Itaewon

It was another rainy Sunday. After the typhoon, comes the monsoon season and boy are we seeing & feeling it.

It has been raining for 7 days straight, without a break in between. This reminds me of the grey fall days we have in Canada minus the torrential rain we’ve been having!

Besides, the humidity is killing everyone. You can’t go on 1 minute straight out of the shower without breaking into a sweat 😉 It feels as if you’re in a sauna (it’s misty outside too! The funny thing is that it’s not even mid-July! I remember the first time I was here it rained but not as much as this time around.

I worked on my monthly tests yesterday (I know I’m a dedicated teacher). So I decided to head to Seoul & explore the streets of Itaewon. A city within a city. For those of you who don’t know or never heard of this area, it is a shopping destination for foreigners & visitors alike. Here you will find lots of western-style restaurants & big players: BK, MCD, Subway, Starbucks & so forth.

Now the reason why I wanted to go there was to find the Foreign Food Market because it’s been almost 5 months since I’ve been away from home sweet home *Canada* and I am craving some real & comfort food. Now I had heard & read about this place but I never really found it. It is off the major street & you have to wander through its streets to find it.

I arrived in Seoul & braved this weather

Hopped on the subway headed for Itaewon. Got out at exit 3, walked straight and as I turned this street I found myself transported to the Middle East! 😉

Turkish café

Foreign Restaurant (funny name)

I kept walking until I finally saw what I had come to see

The Foreign Food Mart

So I was pretty happy but I was really hungry, so I decided to save the best for last. Hmm, didn’t know what was waiting ahead 😉 I kept walking up the hill until I saw many people walking towards me. Looked like they came from prayer. So I headed that way and felt as if I was really in another continent.

Syrian Restaurant

Lebanese Restaurant

I was really happy & surprised to find a Lebanese place. For those of you who don’t know me, I love Lebanese food. At home in Montreal, I regularly have it at least once a week, it’s just so good & healthy. Now I went in and to my surprise the cook was a Korean lady with 2 adorable little Lebanese girls speaking Korean! ha ha that was so cool to watch 😉 I asked her if she made falafel sandwiches and of course she said yes. So I waited patiently while she prepared it for me. Want to see the final result? 😉

Falafel sandwich plus drink

Fresh ingredients, Yum-0!

It was delicious honestly! I’m really glad I stopped by 😉

After refueling, I bid farewell, said Shoukran and Kamsa Hamnida *Thank you* and kept walking. That street is so nice & colorful! There are many other restaurants that I must try next time, including this one that cracked me up. It’s just so funny. Not only it’s good, it’s finger lickin’ good *hmm, that wouldn’t work at home I think*

Then I reached the end of the street and looked up. A Mosque right in front of me, in Seoul! Wow I was :O

Now I respect all religions & I simply took pictures because I happen to love architecture and I just thought this is such a beautiful building. Several other people *Korean, Foreigners* were there to take pics too, so no worries.

It left me speechless really, I had never seen one up close but this one is something! As I mentioned earlier, I was literally transported to another side of the planet all without taking a plane (and I certainly would love to).

I am glad to have found this corner of the city, it certainly makes it more interesting!

Now I had to go back to the food mart but I stopped by the bakery to get something sweet (love it, I admit it’s one of my weaknesses) and suddenly I was :O once more.

I was in Baklava heaven! 😉

Look at all these goodies! I just went in to buy a Baklava to go with my Caramel Macchiato that I planned on buying before leaving but think I left empty-handed? ha ha Ma certo che no! I bought a little box to take home 😉 Pic to come later!

So I left with a big smile on my face & headed to Foreign Market, wow, it was so crowded you could barely walk! Let alone breathe & feel someone breathing down your back. So I just skipped it & left.

Now I told you it had been raining for the last week right? Well, when it rains it POURS!

Torrential rain started to fall as I walked to the subway!

Luckily I brought my big umbrella & it helped me get to my destination in 1 piece 😉