Chusok Holiday

The carefree, empty beach days often associated with summers by the lake back home, do exist in Korea. But you've got to wait until September to find them. While 98% of Koreans hit the highways heading to family gatherings, handfuls of familiar foreigners jumped on a boat at Incheon and had the island all to themselves. Perfect sand, warm water, blue skies.

Happy Chusok.

Deokjeokdo, and the Yellow Sea

The hectic days of large-scale protests have passed in Seoul, and as it felt all day today - so has summer. And soon the calendar weeks will take the leaves with them.
Here are some pictures from over the past... 4 months or so. Yes, its been a while.

My penance for not trying bondeggi last year was.... to try them this year. I can't imagine anything tasting so much like a handful of damp decaying leaves. To be honest, I could come up with a long list of things far worse to taste. Though now my curiosity has been filled, it might be quite a while before I belly up to the silk-worm chrysalis stand once more.

Buddhas fade to granite at Bukhansan

Day drops over eastern Seoul.

Kimchi jjim and rice wine on a monsoon afternoon, Jeju Island.