibimbap everywhere…..sort of like pizza, hamburgers and hotdogs in the US.

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Dinner the first night my husband and I arrived was in our hotel, the Novotel Seoul Ambassador in the Gangnam District.  Yes, I ordered Bibimbap.  The fresh vegetables (in the bowl on the left) were served on a bed of rice,  Miso soup with vegetables and tofu (next bowl to the right) and beef, pork and chicken (right) are all combined with each bite.  The hot red sauce, gochujang, and the fermented vegetables can be mixed in or occasionally dipped into.  Everything is eaten with chopsticks.  Then you just lift the bowl to your mouth and sip the broth left in bowl.  Yum!

Lynn ordered Baby Chicken Soup.  It sounded light and somehow soothing after 21 hours of  travelling. The reason, as you can see, that they called it Baby Chicken Soup was that a whole baby chicken was in the soup.  What a surprise!  So much fun!  Korea Japan February 2016 005

At first I wondered…..why all of the separate dishes? As I was contemplating dumping all of the small bowls into the large bowl I tasted a few and realized that if I did the pleasure of all of the individual sparkling flavors of the rich broth, the spicy, hot kimchi, the salty and the sweet would be lost. And so bite by bite, I discovered wonderful, new flavor combinations

I love Korea. I love Koreans.  I love Korean food. I love the way Koreans eat their food. Korea should have been on my travel wish list all along.

Fairytale Wedding

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I’ve listened to many couples talk about just what they envision for their wedding experience.  Those dreams are as varied as the individuals involved.  But when I began to hear about the plans for this wedding from the Mother of the Groom, it was obvious to me  that this couple had made a conscious choice to listen to their hearts and their hearts dictated fun, travel and magic.

I believe looking for fun is the natural God-given state-of-being we are born into as enfants.  It’s probably the most important state to which we could aspire.  But it often appears to some as a state of selfishness or childishness…..to which I say…..Hey!  Hey!  (to get your attention)  We all want happiness.  No one can give it to you.  You have to take it…..that’s what looking for fun is all about.  And, once you have it, it spreads to everyone lucky enough to be around you.

I believe travelling is so exciting because it takes us out of our comfortable routines.  Just seeing new places and people and adjusting to new experiences opens our eyes a little wider to the beauty that surrounds us, sharpens our ears to take in new sounds, expands our ability to love and be loved and increases our zest for life.

I believe in magic!  I see it everyday!  I experienced magic in a concentrated dose over several days spending time with the family and friends of two talented, genius visionaries as they pledged their love and began their lives together.

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The spanish moss hanging from the huge oak trees created the perfect backdrop for the ceremony.  The late afternoon sunlight added the perfect, soft, magical atmosphere.  The Jekyll Island Club Hotel provided it all.  Everyone there was bathed in gold and we basked in every delicious moment.

That’s how it was in Georgia…..a fun, extraordinary, magical experience.   I love knowing that it wasn’t an accident.  They planned it that way.   I’m sending out my love and appreciation to everyone involved and especially to the newlyweds!

 

Jekyll Island

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If you’ve read the book, The Creature from Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin, you’re familiar with the secret meetings of wealthy bankers and industrialists in November 1909 that paved the way for the Federal Reserve to be established in America.

We had heard a lot about this infamous/famous place through the years.  When we were invited to a destination wedding to be held there, we had no idea what to expect.  Jekyll Island is one the Sea Islands off the coast of Georgia, along with  Amelia Island and St. Simon’s Island.

We flew into Jacksonville, Florida, and drove up the coast into Georgia.  Of course, you can’t drive along a coastal highway and see enticing signs of new places (especially islands: how romantic), historic districts and restaurants without getting a little off course. As we drove around the historic district  of Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, we were charmed by the gift shops and fishing boats and lured into a great restaurant and bar, The Crab Trap.

The waitress assured us the crab, shrimp and scallops had been caught that morning just down the pier.  After one bite, we were believers.  I’ve never tasted such tender, sweet, flavorful crab and scallops.  Wow!  And…..hush puppies….whoa!  crisp on the outside, soft and almost creamy on the inside, great cole slaw and I haven’t mentioned the crab cakes.  I’ve tasted crab cakes in various inland places and been unimpressed.  These were melt in your mouth crab….no filler and just a very light crust on the outside.  Yum.  Well, together with the margaritas…..what a spectacular surprise

The Jekyll Island Club, where the wedding was held, was built in the late 1880’s and was described as the richest, the most exclusive club in the world in 1904. J. P. Morgan, William Rockefeller, Vincent Astor, William Vanderbilt, Marshall Field, Henry Hyde and Joseph Pulitzer were among the members.  Because of the concentration of internationally prominent businessmen,  Jekyll Island was the scene of some important historical events such as the first transcontinental telephone call placed by AT&T president Theodore Vail in January, 1915.  The members left the cold new england winters and sailed on their yachts to the warmer Georgia coast.  Our tour guide noted that Florida had not been developed yet so Georgia was the warmest, southernmost area on the east coast.

