I went to Songdo Beach with my friends.

We bought some kimbap from a shop near the beach that a friend who knows Korea well had highly recommended. We ate it as a quick snack, and it was incredibly delicious.

It was a hot day, so we bought some cold drinks at the seaside café VARISTRO and took a break. We saw a sea slater moving incredibly fast, which finally made me really feel that we were by the sea.

We took the Songdo Marine Cable Car. The floor of the gondola was made of glass, which made the ride fairly thrilling. It was also quite windy that day, and the gondola swayed quite a bit, making one of my friends look very tense. It might be a little scary for people who are afraid of heights.

We took a taxi to Gamcheon Culture Village.

There were tourists everywhere, but the colorful roofs of the houses built along the mountainside looked beautiful. Somehow, the village reminded me of the Palmita district in Mexico.

Busan is also the hometown of BTS members Jimin and Jungkook, and there was a mural depicting the two of them in Gamcheon Culture Village.

We then took a taxi back to the hotel and met up with another friend who had arrived in Korea that day.

While we were eating pears at the hotel, my friend injured a finger. The friend had overseas travel insurance, so we called the insurance company’s assistance desk and asked them to find a hospital as soon as possible. However, it took some time to find one, and we started to get a little anxious.

In the end, rather than waiting for the insurance company, my friend who knows Korea well used their network of Korean friends to find a hospital, and we took a taxi there.

While my friend was receiving treatment at the hospital, another friend, whom I was meeting for the first time that day, and I had nothing to do, so we went to get some hotteok.

At Kkamale, they cooked the hotteok right in front of us. It was packed with nuts, and it was so delicious that I was genuinely impressed.

I found out later that my friend had briefly lost consciousness during the treatment, and apparently an ambulance crew was called, causing a bit of a commotion.

Meanwhile, completely unaware that anything so serious was happening, we were enjoying coffee at FM Coffee House.

Then we went back to Kkamale and bought some more hotteok. It had been so delicious that I wanted to try another flavor, this time with cheese. As expected, it was really good.

After the treatment was finished, we met up with our friends and took a taxi to Shinsegae Centum City.

The food section was full of things that looked delicious, and I had a hard time deciding what to look at. We ate soft-serve ice cream and bought sesame oil and stock tablets as souvenirs.

We took a taxi to Haeundae and went to 해성막창집 (Haeseong Makchangjip) for grilled intestines and other offal.

An insect was served as a side dish, so I tried it. It tasted good, but the flavor wasn’t impressive enough to overcome its appearance, so I decided to stop at just one.

We finished with udon and fried rice. I ate too much again, but everything I ate in Busan was delicious.

← Previous Day

Seoul ＆ Busan Travel Diary 2024

<p>The post Busan Travel Diary – Day 2: Songdo Beach, Gamcheon Culture Village, and Busan Food first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>

There was a porridge restaurant on the first floor of INN-The City MyeongDong, where we were staying, so we had breakfast there. The abalone porridge had a mild flavor. It was fine, but nothing particularly memorable. The meal cost 26,000 KRW (2,915 yen) for two people.

We went to Seoul Station. My partner headed to the airport from there, while I took the Korea Train eXpress (KTX) to Busan. I had purchased my KTX ticket in advance from the official KORAIL website. It cost 59,800 KRW (6,644 yen).

When I arrived at Busan Station, I took a taxi from the station’s taxi stand and headed to the restaurant where I was meeting my friends.

On the way there, the driver stopped at a gas station and started refueling while the meter was still running. I was surprised. After he finished refueling and started driving again, I complained, saying, “The meter was still running!” He replied, “Meter! Meter!” and handed me some coins. I thought, “So he does realize that he did something wrong.”

I arrived at Hopo Galbi – Munhyeon Branch, where I was meeting my friends. They treated me to a huge amount of incredibly delicious beef.

I returned to my hotel near Busan Station and took a walk around the station area.

For dinner, someone who lives in Busan took me to Dongmyeonsik Milmyeon in Haeundae.

The restaurant’s seating area faced the beach, so the view was great. The steamed mandu were also delicious. They were much better than the steamed mandu I had eaten at Myeongdong Kyoja two days earlier. The wrappers were thin and wonderfully springy, and I could have eaten them endlessly.

The cold noodles were also delicious, with plenty of meat and wonderfully chewy noodles. I was also treated to a mild, non-spicy cold noodle soup. It was light and refreshing, but somehow I never thought it tasted bland. How did they manage that? The balance of flavors was perfect, and it was very good.

