Pink Blossoms Everywhere!

Spring is FINALLY here and it's cherry blossom time in Seoul!  Basically that means that every tenth tree is freshly covered in little pink and white blossoms and everyone is going crazy trying to get out to see them before they fade away!  Even after living here for three years, the cherry blossoms are still a novelty and bring with them the hope of warmer days to come.  This Sunday I joined the commotion surrounding the tiny blooms--thankfully I was on a guided tour organized by a company so my excursion throughout Seoul was expertly choreographed and perfectly timed.  All-in-all, it was an amazing day.  In the interest of time and space, here are the best of my photos from the cherry blossom viewing...

A view of Seoul from Yeouido Park

Beautiful pink and white blooms

A close-up of the tiny blossoms and the teeny buds that have yet to open

Lots of trees and loads of people to enjoy them! 

After pouring rain all day Saturday, the sky was a perfect blue on Sunday!

I heart cherry blossoms!

Sort of mysterious

A close up of me and the trees 

My SFS friend Leslie who went on the tour with me

Just a small stretch of cherry trees in Yeouido Park

Such a perfect day!

Waiting for the others, so I kept snapping photos:)

 After visiting the cherry blossom festival at Yeouido Park, we hopped back on the bus and drove out of Seoul and toward Seoul Land, stopping at the Contemporary Art Museum.  The museum was cool and a nice change from being in the city.  There were also lots of cherry blossoms to be seen!  The art, however, took center stage.

A giant singing man statue...weird, but cool

A tower of visual confusion

Cherry blossoms....of course

Since the traffic up to the museum was so bad, we took the elephant tram back to the bus!

 The final stop on our tour was way over near Everland amusement park at the Ho-Am traditional gardens.  It was very well worth the drive!  The gardens were gorgeous and the hills were covered with trees in bloom!  After wandering around for a bit, we decided to spend our last half hour enjoying a beverage at an outdoor table at the tea room--a wise choice after a long day and lots of walking.  

Traditional village guardian sculptures!

Mom and Dad, I think you need a pair for the backyard!

I think these are some sort of magnolia and I love them.

A truly serene setting.

The hills are alive...with cherry blossoms!

Random roofline

Can you spot the peacock?

One last blossom to end a beautiful day of photo taking.