The State of Georgia now owns Jekyll Island, maintains the hotel and shops and is restoring the “cottages”.  The museum and tour were fascinating.  It took us through two of the cottages.  The Indian Mound Cottage with twenty-five rooms was built for the Rockefeller family.  The bookcase was filled with books such as Joseph Pennell’s Life and Letters.  I love old books, the printing and illustrations, the bindings and the smells.  This was such an interesting peek into this period of time in our country’s and world’s history.

Our last night on Jekyll Island, we set out to find fresh seafood and an outdoor patio to eat it on.  And…..surprise…..after scouring St. Simon’s Island all afternoon we ended up right on the same property as the Club Hotel.  Latitude 31 degrees.  I’m so jealous of people who live near fishing areas:  the whole dock, fishing boat and water lapping the piles vibe.  Yes, the fish was caught that morning, fresh, fresh and succulent sweet.  So we travelled home, in fresh seafood satisfaction.

Punta Cana

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Our last stop in the Dominican Republic was Punta Cana.  Knowing we were going there, I googled it and saw plenty of beautiful pictures of the resorts and beaches in the area.  But pictures do not do justice to real life sand and sea.

When we walked in to the lobby of the Barcelo Bavaro Palace, I was mesmerized by these larger than life ceramic mosaic figures.  I took a lot of pictures of them and the many others around the grounds.

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Punta Cana is for tourists.  We were told the Europeans discovered it years before the Americans did.  There was evidence of this everywhere we went.  We did hear a lot of English spoken along with Russian, lots of Russian, Spanish, Italian and a smattering of lots of other languages.

The white sand, the layers of blue, turquoise and aqua of the water and the breeze coming off the ocean were stunning.  Beautiful.  This is where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea.  We actually saw the line drawn across the water where the division occurs.  LOL.  But, loved the idea.  And now I have proof.  I really am an angel.

Giorgio

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We left Santiago thinking we were taking the new highway to Puerto Plata.  We were told it would be a 55 mile, 40 minute drive through a beautiful agricultural area passing amber mines, an organic coffee growing region, sugarcane plantations, and roadside stands with naturally grown produce, pasture fed meats and dairy products.  But, somehow…..Siri (our GPS navigator) said turn right onto the Carretera Touristica that wound around the mountain tops for 22 miles and three hours later delivered us to the beach.

The road was paved most of the way but was dotted with pot holes and caved-in portions in flood areas.  At one rough area, a little boy,  who looked to be about 7 or 8 years old, had placed a gallon can at the side of the road with a string attached.  He held the other end of the string and stood bravely right in our path.  We paid the toll and went on our way utterly charmed by his smile and entrepreneurship.  I was so car sick I didn’t have the presence of mind to snap his picture.  The winding curves of the road and the bumpety up and down of the pot holes combined for a good case of nausea.

Many of the houses along the highway are vacation homes for people wanting to get out of the cities.  There are many mercados, very small markets, where you can buy locally grown fruits and vegetables, a cup of sugar, a teaspoon of salt and soda pop.  There are also many bancas.  I thought they might be small banks…..nope.  Bancas are betting houses where  you can bet on most sports and buy lottery tickets.

There are so many activities in these mountains:  hiking, horseback riding and zip lining.  Waterfalls and rivers were nestled into the lush, green trees, vines and blooming shrubbery.

We eventually arrived at Puerto Plata and discovered the Playa Chaparral.  We were so glad we did.  We were so hungry and anxious to hit the beach.  We walked through a large parking lot and a large vendor area and were directed to a restaurant on the beach.  That’s how we met Giorgio.

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Giorgio  moved to Puerto Plata from Quebec, Canada.  He settled in and opened two restaurants on the Playa Chaparral:  The Hispaniola Restaurant and Bar for lunch and snacks and next door Le Petit Francoise for dinner.

We had octopus and squid appetizers,  whole fried fish and fries, shrimp in a spicy sauce with rice,  mango and pineapple cocktails, Presidente beer (the favorite local beer) and margaritas all with our feet in the sand.  Right there…..that’s my definition of heaven!  I’ve been coerced into eating octopus and squid before.  It’s always been rubbery and coated with breading and deep fried.  This was fresh-fresh and tender-tender.

Giorgio has created a wonderful life for himself there in Puerto Plata.  His philosophy, food and attentive waiters were worth the ordeal we went through to get there.  He invited us to look at houses along the beach and stay awhile.  We were so tempted.

Again, I was reminded, that seeing new places and having new experiences is so much fun, but the people you meet along the way are life enriching

Santiago De Los Caballeros

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This monument is as gorgeous as it is huge and honors the Heroes of the Restoration, those who liberated the Dominican Republic from Spain.  We arrived there to see it after it had closed and so didn’t get to go inside the several museums.  It is topped with a statue  of Victory personified as a woman with her arms upraised.

The grounds around the monument are beautifully landscaped and adorned with statues.  All of them are larger than life.   There are historical heroes, baseball  heroes and fanciful carnaval characters.  It was drizzling, so our gracious host, Natalia, took us across the street to the Kukaramakara Country Bar and Restaurant, her favorite restaurant in Santiago, for shelter and dinner.  What a great idea!  Our table was lined up perfectly with the front of the monument so we took one picture when were arrived and another as we were getting ready to leave.  I have mentioned before, I think, that meals in the Dominican Republic typically last about three hours.