After that, I was taken to another place where the admission fee included all-you-can-eat food and all-you-can-drink beverages. It had a beer-garden-like atmosphere and was packed with young people.

The cups were printed with “삼진포치.” I wondered if that was the name of the place.

Tteokbokki and fish cake were also included in the all-you-can-eat food.

After dinner, I took a walk along the beach. As I walked, I wondered whether this was the beach that appeared in the New Year’s drama “Slow Train” in 2025.

I had eaten so much that my stomach hurt, so all of us stopped at a convenience store, bought some stomach medicine, and took it.

← Previous Day

Seoul ＆ Busan Travel Diary 2024

Next Day →

<p>The post Busan Travel Diary – Day 1: Taking the KTX from Seoul to Busan, Busan Food, and Haeundae first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>

We had breakfast at WONDER BREAD, near INN-The City MyeongDong. The bread was delicious. When one of the staff members handed us our order, they said, “Please enjoy.” We had delicious bread and coffee for 14,400 KRW. WONDER BREAD still has a location listed near Chungmuro.

We topped up our Tmoney card at a ticket machine at the station and took the subway to Bukchon Hanok Village.

Bukchon is an area filled with traditional hanok houses, and it is also a residential neighborhood where people actually live. Some of the hanok buildings have been converted into shops, cafés, galleries, and other businesses.

The reason we decided to visit was because I had watched a YouTube video by U-Ji Kōji.

There are renovated hanok buildings used as shops, cafés, and galleries, but at the same time, this is still a residential neighborhood. I thought that living there must be difficult when it gets noisy. Even so, it is such an atmospheric place that I ended up visiting anyway.

After walking downhill, we stopped at CAFE DA, a small juice stand. The carrot juice had a distinctive bitterness and a subtle sweetness, and I really liked it. My partner had a blueberry yogurt drink. I wondered if Korean people really like yogurt drinks because I saw them quite often. The total was 10,000 KRW.

We took the subway to Seongsu-dong and went to Grandpa Factory Cafe.

This café is located in a renovated former factory, and U-Ji Kōji had also visited the place to film a YouTube video. It was a spacious café with a second floor, and the tables were spaced far enough apart that we could relax comfortably.

I had the impression that Seongsu-dong was not a pedestrian-only area and that there was surprisingly heavy car traffic.

We took the subway to Dongdaemun. Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) looked really cool, and I was impressed by the park-like space on the roof. DDP was designed by Zaha Hadid and has become one of Seoul’s landmarks.

We went to SPAREX Dongdaemun, a Korean-style public bath and sauna. Admission was 12,000 KRW per person.

At the reception desk, I asked if I could make a reservation for a body scrub, and they told me to make the reservation in the changing room. When we entered the bathing area, there was a price list for the body scrub, so I simply pointed at the option I wanted.

The body scrub and massage cost 41,000 KRW (4,417 yen) per person. Credit cards were not accepted, so we had to pay in cash. The body scrub alone was 26,000 KRW.

The body scrub was… pretty intense. I actually wondered whether it was good for my skin. Afterwards, my skin was red and felt sore.

SPAREX also had a dome-shaped jjimjilbang sauna and an ice sauna. There was a water dispenser, and there was plenty of space where people could lie down, so it seemed like a place where you could easily spend a long time.

We left SPAREX and walked to Gwangjang Market for dinner.

There was a kalguksu place that had been featured on Netflix, and there was a huge line. So we decided to join the queue and try it ourselves. One bowl cost 7,000 KRW. It was delicious, although I thought it might have had a little too much pepper.

We also ate mung bean pancakes and meat pancakes for 8,000 KRW, as well as ganjang-gejang.

Ganjang-gejang is a Korean dish made by marinating blue crab in a soy sauce-based sauce and allowing it to mature. I learned about this dish from a U-Ji Kōji YouTube video, and I really wanted to try it. It was incredibly delicious.

The person sitting next to us and quietly eating alone turned out to be a traveler from Japan. She told us that she had eaten ganjang-gejang here two days earlier, and because she had been so impressed by how delicious it was, she had come back to eat it one more time before returning home.

The restaurant was SOONHEUNINE BANCHAN. The ganjang-gejang cost 20,000 KRW.

We also had a twisted glutinous-rice doughnut at a shop near one of the market exits. It cost 1,000 KRW. It was freshly made, fluffy, hot, and delicious.

