NOTE FROM JONAH: These pictures belong to a small series “Two Hours and Twenty Minutes.” The pictures were all taken over the course of two hours and twenty minutes on November 1, 2011 between 3:21 pm and 5:41 in Seoul, South Korea. If you are just joining the series here’s what you’ve missed:

• The Soul of Seoul
• Hello Kitty de la Seoul
• Autumn: Good for the Seoul
• Heart in Seoul

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I don’t pretend to know much about South Korea. However, I do know something about foliage. But, I didn’t expect to see nice foliage in Seoul.

This less than 24-hour trip to Seoul happened to come right at a moment when the leaves were changing.

As someone who grew up chasing color and light in trees and avoiding pesky leaf peepers from New York (as they are called in Vermont) this was a really nice treat.

Outside the Changdok-Gunk Palace I decided to take a walk in a park. Golden leaves covered the ground within the park and even on the cities well built sidewalks.

I was surprised at how colorful this environment actually was. But what made it better was how people were acting in the park. The general feeling of the area was calm. Children played in leaves, adults laid under trees chatting and the classical architecture of Korea was highlighted by the colors of the trees around them.

I didn’t see any leaf peepers from New York, although I was probably the closest thing around. It was just an ordinary day. People went about their business in a normal fashion, with the occasional person taking a picture.

If you were to go to a foliage area in Beijing right now, you would be surrounded by Chinese men with enormous cameras and large groups being lead around by a group leader with a flag.

The peacefulness of fall actually existed in Seoul. Although I grew up in this kind of colorful and peaceful environment by being in China the past three autumns I had almost forgot how nice fall can be.