Seoul, In Love With You Again

We come back to Seoul the second time around and it's like falling in love again. 

Seoul, you are wonderful and charming in Spring. Thank you for the breathtaking sights, the cold but refreshing weather, the happy smiles and delicious food. We haven't left yet but here we are, already thinking on when we'll come back to you.

This post will be updated once I've got some time. In the meantime, here are some photos from my instagram. For details, please check my story via my our instagrams (@ibyang and @keemps17) or my twitter page (@ibyang)

Cafe Pascucci (Seoul, Korea)

Situated in the heart of Myeongdong, this cafe is one that can't be missed. 

Cafe Pascucci is a local cafe in Seoul that serves Italian Coffee.  The cafe also serves cakes, pastries, sandwiches and gelato.

We visited Cafe Pascucci for afternoon tea on our final day and had our usual Cafe Mocha (for the husband) and Cafe Americano (for me).  Their coffee was rich, a little on the strong side but smooth nonetheless.

We weren't really hungry due to a heavy lunch at a Japanese restaurant that day.  How I wish we could have some Gelato Honey Toast but we instead opted to share a slice of their creamy, smooth Cheesecake.

 

 
The cafe was located on the second floor of a building so we had a good view of Myeongdong beneath us.

The Husband took photos from downstairs while I checked messages online and enjoyed my cuppa.

Cafe Pascucci is located at Rodeo Street, Myeongdong (near SC Bank)

Wanderlust Wednesdays: In the Streets of Myeongdong (Seoul, Korea)

Seoul has many shopping havens, one of which is in Myeongdong.

 

 Myeongdong is one of Seoul’s main shopping districts featuring mid-to-high priced retail stores and international brand outlets, including Lacoste, Polo Ralph Lauren, Forever 21, Bulgari, Louis Vuitton and Nature Republic. It is a particularly popular area for young people and tourists as a center for fashion and sight-seeing.  

Several large shopping centers and department stores are in the district including Lotte Department Store, Shinsegae Department Store, Migliore, M Plaza, and Noon Square. The floating population of Myeongdong is estimated to be around 2 million a day and in terms of floorspace rents, Myeongdong is one of the most expensive shopping districts in the world. Many hotels, restaurants, cinemas, theaters, and historical sites complete the diverse mixture of the area. {source}

As the sun sets, the streets of Myeongdong becomes more alive as each avenue transforms into one big market of dry goods and food carts.  The crowd becomes thicker but security is tight.

We explored the streets while it was still a bit light outside.

But when it grew darker and colder (it was Spring time when we were there), we walked into the shops.  My best shopping experience was at my favourite store: H&M.

I can live inside H&M!  That's how much I love this shop.  It took me about two hours to finish shopping and about 30 minutes just paying for our purchases.  I made sure I bought all the clothes I will need from winter to summer.  One thing I love about shopping in Asia is that the clothes fit me perfectly.  I'm petite and it's so hard to find clothes in Sydney that fits me but in Seoul, it was sooooo easy.  After our 2.5 hour stint in H&M, I left with a happy heart and a big heavy bag.

It was late when we went out but the streets were so alive even on a weekday.  We were a bit hungry but we opted to hung out in the streets and eat from the food carts.

This hotdog waffle with potatoes were a favourite of mine.  It was so yummy!

Other than the waffles, we also had a bit of their Pork BBQ.  Another delightful treat fresh from the grill.

We loved Myeongdong so much that on the last day, instead of going to the Korean Village, we decided to just have relaxing day there...and to shop some more hehe.

We went inside different department stores.  We spent time at Muji because I wanted to buy another pair of the boots I bought in Manila (that's how much I love it) but they didn't have it.

The Husband loved shopping at SPAO as he was able to find shirts and jackets he liked.  SPAO is similar to Giordano and Uniqlo.

We also went underground and looked at camera shops.

We found this store for fans of KPOP and Korean dramas.

My Husband and I laughed when we saw this jacket and pants ensemble from the Korean Drama "Secret Garden".  We actually saw kids wearing these.

Before we went home for Manila (our flight was scheduled that night), we had coffee at an Italian cafe.  Can you see me in this photo?

To go to Myeongdong, take Subway Line 4 (Light Blue) and get off Myeongdong station.