← Previous Day

Seoul ＆ Busan Travel Diary 2024

Next Day →

<p>The post Seoul Travel Diary – Day 2: Bukchon Hanok Village, Seongsu-dong, Dongdaemun, and Gwangjang Market first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>

I traveled to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, with my partner.

For transportation from the airport to central Seoul, we chose an airport limousine bus. It turned out to be a mistake. The bus moved smoothly on the highway, but as soon as we entered the city center, we got stuck in traffic. We arrived about 90 minutes later than scheduled.

We stayed at INN-The City MyeongDong, near Chungmuro Station. The hotel is in the same building as Sollago Myeongdong Hotel Residence. I liked the fact that both the room and the bathroom were new and clean.

After leaving our luggage at the hotel, we went to the nearby banapresso.

We bought some drinks and went upstairs to the second-floor seating area. A group of elderly Korean men and women were enjoying a conversation there. They asked us to take a group photo for them, so I was happy to help. After taking the photo, they gave me some coffee candy as a thank-you.

One of the elderly men who gave me the candy spoke to me in Japanese and asked, “Where are you from? How old are you?” I replied, “Your Japanese is very good,” and we talked for a little while.

I don’t know when he learned Japanese or whether his experience of learning to speak Japanese was a happy one, so I didn’t ask about it. He told me that he was 87 years old, but he was very energetic. He stood perfectly straight and had a lively voice.

We left the café and walked around Myeongdong. It was incredibly crowded.

We went to Myeongdong Kyoja, which had been featured in the Michelin Guide. We ordered kalguksu and mandu for 23,000 KRW. They were good, but not quite amazing.

As we were leaving, some Japanese tourists who had been eating there said, “The kimchi was really good!” We completely agreed. The kimchi was delicious.

Myeongdong Cathedral was within walking distance, so we went to see it.

It was quite a hot day. We sat on a bench inside the cathedral for a while, but we couldn’t stand the heat and soon decided to leave.

When we returned to central Myeongdong, fighter jets were flying overhead, their engines roaring as they cut across the blue sky. The sound of the jets doing loops while leaving trails of clouds behind them was incredibly loud. My partner was getting fed up and said, “I just want to go somewhere quiet… There are so many people… It’s so noisy…”

Before coming to Korea, I had purchased a WOWPASS, so we stopped by Lotte Department Store. At a kiosk, I loaded 10,000 yen onto the WOWPASS and withdrew 50,000 KRW in cash.

The WOWPASS is a prepaid card that allows you to load money in Japanese yen and pay in KRW. You can also withdraw your KRW balance from a kiosk. However, in my experience, most places that accepted WOWPASS also accepted credit cards, so I didn’t feel that I really needed it. The WOWPASS also has a transportation IC card function through Tmoney, but I thought that I could simply buy a Tmoney card separately at a station.

At EDIYA COFFEE in Myeongdong, we had iced coffee and tomato juice for a total of 8,100 KRW. Seoul was hot, but there were plenty of cafés, so it was easy to stop somewhere for a break. That was very helpful.

While walking around Myeongdong, a man asked me, “Do you want to buy fakes?” I replied, “I don’t buy counterfeit goods.” He then asked, “What about women?” I answered, “I don’t buy them either,” and walked away.

On our way back to the hotel, we stopped for dinner at a dwaeji galbi restaurant called Ttungbo Dwaeji Galbi Ttonggogi, which had a high rating on Google Maps.

Neither Japanese nor English was understood at all, but we managed to place our order using gestures. The food was delicious, and we were very satisfied. Two servings and one bottle of makgeolli cost 39,000 KRW.

Later, I asked a friend who knows a lot about Korea, and they told me that Google Maps is not particularly popular in Korea and that using Korean map apps such as NAVER Map is considered the norm.

Before going back to our room, we bought some ice cream at the convenience store on the first floor of the hotel. I got the impression that Oreo was extremely popular in Korea.

Seoul ＆ Busan Travel Diary 2024

Next Day →

<p>The post Seoul Travel Diary – Day 1: Exploring Myeongdong, Myeongdong Kyoja, Myeongdong Cathedral, and Dwaeji Galbi first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>

I spent the first half of the trip in Seoul, exploring areas such as Myeongdong, Bukchon Hanok Village, Seongsu-dong, Dongdaemun, and Gwangjang Market. For the second half of the trip, I took the KTX to Busan, where I enjoyed local food and visited various attractions with my friends.

