Seoul Park Rose Garden

Yesterday I spend the day walking around the Rose Garden at Seoul Grand Park. The weather was beautiful and I wanted to be outside.

When I got out of the subway station (the park is about 45 minutes from my apartment) I thought I was in Paris. The road leading to the park was wide and lined with beautiful trees with bright green leaves and dark, almost black bark. The sun was peering through the trees and as usual the Seoul Mountains set the background. It was a glorious setting.

I could see that the parking lot was empty but there were plenty kids, young lovers, and of course there were Ajumas - older and married women. (I've been meaning to write a post on Ajumas but I have no idea know where to start.)

 I took a tram to the garden and as soon as I got off I could smell the roses. When I stepped through the gates into the garden I thought I was in heaven. The sprawling garden was laid out on a river bank so that the rose bush paths all led to the water. Trestled archways led to more rose paths and provided shade and wooden benches for heightened rose viewing pleasure. A slight breeze and piped in classical music completed the scene. I felt like I stepped into a Monet, and I loved every minute of it.

The roses came in every color and size and in crazy color combinations. The ones I liked the best were really big and had hot pink petals and bright orange stimuli (I'm taking a guess that that's the right name since that's all I remember from 7th grade science.) I especially loved seeing how thick the stems and how large the thorns could be. I never got roses like these. I never knew what I was missing.

After walking around and smelling the roses for about an hour I decided to take a rest and eat the snack that I brought with me - small, sweet Korean yams. I found a nice spot in the shade by the river and enjoyed the yams, the smell of the roses, the sounds of the music mixed in with the waterfalls and birds chirping, the view of the lake, and the perfection of the moment. I enjoyed it so much that I bought a rose scented after bath spray. I guess I've been converted.
Well I hope you enjoy my photos as much as I enjoyed the day.