Travel around seoul #1 ( jam sil station)

This fall, jamsil stadium is a venue for festivity.

The sold out sign posted on the box office of the baseball stadium shows the korean's enthusiasm for sports.

Feeling the cool breeze, walk in the direction of jamsil station. When you see the sincheon station,head towards Exit No.3

Keep walking until you find a Mcdonald's restaurant. then enter the alley next to it, Voila!

Welcome to the famous meokja-golmok, literally translating to food alley.

The alley, covering the area within a one kilometer radius of Jamsil Cathedral, is fully packed with food restaurants. There are renowned restaurants : Nano Galmaegi Jip (you should line up to get in after 7pm), Haejoo Naengmyun (well-known for its Pyongyang style cold noodles), Saemaeul Restaurant (famous for Sam-kyeup-sal, three-layered pork), and Hwatong Jip (pork specialty restaurant) to name a few. They usually open until 6 am.

Shaking off the temptation of the tasty smell, walk along the alley and then get into another alley beside Ankyeong maeul. The narrow alley is Saemaeul Shijang, a traditional market.

The market can surely boast its traditional features considering that it was created when the Joo-gong apartment in Jamsil-bon dong came in. Pao Pao, which serves handmade dumplings, is the most popular shop by far. They also feature steamed bread that is as big as a soup bowl. There are knitting shops, grocery stores, hardware stores, and bowl wholesalers that give you warm and friendly feelings. But more than that, shops that sell jeon (Korean pancake) and rice cakes might stimulate your appetite.

Once you come out of the market, there is a nice-looking apartment, Treejeeum, standing high across the road. In contrast to the newly built apartment, street vendors are lined up along the sidewalk leading to the market. Technically, this area is an extension of the market. The sentiment of ordinary people in this area made me feel warm-hearted. It must not be true that only the things that are modern and decent make a city a good city.

Following the signboard that points to Jamsil station will take you to the Lotte Mart, Lotte Department Store and Lotte Hotel. If you have kids, it is worth dropping by ToysRUs, a toy specialty shop, on the 2nd floor of the Lotte Mart. It is also worth visiting Kidzania, an experience-based learning center, to be opened around Christmas in the nearby site that used to house a swimming pool. You can get to Jamsil subway station if you get out through the gate near the department store's food section that leads to the underground shopping square. From here, you may go to either the Lotte World Adventure, or take Exit No.2 to go to Seokchon hosu (lake).

From the Cherry Blossom Road along the Seokchon Hosu to the Olympic Park

When you come out of Exit No. 2 of Jamsil station, a parking lot for bicycles will attract your attention. According to the Song-pa district office, this place alone can accommodate 175 units of bicycles. The number goes up to over 860 when parking lots in the surrounding area of Jamsil station (Subway No. 2 /No. 8 lines) are combined. Thinking that the reason many people use bicycles in the Songpa district may be that certain desirable conditions are in place, I saw a huge screen fence over which the construction of the 2nd Lotte World is under way. Due to the proximity to the airport, you may hear an acute noise of an airplane passing by and joyful screams coming from Lotte world. By that time, you will find a crosswalk. Cross the road, and you will find yourself at the Seokchon lake.

The Seokchon Hosu was just a plain lake in the 1970. However, it was transformed into a resting place in 1981 with the creation of the Songpanaru park, which features green spaces as well as a promenade. Appreciating the big cherry blossom trees lining the lake, walk the cherry blossom road clockwise. Having the lake on your right side, keep walking until you run into a statue established in memory of persons who have died to save others. Then, go up the stairs by the statue, and cross the road and visit the Olympic Park : You've come this far, and how can you not stop by the park? Continue walking to the Songpa district office intersection, and turn right. There you will see the World Peace Gate of the Olympic Park established in the run up to the 1986 Seoul Asian Games and the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Now, the park is used for multi purposes such as gymnastics, cultural arts, education and relaxation. If you want to visit the Olympic Park only, take Exit No. 1 of Mongchon Tosung station (Subway No.8).

Right after passing the Gate of Peace, you will see an information center for tourists. Take a guide map from there. I felt a sense of peace from a scene of fully-equipped kids getting rollerblading lessons and the waving flags of all nations hoisted in the Flag Square. Four wooden buildings on both sides of the Peace Square of Olympic Park are elegant and beautiful. The buildings house an information center, restaurants, and convenient stores.

To get off from Olympic Park, you may take either Olympic Park Station of Subway Line 5 near the Olympic Park? landmark or Mongchon Toseong Station of Line 8 at the entrance of World Peace Gate.

I have toured the way that stretches from the Sports Complex in Jamshil-dong to Olympic Park in Bangi-dong on foot for a full day. I would recommend that you pack warm soup and enough rolls of gimbap and come out here with your family before it gets too cold.