Divanun Guide/ Barcelona

 

This DivaNun Guide is a one pager of everything to do, see, and eat in Barcelona, Spain.

Historical

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  • Barcelona Cathedral
    • Gorgeous Gothic Cathedral that is the heart of the Gothic Quarter
  • Gothic Quarter
    • Beautiful cobble stone streets transport you back through time in this quaint neigbhorhood
  • Labyrinth Garden of Horta
    • The oldest garden in the city is also home to a very fun hedge maze

Cultural

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  • Las Ramblas
    • A large open walking street filled with restaurants, buskers, and a vibrant positive energy
  • Street Art
    • I loved seeing all the inventive and bright street art the covers the walls
  • Liberia Complices
    • An LGBT book store in the Gothic Quarter
  • Architecture of Gaudi
    • The city is covered with beautiful work by this architectural master. 
  • La Merce
    • a festival that honors the patron saint of Barcelona and happens in late Septermber

Food

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  • Avinyo 10 Restaurant
    • has a good paella lunch special in the Gothic Quarter
  • Bar Marsella
    • Old school Absinythe Bar that Hemingway used to frequent
  • A Tu Bola
    • Chain restaurant serving delicious easy to eat fried balls with craft local Barcelona beer
  • Swagatam Restaurant
    • If you are craving some indian in the land of tapas then look no further it was bomb~
  • Ugarit Verdi
    • One of the best meals I had. This is a small neighborhood chain in Gracia that serves some amazing Syrian food. Make sure you get the stew with chickpeas and eggplant twas diving
  • Entre Hores
    • This place has a fig, iberian ham, honey, cheese on bread dish that will knock your socks off. It was so good I had to eat it twice.
  • El Viejo Almacen
    • This cute little empanada spot in Gracia has some delicious little treats.

Miscellaneous

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  • Transportation
    • This city is extremely walkable and as well has a great public transportation system of buses and trains that are easy to navigae

Shinjuku Gyoen & Meiji Shrine

 

My legs were sore, tiny bolts of electricity danced through my calves with every step I took. The pedometer in my iPhone calculated had just hit 9 miles today almost on par with the 10 I walked yesterday. The line graph since Sejan's arrival jutted high like a mountain, towering above the days spent at home. I was spending my time in Tokyo more like a vacation and less like a natural part of my everyday life.

When you travel with someone you have to make sure that you have similar travel styles. Good friends do not always make good travel partners. On vacation Sejan moves at a lightning pace, routinely walking a mile in the mornings before I had even woken up. Meanwhile, I like to slow down, stretch out the hours until I melt into the local vibrations. Despite the difference in our speeds Sejan and I made great travel buddies because we care a lot about good food, taking amazing pictures, and being efficient. 

 Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is an oasis in the middle of hectic, chaotic, and busy Shinjuku. Rows of gorgeous award winning roses. Gardens designed in French, Japanese, and English styles. And large open spaces - perfect for a picnic greet you inside this haven. I had seen so many beautiful photos here and I couldn't wait to capture some of my own. Green houses have always been a love of mine because they represent a liminal space allowing flowers to grow in spaces and times when they would normally die. 

During the Edo Period, Shinjuku Gyoen served as the home of the feudal lord of Tokyo. In 1903 it was transfered to the Imperial Family, but it wasn't until 1949 that it was opened as a public park after almost being destroyed during World War II. World War II always seemed so far away when I learned about it in school. However, living in Tokyo has made me realize the scars countries have beared from the brutal conflict and how much important cultural history was almost lost.

After wandering around Shinjuku Gyoen Sejan and I headed towards Meiji Shrine. If I had been by myself I would have walked back home after enjoying a delicious bowl of ramen, however, Sejan was on a mission and so we hoped on the train and headed to our next destination.

Now, I didn't mean to save the shrine dedicated to the father of modern Japan for when Sejan arrived. I actually tried to explore Meiji shrine my third week but I got lost in Yoyogi Park. I assumed that since the two shared grounds that you could walk from one to the other. However, after many attempts- I gave up. On my way out of Yoyogi I happened upon a group of rockabillies and it was then that I realized that Yoyogi and Meiji have different entrances. 

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The shrine itself was completed in 1920, eight years after Emperor Meiji had passed. Interestingly enough he took the throne when he was only 15 years old. The grounds start with a large wooden gate and a wide road. The road eventually brings you to the sake barrels that you see above. These are donated every year as an offering. As you continue down the wooded trail the sounds and sights of Tokyo fall away and you forget that you are in a city. 