The restaurant was decorated in early American Cowboy style.  Large T.V. screens showed old John Wayne movies.  The menu made our dinner choices difficult.  Sushi was unexpected, mostly because of the cowboy theme.  Seafood is always offered here in the D.R..  It is an island, after all.  There were many mofongo choices and barbeque dishes.

Our companion, Bob Alsop, was hungry for ceviche and we didn’t see it on the menu.  We described to our waiter what we wanted and he was excited to bring us the Judaea Makara Fish Ceviche and a mixed grill dish, similar to paella,  that included octopus, squid, oysters, lobster, shrimp, mero (sea bass), beef, pork, tripe and rice in a fabulous sauce.  It was so delicious and we solved all of the world’s problems as we relished every bite.

Santiago is the second largest city in the D.R. and the agricultural center.  it’s located in a beautiful, lush, green valley known for its coffee and sugar cane plantations, cattle ranches, rice farms, and amber mines.  It’s so beautiful.  We’ll be back.

I love to be in a city long enough to get a sense of place.  And as I talk with the people who live there, I love  the understanding that comes about how they live their lives and what matters to them.  All over this city, in fact, all over the Dominican Republic there are men standing around in public places ready to find a parking place for you…..for a few dollars.  And when there isn’t a parking space in sight, they’ll always find one.  Everyone needs to be tipped.  It’s understood.  That’s their work.  That way everyone is happy.  When you get used to it, accept it, and go with the flow…..an understanding comes.  It’s like three hour meals.  Relax.  Enjoy your life and allow others to enjoy theirs.

Ding Dong! The Bell Went Off!

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It was amazing to see!  Santo Domingo is the oldest continually inhabited European city in the Americas.  The buildings are over 500 years old in the Colonial Zone.

We had lunch at Pura Tasca overlooking a statue of Frey Nicholas de Ovando, the first governor, and a museum in the Colonial Zone.  We enjoyed tapas, shrimp and rice and, of course, mofongo.  We were right next to where the Rio Ozama and the Caribbean Sea meet.  The Fortaleza Ozama was built there to protect the port and the city.

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It was interesting  to hear the history of how  Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand funded Christopher and Bartholomew Columbus and their explorations in the Americas and about the struggle  to control the Dominican Republic.   The construction of the Fort was begun in 1502 and flew the flags of Spain, England, France, Haiti, Gran Columbia, the U.S. and the D.R. until the 1960’s when it was opened to the public.

There were canons spaced along the sea wall from the Colonial Zone into Santo Domingo.

The history of the Dominican Republic sounds just like the history of the United States and the settlement and canal construction history of Panama.  The explorers and settlers  either ran out out the native inhabitants or enslaved them and brought African slaves as well.  Conquest.

I googled the conquest of central america and had some unexpected links pop up:  the mongol conquest of central asia, the russian conquest of central asia and the arab conquest of central asia, the roman conquest of britain, etc.  And so it looks like the common one word descriptor of world history is “Conquest”.  It seems every country on every continent has experienced conquest.  Every one of them has had citizens killed and enslaved.  It’s a pattern.  We seem to live life in cycles and patterns.

Ding Dong.  The bell went off!   Last year we went to see Dinesh d’Souza’s movie “America”. He had gone into great detail about this very subject.  This is just the first time I’ve personally bumped up against it.  It’s interesting to me how I can learn lots of disconnected information and (pow) something brings my mind to connect it and other thoughts are drawn to expand…..that’s it, expansion!

Again:  Goethe said “You only see what you’re looking for and you only look for what you know.”

When In Rome…..

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Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, is an interesting melting pot of cultures.  We heard a lot of spanish, of course, but also a lot of french, italian and russian.  The food was so good.  We ate a lot of tapas with sangria and a large variety of fresh, fresh seafood.

This was my first introduction to Mofongo.  A totally strange flavor that at first I couldn’t understand.  Why oh why would anyone want to willingly eat mashed up plantains, garlic and pork rinds.  It sort of sounded like the South (USA) to me.  You know “cracklins”…..  Please don’t you southerners be offended.  You know what I’m talking about.

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This was the common presentation that I saw when it was ordered in a restaurant.  Someone in our group ordered it every meal.   It was mounded into a footed, wooden bowl.  Often it was served with shrimp, pork, etc. and a sauce.

In Santo Domingo and in Punta Cana, a breakfast buffet was included with our room.  The buffets included omelets made to order, bacon, hams, a huge selection of fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, lots of breads, rolls and croissants, fried potatoes, paella with a wide variety of shellfish, red beans, rice and, of course, a large buffet server full of mofongo with sliced red onions strewn all over the top.  The mofongo is a creamy bland mixture, not unlike lumpy, mashed potatoes, and the red onion gave it just the right amount of tang.  It was a curiosity at first.  Gradually, it became a staple and we enjoyed it just as much as any Dominican.

You know the saying:  “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”.  Well, when in the Dominican Republic enjoy the Mofongo, Sancocho and seafood.  It’s the best!