Seoul (South Korea)
06 July 2025
I turned 50 just four days ago and
you know what, it’s not at all what I
expected it to be.
When I was a kid, people in their
fifties seemed to be ancient relics. Not that children today see their elders
too much differently but back then 50 really looked the part, grey hair, extra
weight, general resignation and a quiet acceptance that life was unwinding into
the inevitable final chapter.
I’ve read arguments online about
whether it’s a myth that people today look younger for their age and whether
they are in fact ageing at a slower rate. Part of that seems to be true, part
of that is perspective. All I know is that for me, 50 feels far , far better than I ever
imagined it to be. I can still do almost everything I did in my twenties. The
only real changes are that I can’t run
quite as fast and my eyesight has slipped noticeably within the last two years.
Beyond that, there’s little difference in my physical or mental capacity, which
I’m going to keep going for as long as possible.
But, what has this got to do with
my time in Seoul? Well, here I was – 50 in 5e0ul, at an age where life was
meant to be pulling the reigns and slowing me down. But let me tell you now,
that’s not even moderately close the truth and the way that I’ve been operating.
There’s plenty of wanderlust, curiosity and energy to keep me going for a long,
long time yet , as a well as a 6 yr old son that doesn’t quite know just yet
that his dad was on the older side of the scale when he was born….he pushes me
and I certainly will be pushing him for as long as I can. As long as I can
maintain a decent amount of health then 50 doesn’t need to be the signal for
taking my foot of the accelerator.
Anonymity in travel is a gift.
I love being able to move through a new city, immersed in its culture and its
crowds, absorbing everything that I’m able to whilst remaining comfortable in
my own bubble, free from the need to perform, to communicate in a certain way,
or to live up to any personal brand. There’s almost a sense of unburdening in
that there are no real expectations on you and what you discover, what you
absorb and what you learn, it’s totally on you. There’s no right or wrong
answer. That’s a part of travel that I really love, and maybe there’s a form of
unrealistic detachment in that approach, but many times I feel as though I’m a
voyeur, observing remotely rather than noticing that I’m an active participant.
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View of N Seoul Tower from the rooftop of the AirBnB - Jongno district - Seoul - South Korea
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My first full day in Seoul began
with the journey from Incheon to the Jongno district, where I’d booked an
Airbnb for the next three nights. As would become the norm during my time in
South Korea, even with the obvious language barrier, everything in my daily
scenario, each activity and action felt efficient that the usual challenges of
travel were reduced to little more than exercises in logic and deduction.
Navigating the metro, in particular, was a pleasure and quickly became one of
the highlights of Seoul, offering effortless access to every corner of the
city.
My first afternoon was centred
around Gye-dong, within the Jongo district. The area is characterised by a
traditional Korean style of build, ‘Hanoks’,
which are buildings designed to evoke and reflect the distinctive
character of Korean aesthetics within its design quality. Whether the area was
‘authentic’ or just a modern characterisation of the traditional Korean ideal,
it was very appealing to me. An historic area infused with contemporary cafes,
dining and retail, it was a lovely place to immerse myself for the afternoon
and just walk around within my own tempo.
The first place that I randomly
found but recognised through earlier research, was Café Onion. Located in
Anguk, it is one of the most popular
cafes in all of Seoul, known for its location within a gorgeous hanok, its
wonderful courtyard and exquisite interior (and exterior). Aside from the
aesthetic, the house made pastry and bread options were divine but as I
discovered, not at all unique within a city that has an incredible passion for
café’s, bakeries and great food. Indeed, everywhere small alley that I wandered
in this area revealed another artisanal bakery or vibrant café – which just
added to my quickly expanding list of must tries.
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I had a quite comfortable and
‘smooth’ afternoon in this area of Jongno. In fact, reflecting on my time in
Seoul, it all seemed to tranquilly wash over me, no challenges or difficulties.
Kind of like wading through the shallow end of a pool, there’s not going to be
any major surprises unless something goes dreadfully wrong, or, you feel an
uneasy warmth around your legs because you’ve just past through a group of 5 yr
olds.
My evening stroll drew me down
into the area of Ikseon-dong, apparently one of Seoul’s most atmospheric
neighbourhoods, and certainly one that became a favourite of mine during my
stay. Tucked away within the heart of the city, its known for its narrow
alleyways lined with traditional hanok houses, that very much like Gye-dong,
have been transformed into stylish café’s, boutique shops, teahouses and
restaurants. The area felt intimate, and at night, had a sense of mystery about
it. Being so close to where I was staying the area was a real pleasure to allow
myself to simply meander around and let myself just absorb my surrounds, taking
in its vibrancy & charm, all without having to be on a deadline.
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Walking back to the AirBnB late
in the evening, I strolled along Seosulla-gil, which sidles up against the
grounds of the Jongmyo Shrine. A truly pleasant night with an evening
temperature of about 28 degrees and thankfully dropping humidity. The day had
seen the temperatures head into the mid-30’s with humidity in the mid 80’s, so
the respite was welcome and even better were the proliferation of bars. My walk
turned more into a bar-hop, with each stop being a new discovery, a new memory
and a new reflection on what was starting to feel like quite dynamic &
engaging city.
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