Deep in the forrest sits the Meiji Shrine which was unfortunately under renovations in the ramp up to the 2020 Olympics. So I didn't get any good photos of the shrine itself but I loved wandering around all the altars and cleansing stations.  Despite my exhaustion I was happy to be sharing my time in Tokyo with someone that I've known for so long.

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DivaNun Guide/Seoul

 

This DivaNun Guide is a one pager of everything to do, see, and eat in Seoul. 

Historical 

 

  • The Royal Palaces

    •  Changdeokgung, Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung, Gyeonghuigung

      • I've highlighted the ones I've seen

      • The palaces have a fee to enter but buying the bulk pass for all 5 palaces is the cheapest option even if you don't see every palace.

      • Bulk Pass Price: 10,000 won

  • Bukchon Hanok Village

    • A preserved version of a village during the Jonseon Dynasty. 
    • You can wander around the village for free but I highly suggest you pay to get into the observation deck.
    • Observaiton Deck Price: 3,000 won

    Cultural 

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    • Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art

      • An amazing art gallery that combines both ancient and contemporary art. One of the best interior designing I've ever seen in an art museum. 

    • Hongdae Neighborhood

      • This is where the university is and where my hostel was located. A great place for partying and night life. Lots of good restaurants to explore.

    • Itaewon Neighborhood

      • This is a very foreigner heavy district. There are some good restaurants but overall not a place I prefered to hang out out.  

    • Gangnam Neighborhood

      • The bright and shiny neighborhood south of the river. I found this place to be very expensive and didn't hang out there very much. 

    • Ihwa Mural Village

      • Murals and cute cafe's line the hills of this cute little village. 

    Miscellaneous

    • Facebook Pages
    • Night Life
      • Gay/Trans (Homo Hill)
        • Tucked away in Itaewon is Homo Hill where a number of different bars catering to gay and trans people are placed. 
      • Thursday Party (124-6 Itaewon 1(il)-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korea)
        • A fun bar with a mix of both tourists and local college students. Though it does lean more heavily tourist. The drinks are strong and it will be popping on a weekday
      • NB1/ NB2 (362-4 Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea )
        • Large loud club on weekends. Open very late. Always packed
        • They play hip hop and pop music. 
        • Free before 10pm the cover starts off at 10,000 won before 11 and it rises at midnight. 
    • Accomodation
      • Time Travelers Party Hostel in Hongdae
        • 11 Yeonhui-ro 2-gil, Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea
        • Very cheap and amazing hostel. DJ the owner is really chill and they go on group BBQ dinners on Friday. 
        • Youthful staff and a bar in the game lounge made this a very social and amazing place to hang out.
    • Souveniers
      • Skin care products are a must when you go to Seoul. It's so much cheaper then the United States. My favorite store was Skin Food but also Nature's Republic is forever bae. 

    Food

    After a month of Japanese food I was looking for something spicy and different. 

    • Cafe Blanc (173-14 Donggyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea)

      • This was a cafe near my hostel. They served freshly baked bread and other dishes that took their inspiration from France but use Korean foundations. 
      • The fried pork sandwich and the pastries above were my favorite things.

    • Piggy Bank (331-1 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea )

      • I was told that unlike in the states Korean Barbque has meat specific restaurants. The first shop I went to was chicken only but piggy bank gave me the juicy pork and beef korean barbque that I love. The meat here is cooked over hot stones and it was so good. 

    • Korean Fried Chicken

      • I don't have a favorite place for fried chicken in Seoul because everywhere I ate was delicious and the portions were huge. 

    • Vegetables

      • Korea is a place that eats a lot of meat so aside from the Banchan, the small plates of fermented veggies and other good stuff, that comes with your bowl of rice and meat you won't eat very much green stuff. I even resorted to eating a salad because I was so  desperate for a vegetable

    Transportation/ Navigation

    Inside of a city bus in Seoul.

    Inside of a city bus in Seoul.

