Views taken from walking paths in Namsan Park, heading to Seoul Tower.
with Gingkos (gingko biloba)
Because in Seoul's autumn they array themselves in lemony yellows and sunlit golds and their emancipated foliage looks like long-stemmed fans for slaves to cool lounging sultans in a miniaturized exotic realm, I learned the gingko tree. Across pavement or path, the leaves pool like liquid saffron or else scatter like golden petals strewn before a bride. I am entranced.
A gingko tree in my neighborhood.
with Sycamores
Their leaves are enormous. One can completely cover my foot. Early morning runs in November are largely accomplished in the dark, and on the more residential roads of my route, especially after wind or rain in the night, I can unexpectedly run across a carpeting of sycamore leaves and totally splash in the crunch. It is a moment of full return to childhood and I always giggle aloud!
I wear a size seven and a half in a running shoe, so . . .
[Apparently the sycamores in Korea were imported from the USA because they make good roadside trees and are not easily affected by pollution.]
Looking up at the leaves on a sycamore in my neighborhood.
