This time, we wanted to see what Gangnam was all about from street level. We started at Apgujeong station, which is the land of plastic surgery and also home to the Hyundai Department store. We went to the latter to find a Tiffany's and see if they had the earrings I've been dreaming of for over a year.
Hyundai Department Store
Three ads for different plastic surgeons
Second Coming Plastic Surgery
Alas, they did not, so we carried on toward the Hangang River Park. The weather was perfect for walking along and looking at the interesting boat-shaped restaurant and actual boats zooming along the river. We saw a bird that I believe to be a heron, but if any of my ornithologist readers (Emily Piché) want to weigh in on this, I'll provide the picture here.
WAV boat restaurant on the river
Close-up of WAV restaurant
Heron?
After the park, we went back into the consumerism-driven city. We walked along the Seoul version of Rodeo drive and got some lunch. We decided to go to BurriBurri to get, what else? Burritos. There are only two "entrees" on the menu anyway--burritos and tacos. Yet, somehow our order was completely mixed up. I asked for a non-spicy chicken burrito and got the spiciest chicken burrito ever. Corey asked for a regular chicken burrito and got a completely non-spicy beef burrito. We swapped and it was fine.
Burri Burri restaurant
Then we walked down a street that was lined on both sides with every designer shop you can name. That's where we found the Galleria department store and the second Tiffany's that Corey endured visiting with me that day. This time, I found the earrings I had longed for and although they were more expensive than they would have been in Canada or the US, I bought them anyway because they are exactly what I wanted, plus they are truly Gangnam style. Corey and I will just skip eating for a month or two and things will balance out. See how I thought this through in the whole year and four months that I've been plotting my first purchase at Tiffany's?
Galleria Department Store
My first Tiffany's purchase!
My new earrings
Pink-themed shopping
Everything else I write now will be anti-climatic (in my opinion) but there was still more to do and see in Gangnam. We found a park with some nice trails to take our second break from the shop-lined streets. It was a pretty peaceful place to walk and think, until we came across the driving ranges where about a hundred people were lined up on three different levels, hitting golf balls at the mesh that surrounded the place. I don't really understand how that passes for recreation, but what do I know, I've never progressed beyond the mini putt.
Corey and Me
Golfers
We took a circuitous route that brought us back out onto the street from where we'd come in. This time we walked toward COEX. Even from the outside it's pretty cool. It was a Saturday so there wasn't much action around the International Trade Tower, but there were a lot of tourists snapping photos of the sculptures all around it. We joined them.
I was tired from walking so we took a break to get some drinks and macaroons at a Paris Baguette. Corey says it was the best cappucino he's found anywhere. The macaroons were pretty great too.
Paris Baguette
The best cappucino
gilded blueberry macaroon
Finally, we headed back to COEX and actually went inside this time. We found out there was an International Book Fair going on this weekend, but it was just closing when we got there! Foiled again. So we just had a quick dinner at Lina's Sandwich Restaurant and then headed back to Incheon.
Seoul International Book Fair
We missed it!
Lina's
Happy Corey with a pastrami sandwich
(For Caitlin, Brandon and Beckah)
What do you do with a BA in English?
Oh yeah, did I mention that there was some kind of street festival going on right at our own quiet subway station, Dohwa, in Incheon (This was before we left for Gangnam, but I just remembered now). I think it may have been fundraising for one of the local preschools or kindergartens. Everything seemed geared to that age group.
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