I'd been having quite a stressful week... well, stressful doesn't really come close to the hell I'd been through. Personal stuff, but it took a lot of effort not to let everything go and break down in tears at work, and I found myself needing to go somewhere far away and just clear my head of everything. Fortunately, May Day was just around the corner, which gave me plenty of time to spend time with my close friends, vent, cry, eat good food, and just rest. I'd been avoiding going home for a few days, but when I finally did I was reminded once again how precious my family is to me, my dear mother in particular. So we took the opportunity to spend quality time together, exploring some hidden places around the neighborhood and around Seoul. It was also a good chance for me to brush up on my driving, which I desperately needed to do because, well, I still suck.
Today we went a bit further from our normal hang-out zone, to the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원). It was a pretty spontaneous decision; I chose it after some friend on Facebook posted pictures, which I thought looked quite nice. We bought coffee and sandwiches from Subway to eat on the way, and drove 2.5 hours to Gapyeong. The weather was drizzly all throughout the day, which we considered perfect for a trip to the gardens because it would only intensify the scent of fresh plants and flowers.
Gosh, where to even start! To be honest, I didn't have any expectations of this place whatsoever. I'd heard the name and decided to visit without any prior research, because I figured any place would be perfect as long as it was far away from home. The first set of photos above just shows the green leaves and trees that were surrounding us - a lot of the forest is set on high hills/mountains which were shrouded in fog and clouds, making them look even more mysterious and somewhat majestic.
And the scent. The mixture of herbs and leaves and rain and wet soil seriously made me feel purified. I could feel my stress just leaking out of me. When you're just walking around breathing normally, you can't really tell; it's when you intentionally inhale deeply through your nose that the scent really fills you up. It was an incredible experience.
Now, one special thing about this garden is that it is distinctly Korean. Trees and flowers are pretty much everywhere, and not really specific to a country (unless you're botanist or something and can tell the difference). What I really liked about this place was that there were a lot of traditional Korean architecture incorporated into the design, and themed gardens full of our national flowers. Apparently, the garden was also named after some remark an Indian poet made about Korea. I thought it was such a beautiful name that aptly described what this place was like - morning calm.
And then of course, you have your share of flowers, the bursts of color and life that were splashed all over the garden, letting us admire beauty wherever our heads turned. What is it about flowers that make me feel so happy? If there was really such a thing as the Garden of Eden, I'd imagine it to be something like this.
I would have stayed for hours and hours, just sitting and soaking in all the positive energy. Only problem was, it was raining and we couldn't sit on any of the benches to take a rest. There are cafes and restaurants scattered around within the garden, but why would you want to stay indoors when you have paradise and fresh air waiting for you outside? We left after about two and a half hours today, which was definitely not enough, but we vowed to return again, on a bright and sunny day, pack some more food and water, and just spend the whole day walking around and sitting. If I had the chance, I would take all of my friends here just to share the sheer wonders of this place. It's inexplicable. The photos obviously don't do much justice, but they help in reminding me what an extraordinary experience I had today. I'm sure seeing this place during autumn when the leaves change color, or during winter when the whole place is covered with snow, will be equally breathtaking, and I cannot wait to see it for myself.
Oh, and next time I come, it will be on a weekday, when there aren't so many people. Big crowds ruin everything!
Entrance: 9,000 KRW
Address: 경기도 가평군 상면 행현리 산255
Facilities: tea house, souvenir shop, herb/aroma shop, cafe, restaurant, art exhibition, church (for prayer only), free parking (yay) etc.
Open 365 days a year, from 8:30 am until sunset.
Today we went a bit further from our normal hang-out zone, to the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원). It was a pretty spontaneous decision; I chose it after some friend on Facebook posted pictures, which I thought looked quite nice. We bought coffee and sandwiches from Subway to eat on the way, and drove 2.5 hours to Gapyeong. The weather was drizzly all throughout the day, which we considered perfect for a trip to the gardens because it would only intensify the scent of fresh plants and flowers.
Gosh, where to even start! To be honest, I didn't have any expectations of this place whatsoever. I'd heard the name and decided to visit without any prior research, because I figured any place would be perfect as long as it was far away from home. The first set of photos above just shows the green leaves and trees that were surrounding us - a lot of the forest is set on high hills/mountains which were shrouded in fog and clouds, making them look even more mysterious and somewhat majestic.
And the scent. The mixture of herbs and leaves and rain and wet soil seriously made me feel purified. I could feel my stress just leaking out of me. When you're just walking around breathing normally, you can't really tell; it's when you intentionally inhale deeply through your nose that the scent really fills you up. It was an incredible experience.
Now, one special thing about this garden is that it is distinctly Korean. Trees and flowers are pretty much everywhere, and not really specific to a country (unless you're botanist or something and can tell the difference). What I really liked about this place was that there were a lot of traditional Korean architecture incorporated into the design, and themed gardens full of our national flowers. Apparently, the garden was also named after some remark an Indian poet made about Korea. I thought it was such a beautiful name that aptly described what this place was like - morning calm.
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| Koreans like to make little towers like these, making a wish before adding each pebble/stone. In this garden, there are so many of them that an entire section was dedicated to preserving them. |
I would have stayed for hours and hours, just sitting and soaking in all the positive energy. Only problem was, it was raining and we couldn't sit on any of the benches to take a rest. There are cafes and restaurants scattered around within the garden, but why would you want to stay indoors when you have paradise and fresh air waiting for you outside? We left after about two and a half hours today, which was definitely not enough, but we vowed to return again, on a bright and sunny day, pack some more food and water, and just spend the whole day walking around and sitting. If I had the chance, I would take all of my friends here just to share the sheer wonders of this place. It's inexplicable. The photos obviously don't do much justice, but they help in reminding me what an extraordinary experience I had today. I'm sure seeing this place during autumn when the leaves change color, or during winter when the whole place is covered with snow, will be equally breathtaking, and I cannot wait to see it for myself.
Oh, and next time I come, it will be on a weekday, when there aren't so many people. Big crowds ruin everything!
Entrance: 9,000 KRW
Address: 경기도 가평군 상면 행현리 산255
Facilities: tea house, souvenir shop, herb/aroma shop, cafe, restaurant, art exhibition, church (for prayer only), free parking (yay) etc.
Open 365 days a year, from 8:30 am until sunset.
nice spring photos! sharing autumn pics
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