    • In Seoul
      • While there aren't as many sings in english as there where in Tokyo I had no problem navigating the urban transportation infastructure. I took buses and trains and always managed to get where I intended
      • Google Maps does not give walking directions so it's terrible for that but I was able to plot all my bus and train travel using it
    • To Seoul
      • There are non stop flights from Tokyo to Seoul but I decided that I wanted to add some extra cities for my trip. So Instead I flew to Fukuoka and took the Ferry from Fukuoka, Japan to Busan, South Korea,
      • Ferry Travel
        • The Ferry is very cheap and if you have tome to squeeze in two extra cities its one of the best ways to travel. A one way ticket only cost me $65 and takes around 3 hours over the sea of Japan. 
        • Important Reminder you have to pay port taxes in cash before you can get on the boat. It's  about 600 yen on the Japanese side and 3,000 won on the Korean side. I thought I could pay in card in Busan and I almost missed my ferry home. 

    Next Visit

    • Boseong Green Tea Fields
      • Can you imagine the photoshoots I would pull in these luscious ass fields
    •  Sunny Books
      • LGBT Book store in Itaewon
    • Jjimjilbang
      • 24 hour beauty spa's, where you can get massages and soaks in all kinds of different rooms.
      • Siloam is the one I heard was the best

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    Week 1 in Tokyo

     

    I woke up in Tokyo but my body still thought I was on the east coast. After an 18 hour flight, numerous time zone changes, and almost missing my connection in Beijing I had finally arrived in the city of my dreams minus one of my checked bags.

    The view from my window seat. 

    The view from my window seat. 

    My first night was spent in a hotel because the hostel I was staying in ended check in after my flight landed.  The only thing open at midnight after I navigated the sprawling Japanese railway system was 7/11 though I didn't care because I was hungry for something other then tiny airport meals. I was quite surprised by how much better the quality of food was in Tokyo verses the states. 

    After a brief nights sleep I went to go check into my hostel. There is so much to see in Tokyo and even during the brief walk I was inundated with sights and smells. Every inch of this city is packed with something visually interesting. 

    The hostel I checked into was the Irori Hostel and Kitchen located in Nihonbashi a little west of Chiyoda. Irori is named after the traditional Japanese fireplace hidden in the tables that dot the entrance. I choose this because it seemed to represent a more authentic introduction to Japan. The staff was so nice and helpful with all my questions. Irori has two lounges and a kitchen you can prepare your own meals, they even cook a traditional Japanese breakfast if you order one the night before. The bunk beds were comfortable and the most privacy I've ever had while in a shared hostel. Next time you go to Tokyo I highly suggest you stay there.

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    My first taste of Japanese food was some miso soup and some delicious fried chicken at Torigen a quick walk from Irori. The texture of the fried chicken was lighter than the southern recipes I’m used to with a much more subtle flavor which allowed the taste of the chicken to really shine.

    I'll admit I was extremely intimidated by the Tokyo railway system of which there are 158 lines owned by 58 different companies. Thankfully the Pasmo card which you can get upon arrival at the airport allows you to hop between them as if they are all owned by the same. Once you ride it once it becomes a much more simple beast especially since there are many signs and announcements made in English. 

    What you do need to be careful about is the final train. Tokyo's expansive network of trains suspend service around midnight depending on where you are in the city. Unlike DC, where the train system flushes itself out, Tokyo's transit will just stop at whatever station and force you to get out. You would think that taxi's and uber's would rush to fill in that market but no. Taxi's can be as costly as $100 for a distance that would only be $15-20 in DC. So people stay out in Tokyo till 5am.

     

    I explored a lot in my first week, and my future blog posts will all be dedicated to one of the 23 wards. Two things made my first week very hard. The first was that I arrived in Tokyo for 3 months but only had accommodation for the first week. I trusted in the universe that I would find a place and while it all worked out through Tokyo Room Finder and I now live in Shinjuku I'll tell you that Tokyo did not make it easy. For one, there isn't really a culture of shared living in your 20's and 30's that exists in so much of the United States. If you want a communal living environment I suggest checking out Borderless House. 

    The second thing that made my first week difficult was that I was really lonely. The research said Japan is a difficult country to make friends in. I considered myself the kind of person who can and has traveled places by myself. But when it actually hit me as I walked down the streets of Roppongi that I was really by myself- I couldn't help but cry. I let the feeling wash over me fully because it's something that everyone who travels solo feels. Tokyo is one of the hardest beasts to master and as my first destination I was taking on quite a challenge. Almost every other place I travel too should be much easier. After the tears dried I felt more certain than ever that I was where I was supposed to be. I was taking the time to focus on my art and live outside my comfort zone in a city I always dreamed of living. I came to Tokyo to grow and flourish is what I will do here. 

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