真夏の韓国Mid-Summer in Korea １－ソウル 明洞（ミョンドン） Seoul Myongdon

お盆の帰省の前にちょっとソウルに行ってきました。今回は羽田空港から金浦空港へ飛ぶチャーター便を利用します。機内の空弁を楽しみにしていたのですが、カウンターでビジネスにアップ・グレードしてくれるそうです。ラッキー。空弁はエコノミー・クラスだけなので、残念ですが次の機会にとっておくこととします。羽田空港の国際線ターミナルは、すごく古いままです。ラウンジもいまひとつ。

On the way to the hometown in Kyusyu for Bon ceremony, we had a short-trip to Seoul, South Korea We use a charter flight from Haneda Airport to Gimpo Airport this time. Although we have tickets for economy class, a counter lady tells us that we can use business class seats. What a lucky start of the trip! We were looking forward to having a Soraben (Japanese lunch-box specially arranged for air flight) served only at economy class seats, but we take the privilege of the excective class, of course. We keep Soraben as the next time fun.  The international terminal of Haneda Airport is very old, and the business class lounge is not also attractive compare to the ones at Narita for its interior and food.

金浦空港からは地下鉄でソウルの街中へ向います。こちらの地下鉄の座席は、アルミニウムです。

From Gimpo Airport, the subway line brings us to the center of Seoul. The seat of the subway is covered only by the aluminum.

今回の宿は明洞から歩いて10分くらいのところにある明洞ビズという無茶苦茶お安い宿。ソウル・ナビの口コミではかなりいい評判なので挑戦です。地下鉄の駅からすぐですが、周りは印刷屋に囲まれていて、どうしてこんなところに宿が？と思わせる場所です。しかし部屋はまずまず広くて、まぁ、この値段にしては頑張ってる！って感じです。日本語もOK。インターネットも使えます。部屋には水のサーバーもおいてあります。お客さんは韓国の方は少数派で、日本人（特に女性１人旅）とフランス人家族が大半のようです。

The hotel for this trip is Myondong Biz, which is located 10 minute-walk from the center of Myondong and gives us very competitive prices. The very top rank reputation in Seoul Navi page (popular Seoul guide sight in Japanese) made us to challenge this hotel. It’s quite funny because we find the hotel at the corner surrounded by many small printing factories. Inside the hotel, the room is relatively wide and clean considering the tariff. The staff speaks Japanese and the free internet service is available. We also find a mineral water server. Most of the hotel guests are French (families) and Japanese (ladies trip by oneself). Korean guests are minor.

お昼は、連れがこの前ドイツに行ったときにたまたま隣になったという、ハンサムな韓国人の男の子ヨンス君のお勧めのナクチ（タコ）鍋やさんに行くことにします。店内は、若い人たちでいっぱいです。日本語のメニューはなくて、店員さんも日本語はしゃべれませんが、お勧めのBセットを無事にオーダーできました。外国人だということで、店の女の子が鍋の面倒も見てくれます。かなり辛くて、全身から汗が噴き出します。

After checking-in and a short rest, we go lunch to the center of Myondong. When my partner visited Europe this spring, she happened to sit next to a young Ikemen (good-looking) Korean boy named Yong-Su. He gave us his recommended Korean-food restaurants before this trip. So we go one of the recommended restaurants, Nackchi (Octopus) and Nenmyong (Korean noodle) House. We cannot read and speak Korean and the staff cannot speak Japanese, but the recommended dish is an easy one – Lunch B Set. We can do order it! The young Korean lady-staff comes to take care of our cooking pan. The food is so hot that sweat gushes out from all of our bodies.

サイド・メニューの茶碗蒸しとイカのてんぷらまではお腹いっぱいで、全部は食べきれません。

Side dishes are steamed egg custard in Korean Style and fried cuttlefish. The big volume makes us give up eating all of them. To leave a little of dishes is polite Korean manner.

行きつけのミル・メガネで、３０％＋αの値引で眼鏡を作った後、いったんホテルで休憩です。一雨降って涼しくなったので、夕食に出かけます。

In the afternoon, I make glasses at our favorite glasses store - Mil Glasses using a 30% discount ticket. Actual discount is more than 30% because of our soft negotiation.

夕食は迷った末、古宮（コグン）にしました。観光客に超メジャーなお店ですが、ヨンス君が、伝統料理を手軽に食べるならば古宮は外せないとのことなので、とりあえず抑えることとします。１階のお客は、ほとんど日本人ばかりです。メニューも日本語もあり、今回のオーダーは簡単です。伝統料理屋さんということで、ひとつは神仙炉（シンソンロ）。もうひとつは、伝統ピビンパ。まわりのおかずも豊富です。

As there was a shower, it becomes cool. It’s time for dinner. We take dinner at Kogun, traditional Korean-food restaurant. As Kogun is too popular for Japanese, we had avoided to visit there before. However Yong-Su also recommended Kogun, we rely on his recommendation. All of the guests at the first floor are only Japanese, as we expected. It’s quite easy to order dishes because of the menu in Japanese and Japanese-speaking staff. The dishes are Shin Song Ro – traditional stem pan and Bibimpa – rice in a bowl with boiled vegetables and an egg. Kimchi – Korean hod pickles and other many side dishes are free of charge.

お昼の強烈な辛さで刺激を受けた胃を、やさしく慰めてくれる味でした。

The food at Kogun is not as hot and spicy as the food took at lunch, and is tender for our stomachs.