Day 1
Seoul Travel Diary – Day 1: Exploring Myeongdong, Myeongdong Kyoja, Myeongdong Cathedral, and Dwaeji Galbi

Day 2
Seoul Travel Diary – Day 2: Bukchon Hanok Village, Seongsu-dong, Dongdaemun, and Gwangjang Market

Day 3
Busan Travel Diary – Day 1: Taking the KTX from Seoul to Busan, Busan Food, and Haeundae

Day 4
Busan Travel Diary – Day 2: Songdo Beach, Gamcheon Culture Village, and Busan Food

<p>The post Seoul ＆ Busan Travel Diary 2024 first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>

前半は恋人とソウルに滞在し、明洞、北村韓屋村、聖水洞、東大門、広蔵市場などを散策。後半はKTXで釜山へ移動し、友人たちと一緒に釜山のグルメや観光スポットを楽しんだ。

Day 1
ソウル旅行記1｜明洞を散策。明洞餃子・明洞大聖堂・WOWPASS・テジカルビなど

Day 2
ソウル旅行記2｜北村韓屋村・聖水洞・東大門・広蔵市場を巡る

Day 3
釜山旅行記1｜KTXでソウルから釜山へ・釜山グルメ、特に韓牛を満喫

Day 4
釜山旅行記2｜釜山・松島海水浴場と甘川文化村を巡る

<p>The post 韓国旅行記2024まとめ｜ソウル・釜山を巡る4日間の観光とグルメ first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>

During our journey, we enjoyed Parisian museums, historic streets, local markets, cafés, and restaurants. In Spain, we visited the beautiful towns of Andalusia, explored World Heritage sites, and experienced the unique architecture of Barcelona.

This travel diary includes detailed records of transportation, accommodations, sightseeing spots, restaurants, and travel costs based on our actual experiences.

Paris Travel Diary 2025｜France

Day 1
Paris Travel Diary Day 1: Flying from Tokyo to Paris, Airport Transfer, and Our First Evening at Belleville Park

 Day 2
Paris Travel Diary Day 2: Marché Pyrénées, Champs-Élysées, Ladurée Macarons, and Exploring Paris in the Heat

Day 3
Paris Travel Diary Day 3: Fondation Louis Vuitton, David Hockney Exhibition, and Discovering Monet’s Masterpieces

Day 4
Paris Travel Diary Day 4: Buttes-Chaumont Picnic, Marais Walk, and Our Last Dinner Before Spain

Spain Travel Diary 2025｜Andalusia & Barcelona

Day 5
Spain Travel Diary Day 1: Flying from Paris to Málaga, Vueling Baggage Trouble, and Arriving in Ronda

Day 6
Ronda Travel Diary Day 2: Exploring Casa del Rey Moro, Ronda Views, and a Flamenco Guitar Concert

Day 7
Ronda to Granada Travel Diary: Andalusian Train Ride, Granada Cathedral, and Tapas at Bodegas Castañeda

Day 8
Granada Travel Diary: Alhambra Palace, Nasrid Palaces, Generalife Gardens, and Granada’s Old Quarter

Day 9
Granada to Barcelona Travel Diary: Flight to Barcelona, Miró Foundation, and Incredible Squid Ink Paella

Day 10
Barcelona Travel Diary: Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Churros, and a Memorable Dinner

Day 11
Barcelona to Paris Travel Diary: El Fornet, Airport Lounge, ALE-HOP Shopping, and Returning to Paris

Paris Travel Diary 2025｜Final Days

Day 12
Paris Travel Diary Day 12: Bastille Market, French Food Shopping, Pokémon Store, and Seine River Cruise

Day 13
Giverny Travel Diary: Visiting Monet’s House and Garden from Paris, Train Journey, and Hidden Delays

Day 14
Paris Travel Diary Day 14: Eiffel Tower Stairs, Paris’ Best Bakery, Parc Bagatelle, and Final Dinner

Day 15
Paris Travel Diary Day 15: Supermarket Souvenirs, Café du Coin Lunch, Ice Cream, and Flying Home

<p>The post Paris & Spain Travel Diary 2025 first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>

