A Short Fall Trip to Saint Martin

It's starting to get cold outside at home and we escape for a short trip to tropical paradise in Saint Martin.  Saint Martin is about 300 miles (483 km) east of Puerto Rico, in the northeastern-most part of the Caribbean Sea and is (since 1648) divided between the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Sint Maartin, where the airport is located), and the French Republic (Saint Martin, where our hotel resides).

The island and neighboring Anguilla both recently ended Covid restrictions, so our pre-journey paperwork is much simpler and we simply arrive, pass through immigration, stop at the grocery store on our way to the hotel (Grand Case Beach Club), and wander the beautiful grounds.

Arriving at the hotel

Grand Case Beach Club

Year-round residents greet us

We sit and enjoy the view as the day comes to an end, knowing that it is only a short walk into Grand Case for dinner in the Gastronomic Capital of the Caribbean.  And, as soon as the sun has set, we will start thinking seriously about making that walk.

More views of the sea

The sun sets

And, while we may no longer be in a place where snow can fall, the local Super U Supermarché [where we stock up on wine (we are in France), rum (we are in the Caribbean), and baguettes, charcuterie, and cheeses for our breakfasts (France, again)] has a few holiday decorations for us to enjoy at the entrance.

Bienvenue à Super U

A Few Sights at the Seoul Airport

As we depart Seoul on our way back to the US, we find a few interesting sights in the airport.  At the entrance to the terminal, police and fire groups are conducting a drill.  This drill involves actually exploding a package in the terminal and the airline check-in staff tell us to cover our ears as we wait in line.  Sure enough, there soon is a loud explosion that fills the area and the police and fire crews then wander away.

Arriving during a drill

In the lounge where we stop briefly for a quick bite on our way to the gate, we meet a table-clearing robot.  This cute machine wanders up and down the aisles of the lounge, holding plastic tubs for us to deposit our plates, glasses, and other used items.

Table clearing

In the airport, two robots are available to help us on our way.   One sleek information robot will answer questions and help us with directions and information.  The other "Airporter" robot will carry luggage to the gate for us (we admired the concept, but didn't use the service).

Airside robot helpers

The airport is beautiful inside, with pleasant, clean, comfortable, and beautifully-decorated seating areas.  And, once seated, the robots stop bugging us!  It's back to human interaction for our boarding of the flight.

Waiting at the gate

Soon, we're winging our way home, planning a new adventure.

Jongmyo Shrine in Seoul

Jongmyo Shrine is a Confucian shrine dedicated to memorial services for the deceased kings and queens of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897).  The shrine is the oldest existing royal Confucian shrine and the ritual ceremonies continue a tradition established in the 14th century.

The main buildings of the shrine were constructed in 1394 and the shrine was destroyed by fire during the Japanese invasion (1592-1598) and rebuilt in the early 1600s.  The shrine continue to be the location of the Jongmyo Daejae ancestor-worship ceremony, where descendants of the imperial family honor the spirits of their deceased ancestors.

When a king or queen died, mourning would continue at the palace for three years.  When the mourning period was over, memorial tablets for the deceased would be transferred to Jongmyo and enshrined.  Kings credited with outstanding virtuous deeds are enshrined in Jeongjeon, the main hall, which currently has 19 spirit chambers and houses a total of 49 tablets.

The entrance to the shrine is located in a beautiful park.

Entrance to the shrine

Park outside the entrance

Entering the shrine, we find two paths, a gravel path for us and a stone path for spirits.

Dual pathway

Layout of Jongmyo Shrine

We wander through the grounds, making our way toward Jeongjeon in the rear.

Entering the complex

As we approach the main hall, Jeongjeon, we find that we cannot enter as the roof is being replaced.  Replacing the 82,000 tiles in the roof is taking about two years and we'll need to come back later to visit this part of the shrine.

Jeongjeon in better times, under construction

Ceremony at Jeongjeon

Walking back toward the entrance, we pass Yeongnyeongjeon, the Hall of Eternal Peace, built in 1421 when Jeongjeon could no longer accommodate any more spirit tablets.

Yeongnyeongjeon

Other outlying buildings served functions related to the ceremonies, such as Akgongcheong, where the court musicians and dancers waited to perform rituals.

Akgongcheong

Walking back toward to entrance of the shrine, we enjoy the beautiful gardens and landscaping.

Passing through the grounds

We'll have to return when the Jeongjeon roof replacement is done!