Holiday Journal

• Start
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• Gyesan Cathedral
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• Apsan Park
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• Finish

On the second day, I went to Gyeongdae Hospital Station in order to visit Gim Gwang Seok-gil(street), the national singer, the voice of this era. Get out of the exit No.3 and walk along the signs then you'll see Gim Gwang Seok-gil between Bangcheon Market and Sincheon-daero retaining wall.

It's beautifully decorated with metal parts from the entrance. The colorful view is artistic, I must say.

Gim Gwang-seok, who left us at a very young age, probably too young. Now the whole street has been built for him and his songs are played endlessly. Except for the holidays, they play his music on the whole street for the specific hours every day. People who love his voice and love his songs must have remembered him sitting on that spot in that photo.

In the alleys next to Gim Gwang Seok-gil (street), I found a few stores that look very artistic. It feels like newly born music and arts, then other different cultures are talking to me, not just songs by Gim Gwang-seok. I heard that Chae Hwan who were on the TV program for imitator of Gim Gwang-seok performs here regularly.

Here and there on the walls in the alley full of mural paintings, you could find literary lyrics that would remain in our memory and that you might've heard it at least once if you're a Korean. I believe this street would be meaningful in a way that it makes us look back our past because he was a singer who used to sing the love and dreams of young people when he was alive.

While I was searching everywhere in the alley, I found a store that reminds me of my childhood. Although it was selected as 4 Major Social Evils (Domestic Violence, School Violence, Sexual Violence, and Unsanitary Food), it was quite fun to elementary school students in the whole country. You could not imagine but I was so happy to buy candies, jellies or gums in a stationary store for 100 won when I was young. I could see ddakji(for slap-match game), dressing stickers, and books that I don't know when they are from. With small amount of money, I bought some of them just to relive my past and started to walk again.

With Gim Gwang-seok's musical spirits, I took different photos in front of his bronze statue.

This snack stands makes me feel like I am in the 1970s to 1980s. I feel like the song '어쩌다 마주친 그대(when I bumped into you)' is about to play any time. I will have to try 'Gim Gwang seok-gil set menu' next time.

This is a wall that you could write anything down. I caught one guy who was drawing a heart shape passionately. It would be fun to remember now once he grows up and sees his handwriting.

Next destination is Gyeongsang-gamyeong Park. Seonhwadang Hall was government office (政聽) of Gyeongsang-gamyeong Governor's Office where the provincial governor used to work. It was a government office construction which would be a city hall or provincial government building nowadays. The original Provincial Office of Gyeongsang-do was located in Andong but moved to Daegu in 1601. It was likely to be moved because Daegu secured commercial supremacy around Gyeongsang-do area at the time.

Right next to Gyeongsang-gamyeong Park, there is Daegu Modern History Museum. The building built in 1932 was originally the Daegu branch of Chosen Siksan Bank. It was used as Daegu branch of The Korea Development Bank since 1954 but opened as Daegu Modern History Museum in 2011. In the permanent exhibition center on the first floor, there is a model of Chosen Siksan Bank under the rule of Japanese imperialism is displayed that makes you feel you are in a safe of bank.

You could also try Buyeong bus that you could take a look around Daegu downtown in modern period with a bus guide lady who speaks with cute Daegu accent. You could see the markets that still remained and historical buildings of Daegu that you've seen so far on the bus.

I didn't know that Daegu was one of the cities that lead the cultures in modern period before. I also had a chance to see various literary and literacy coterie magazines. The organization of Japanese that were used to economically exploit Korea became a museum that indicates the modern history where people are allowed to see it freely.

Yeommae Market located next to Yakjeon Alley is another enjoyable place to visit. It's still on national holiday but there were restaurants selling dishes and rice-cake shop looked busy to attract people at the end of national holiday.

While I was looking for Seomun Market, the sign that says <구암서원 가는 길; Way to Guam Seowon> caught my eyes so I followed it. I was sure that Seowon would not been in this narrow path but there it came, Seowon was right there.

In the middle of narrow alley with houses and high walls on both sides, Seowon showed up with a large lawn like magic. The view made me forget there's big road right outside the Seowon with noisy cars driving. There was only one guard and it seemed like it does not have many visitors since it is not well known.

As I sat on the wide main floor, it was cool because of the wind passing through the front and back of the room. I was told that you could even make a reservation to stay there through online or telephone. Daegu has an image of hot and crowded big city but it would be good to enjoy relaxing time even in the middle of the city here.

I finally got to Seomun Market. If Seoul has Namdaemun Market, Daegu has this market. This used to be the market representing Daegu that the subway station Seomunsijangyeuk(Seomun Market Station) was named after this market and you shouldn't forget it when it comes to food in Daegu. Various kinds of cheap food including kalguksu, sujebi, kaljebi or bibimbap catch people's eyes. The restaurants were already full of people.