パリ旅行記2025：フランス編

Day1  
ANA羽田発NH215便でフランスへ：シャルル・ド・ゴール空港から市内移動と初日の街歩き

Day2  
ビュット＝ショーモン公園からシャンゼリゼへ：ラデュレでマカロンを楽しむパリ散策

Day3  
ルイ・ヴィトン財団とマルモッタン・モネ美術館へ：パリで芸術を巡る1日

Day4  
ビュット＝ショーモン公園でピクニック：マレ地区散策とパリの夜ごはん

スペイン旅行記2025：アンダルシア・バルセロナ編

Day5  
パリからロンダへ移動：Vueling追加料金トラブルと絶景の街ロンダに到着

Day6  
ロンダでのんびり過ごす1日：チュロスとCasa del Rey Moro、絶景展望台巡り

Day7  
ロンダから鉄道でグラナダへ：大聖堂周辺散策とタパス料理

Day8  
アルハンブラ宮殿を朝一番で観光：美しきナスル宮殿とヘネラリフェ庭園

Day9  
グラナダからバルセロナへ移動：ミロ美術館と絶品イカ墨パエリアとの出会い

Day10  
サグラダ・ファミリアとグエル公園へ：ガウディ建築を巡る1日

Day11  
バルセロナからパリへ：空港移動とパリの美味しいジェラート

パリ旅行記2025：後半編

Day12  
バスティーユ市場で食材探し：セーヌ川クルーズとノートルダム散策

Day13  
ジヴェルニーのモネの庭へ：睡蓮と花々に彩られた美しい庭園散策

Day14  
エッフェル塔に歩いて登る：バガテル公園のバラ園とパリ最後のディナー

Day15  
パリ散策とお土産探し：Café du coinのランチから帰国へ

<p>The post パリ・スペイン旅行記2025 first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>

During my 11-day stay, I explored some of New York’s most famous attractions, including the Statue of Liberty, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and the Guggenheim Museum. I also enjoyed several Broadway musicals and experienced the city’s food, shopping, and Christmas atmosphere.

This is my personal New York travel diary, documenting the places I visited, the things I experienced, and my impressions of the city.

New York Travel Diary Day 1
Flying from Haneda to JFK, Priority Pass Trouble, and Arriving in Manhattan

New York Travel Diary Day 2
Zabar’s, Century 21 Shopping, and My First New York Price Shock

New York Travel Diary Day 3
The Met Museum, Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, and Winter in New York

New York Travel Diary Day 4
T.J. Maxx Bargain Shopping, MoMA Art, and Back to the Future Broadway Musical

New York Travel Diary Day 5
Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and a Seagull Stealing My Banana

New York Travel Diary Day 6
Hudson Yards, The High Line, Whitney Museum, and Annie on Broadway

New York Travel Diary Day 7
Central Park, Christmas Markets, and MJ the Musical on Broadway

New York Travel Diary Day 8
Flatiron Building, The Ride NYC, and Hell’s Kitchen Broadway Musical

New York Travel Diary Day 9
Natural History Museum, Guggenheim Museum, and Emilio’s Ballato in Little Italy

New York Travel Diary Day 10
Trader Joe’s Souvenirs, Waffle Chicken, and SUMMIT One Vanderbilt Sunset Views

New York Travel Diary Day 11
Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Christmas in New York, and Harlem Gospel Concert

<p>The post New York Travel Diary 2024: Broadway, Museums, Christmas, and City Adventures first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>

11日間滞在し、自由の女神、メトロポリタン美術館、MoMA、グッゲンハイム美術館などの観光スポットを巡り、ブロードウェイミュージカルを観劇したので、その記録。

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 1
羽田空港からJFKへ。プライオリティ・パスとエアトレインでマンハッタンへ

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 2
ZABAR’S・センチュリー21・シェイクシャックで感じたニューヨークの物価

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 3
メトロポリタン美術館・ロックフェラーセンター・ラルフズコーヒー巡り

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 4
MoMA・バーガージョイント・ブロードウェイ『バック・トゥ・ザ・フューチャー』観劇

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 5
自由の女神・エリス島・ニューヨークパスで巡る人気観光スポット

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 6
ベッセル・ハイライン・ホイットニー美術館とミュージカル『Annie』

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 7
セントラルパーク・クリスマスマーケット・ブロードウェイ『MJ』観劇

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 8
The Ride体験・ブライアントパーク・ブロードウェイ『Hell’s Kitchen』観劇

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 9
アメリカ自然史博物館・グッゲンハイム美術館・カフェサバルスキー

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 10
サミット・ワン・ヴァンダービルト展望台とニューヨークの夜景

ニューヨーク旅行記 Day 11
クリスマス・スペクタキュラー・MLBショップ・ハーレムゴスペル体験

<p>The post ニューヨーク旅行記まとめ｜11日間で巡った美術館・ブロードウェイ・観光スポット first appeared on ふたり暮らし。.</p>