May Flowers

The flower offered of itself
And eloquently spoke
Of Gods
In languages of rainbows
Perfumes
And secret silence...

~Phillip Pulfrey, from Love, Abstraction and other Speculations, www.originals.net

Following a delicious lunch of Korean beef (yes, Korean beef is amazing) barbecue, with Bob and his staff , an office outing took us to the Goyang Flower Festival on May 4, 2016.  Oh how beautifully the May flowers paint the earth with color and disperse whispers of perfume into the air.

 Mr. Kim, our driver; Yoonhee, Bob's office assistant; and all of the KRCC office staff (and I) enjoyed a warm and windy day in Goyang.

As part of the festival, special flower-themed exhibits showcased flower topped cupcakes, elaborate dried flower art, woodcarvings, and floral arrangements.

 

  We took a leisurely walk around the lake and enjoyed the manicured park along with groups of school children.  Clusters of colorful backpacks seemed to blossom like flowers in the field.

 To our surprise, there was even a Toilet Museum, where we read about dogs and pigs that were raised to consume human waste!  And then there were the royal thrones . . .

May was also filled (literally) with tasty treats from restaurants around Seoul.  Bob and I ventured to the French quarter, where we were told we "had" to try a burger and shake (of all things!) at Brooklyn Burger. Though pricey, the homestyle burger, fries and authentic roasted marshmallow Nutella shake were well worth it. My friend, Wen, took me to the Ugly Stove, where we enjoyed a very welcome American grill style meal of steak, chicken, pasta, salad and bread - delicious!  And my friend, Jennifer introduced me to a Mexican restaurant not far from home.  I'm not sure that's what I would call a tortilla stuffed with french fries, onions, beef and hot sauce, but then, we are in Korea!  Oh well, the tall refreshing ice cream cone from Myeongdong finished off our visit perfectly.

  Flowers and Food - who could want more?!