Last year, I stayed at a B&B nearby to spend a weekend at the Jongno area as a tourist. Yes, after living in Seoul for many years, as an assignment from the Seoul City government, I booked a room, and shopped and dined in the area like a real tourist. It was a different experience trying to pretend like a real tourist after having lived in the city and roamed this area on several occasions over the years.
On that 'tour', I discovered a chestnut vendor selling cooked chestnuts at that exit near Anguk Station. That time, he was selling alone. This time, on this weekend when I ventured around Insa-dong, I looked for that stall and saw that there was an elderly Korean lady helping him; I presumed she was his wife. And since I haven't tasted chestnuts since Christmas, I had to buy a small pouch worth KRW5,000 from them.
I wondered how many hours each day they have to stand there out in the cold to even make break-even. But today, I was just happy to contribute to their business. In return, I was able to enjoy chestnuts again since Christmas.
So, on your next visit to Insa-dong, do wander around Exit 6 of the Anguk Station and buy some cooked chestnuts from the couple; they're my couple of the week.
