[Well-curated] High-speed thrills, cushiony pretzels and art with music

Enjoy playing racing games like Mario Kart or KartRider?

At Ganghwa Luge located at Ganghwa Seaside Resort in Incheon, you can enjoy the thrill of a high-speed ride in real life.

Some 50 kilometers west of Seoul, Ganghwa Luge located on the foothills of a mountain offers a spectacular view of the horizon on the West Sea.

After buying tickets, make sure to pick up a safety helmet before taking the five-minute gondola ride to the starting point.

Brief safety instructions are offered for first-time luge drivers.

The luge runs on gravity and the slope of the course and does not use any power source. The 1.8-kilometer track, the longest course in Asia, offers a dynamic driving experience and a unique way to enjoy the mountains and the seascape.

Ticket prices vary by the number of rides, ranging from 19,000 won to 50,000 won.

Children who are younger than 10 or shorter than 120 centimeters should ride with an adult.

Ganghwa Luge is open Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends.

Visit UFO Observatory for a cup of coffee and snacks or take a stroll at Forest Adventure -- a 700-meter trail next to the observatory -- surrounded by lush pine trees.

Note that Ganghwa Luge will be closed from Dec. 5 to 13 for maintenance.

If you are tired of bagels, which swept the country with their over-the-top fillings and flavors, why not try pretzels this weekend?

Soft pretzel store Bready Post is located near Sinyongsan Amorepacific Station Exit No. 1.

Immediately after entering through a white door next to the Mexican food franchise Got Eat, the unique scent of soft pretzels surrounds you.

The bakery, located on the second floor, is decorated with a retro and European theme and also run as a cafe. The space is filled with props including a rotary dial phone, a typewriter and old-style suitcases. One side of the wall is covered with dozens of pretzel-shaped props.

The store currently sells six varieties of soft pretzels — plain, coconut, cinnamon, pepperoni, chocolate and its signature butter pepper.

The signature pretzel is topped with condensed milk buttercream. Black pepper is sprinkled on top of the cream to cut through the buttery taste.

Since the butter pepper pretzel is on the sweet side, it goes well with a cup of black coffee.

There is a minimum order of one beverage per person at the shop.

The pepperoni pretzel is baked with black olives, slightly spicy chili and cheese and topped with pepperoni slices. The taste is similar to a pepperoni pizza, but with a chewier and softer dough.

The store also offers many different kinds of cream cheese including plain, garlic and spring onion, blueberry, basil and yuja. The store also has cream cheese pairing recommendations for each pretzel on the wall.

The bakery is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. However, many of the popular pretzels sell out by noon, especially on the the weekends.

Musical performance at MMCA

Contemporary Korean art and a musical performance featuring traditional Korean musical instruments and Western musical instruments will be presented together this weekend at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary art, Korea.

Kinetic art by Choe U-ram, whose solo exhibition “MMCA Hyundai Motor Series 2022: Choe U-Ram – Little Ark” is taking place at the museum, will be accompanied by performances by the musical duo “CelloGayageum” that consists of cellist Sol Daniel Kim and gayageum player Yoon Da-young. Just like Choe’s works that bring together humans and machines that are integrated in harmony, the two musical instruments from different cultures will collaborate to create music.

The hourlong show will take place at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday and 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday at the museum. Anyone who holds a ticket to the exhibition are invited to see the performance.

The program is prepared jointly by the MMCA and the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation.

The exhibition itself runs through Feb. 26, 2023.