Clear and warmish in the sun with no wind, cold in the shade and very cold when the wind occasionally blew, -9 to -1. Bus to Mok-dong, trains to Dongdaemun Plaza and Hanseong University. Walk from Hyewhawmun (north-west gate) to Naksan Park, then to Daehangno, met J, walked to Ihwa Mural Village, 2 trains to Solleung (near Gangnam), dinner with a university friend of J and her husband (who I am Facebook friends with and who is a supportive fan of my photography), also met their son, who I had met the first time I lived here, 2 trains and taxi home. Steps 24,114 (approx 16.8 km). Bus, 2 trains, hike, 2 trains, 2 trains, taxi. Food: sashimi mixed rice; mixed seafood soup.
After a disappointing day following the old city wall on Friday, it’s back on the agenda. This portion is impossible to miss. Except that in 2015-16 I did. Then, I walked north from the east gate, got to a point where the wall stop and I couldn’t find where it continued. This time, I started at the north-west gate and walked south. I got to the same point, at which there’s a modern gap in the wall the width of a modern road. That’s it, the continuation of the wall is just metres away. From various points I could see the portions between the north-east, north and north-west gates, which are spectacular, and I’ve just got to do. Ihwa Art Village, which is on every list of things to do, was a big disappointment, unless there’s some other part to it. An area right at the top of the hill (now cafes, restaurants, lookouts and the park near it (which I didn’t explore this time but remember from last time) are highly recommended though, as are the randomly chosen Cafe 369 near the north-west gate and Ohana restaurant at the top of the hill.
J’s sister-in-law MH arrived back from another country, where her husband is working and their son graduated from university (studying in English at a university there).
Never Pure and Rarely Simple 