I saw people lining up for hotteok so I tried it as well. There are a few kinds of hotteok and this one is fried in oil right in front of your eyes with sugar, seeds and nuts inside it. This one was particularly popular among people that got foreign tourists' attention, and I heard them asking about it. The guy who was with foreign friends said H-O-D-D-E-O-K very clearly. Blowing with my mouth not to get my tongue burned from the hotteok just coming out of hot oil, I finished it quickly. As any other food in the market, its inside was full and it tastes so good after walking a long walk.

After eating Hotteok for dessert, I had my meal. My lunch was Bibimbap at a reasonable price. I finished rice mixed with different kinds of vegetables, gim, sesame, sesame oil and gochujang. I heard people order kaljebi and I guess it's a bowl of kalguksu(chopped noodles) and sujebi(clear soup with dumplings). Next time I will probably eat kaljebi and flat dumpling.

I went to eat Samgyeopsal for dinner. I could eat thick Samgyeopsal with good quality at a reasonable price. My family enjoyed generous dinner. The high quality meat was one of the advantages of this restaurant and the banquet noodles served as dessert was great. I was thinking it would be no different than other banquet noodles served in other meat restaurants but the soup was amazing with various garnishes.

Bingsu (ice flakes with syrup) has been a boom in Korea. Bingsu used to be dessert in summer loved by everyone but today, different kinds of bingsu are seducing all the people who suffer from hot weather. The autumn has begun but as Daegu is hottest city in Korea, the atmosphere is still hot so we ate bingsu every day. Yesterday we tried basic bingsu but today, we chose bingsu with colorful toppings at Seolbing. There are various kinds of ice flakes with syrup so we can't get tired of it even if we try it every day. One bowl of ice flakes with syrup is kind of expensive but we were satisfied because of rich toppings. Especially, we tried injeolmi(Korean traditional rice cake made from glutinous rice and coated with bean flour) bingsu for the first time and full-flavored and soft bean flour stimulated our appetite harmonized with ice milk so I suggest you all to try it.

'Seolbing' is originated from old word used in Daegu which means bingsu, and it spread to other regions then to the whole nation. These days, it became a trend that everybody needs to try ' Seolbing' at least once.

In the shining afternoon, we climbed the Apsan Park where every Daegu citizen knows. It used to be called differently but everybody called it Apsan and it became its official name. Apsan sounds like a small hill located in small town but it is quite high where tourists visit. Plus, there is Apsan Outskirt Trail that the low paths are connected where you could enjoy the view and walk so families and couples visit here often.

Passing by signs guiding different routes to enjoy the mountain, I found Nakdonggang Seungjeon Memorial Hall. It's a memorial center built to cherish the memory of citizens or soldiers who were victimized at the battle of Nakdonggang during the Korean War. I was told that middle and high school students still visit here often to understand the history better. The memorial hall is a two-story building but was on holiday so all we could see were tanks and combat plane displayed in the front yard. However, they had more things to see than I had expected.

We could see different kinds of tanks and combat plane used in Korean War that we think we saw somewhere in the war movies or games.

There are statues and writings to celebrate student volunteer army who joined the army in Korean War. Whether they fought voluntarily or not, to think of young people dead because of the national tragedy war made me sad. Today, we would rather have to study and commemorate the war not to forget the inhumanity caused by extreme situation such as war between same races than to fight over who is right or wrong. Just to let this peaceful park remain the way it is forever.

To get to the observatory located on the front mountain where we could see the whole city, I chose to take the cable car. We bought tickets and took the cable car feeling excited.

I was expecting a small cable car that can occupy 5 people but it was as big as a streetcar so it carried a lot of people and went up. As I turned back, I saw the path over the big window where we were walking up to get here. The view from the cable car was good enough but I was kind of excited to see the view from the top.

You should walk 15 minutes from the cable car to get to the observatory. If you walk while watching autumn sky coming closer among drooping branches of trees and talking to each other, you will get to the observatory very soon.

The last time I came here when I was a college student 20 years ago, it did not have this great gate but as it became famous in Daegu like Namsan Tower in Seoul, they must've built this. A big square entrance looks like a window or album frame that captures the view behind the gate.

There's a cool breeze and the view of Daegu downtown spreads out before my eyes under the blue sky. The observatory was surrounded by whole glass expanded the visibility and made us feel like we're in heaven's garden.

I can see the mountain range surrounding the big and wide city like a fortress. All the efforts we put, taking the cable car and walking again and again, it was all worth it as I was watching this dramatic view.
People who were there took photos of this view with endless and seemingly closest sky. They become a part of the view.

Walk down from the Apsan Mountain then you'll get to the popular trail among young people from Daegu. Along the road from Hyunchoong three way intersection to Apsan Bbaletteo Park which is about 1.5km distance, there are almost 30 galleries, cafes and restaurants which is the last destination on a romantic date.

This is the restaurant with special name, . I was wondering what a noodle restaurant was doing on this street where there are all kinds of fancy western restaurants, then I went closer to it and found out it's Italian noodle restaurant. The main menu was steak and pasta, and characterized by healthy ingredients and recipes.

The dishes were simple and focused on each ingredient's flavor. Especially, I could not stop eating the salads with mushrooms and arugula.