Not Quite Giverny

A few weeks back, a friend posted some photos of her tour of Giverny. I fondly remembered my trip to Monet's Japanese-inspired garden as well as his home. When I want to capture Madison bridges in my imagery, Tenney Park is one of my favorite places to visit. The park system is working on transitioning the landscape with native wildflowers.  Although many of the wildflowers had already begun petering out, there still was a fair amount of color near the red bridge. No, it's not quite Giverny, but its beauty hearkens me back. 

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Interior of Myeongdong Cathedral

The interior of the Myeongdong Cathedral is quite beautiful. In a typical Gothic Revival style, the ceilings are high and vaulted. 

Stained glass windows provide light, decoration, as well as illustrate stories of the Bible and the Rosary. Originally created by the Benedictine Monasteries in France, the windows were restored in 1982.

Nativity and Adoration of the Magi

Jesus and His Twelve Disciples

The Fifteen Decades of the Rosary

Pipe organ

I'd love to hear these pipes bellow out the organ sound.

Statue of St. Kim De-gun

Although it is an active church, visitors are welcome. If you're in need of a quiet solace from the hubub of the nearby shopping, check it out!

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Myeongdong Cathedral and a French-speaking Korean Nun

Prior to visiting the Christmas lights around the shopping area of Myeongdong, I visited the Myeongdong Cathedral. The Catholic church was established at the site in 1784. With its brick, Gothic style, the Cathedral (built in 1898) is a stark contrast to the modern, commercial area around it. 

During the 1970's and 1980's, the Myeongdong Cathedral was a focal point for the democratic movement in Korea, as well as for the advocacy of the advancement of human rights. It continues to be very active in mission work as well as support of the local community. 

As the first church in Korea that is built in the Gothic style, Myeongdong Cathedral has been designated a historical site. Typical of many Gothic churches, it has a Latin Cross floor plan with a center and two side aisles. Its roof is 23 meters (75 feet) high, with the bell tower 45 meters (148 feet) tall. The exterior lacks any significant decorative elements, such as gargoyles.

When I stopped to take the exterior photo at dusk, a Korean nun stopped to greet my friend and me. After inquiring about where we were from and what brought us to Korea (my friend and I are both teachers at Seoul Foreign School), the nun switched from Korean to a mixture of French and English. She explained that she has been living in France. Although my French was a bit rusty, it felt good to be able to converse a bit - vs. my nonexistent Korean! It did feel a bit strange speaking French to a Korean nun.

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