And We Can Be Royals

Our first full-day here in Seoul is only half-over and already it's been impressive. There is so much I want to write about~ I can already tell I'm going to have a hard time covering it all in this blog. We caught up on some sleep and before we headed out, we chatted, via Facetime, with Cole and Andy on the iPad. Thirty years ago, the idea of video chatting, for free no less, was barely something you could imagine possible. The time difference works because just as Cole was getting ready for bed around 7:30PM DC time (on Friday), we were finishing breakfast and getting ready to head out at 8:30AM Seoul time (on Saturday). A perfect start to our day!

 

Mom, my cousin's husband, Mr. Park, and I went straight to Changdeok-gung, one of many historic Korean palaces that can be found in Seoul.

This wonderful historic site was originally built between 1405 and 1412, but was destroyed, reconstructed and renovated over the past several centuries. It was used as a royal residence up until 1966.

 

We arrived right on time for the English language tour and it was impressive. Apparently, the striking and colorful paint on the buildings was reserved solely for royals, but it also serves to help with preservation of the wood. The many structures were all unique and each had a different purpose, from King's quarters to Queen's quarters to areas designated for the review of military troops.

 

 

I told Cole we'd be visiting a King's palace. His respons: "Do you think there will be any invaders?" I am happy to report, Cole, no, there were no invaders when we visited.

 

The site also includes Biwon, the "secret garden", a lovely forested preserve that was a retreat area for royals.

 

 

 

We walked around the compound for about 2 hours and while we could have explored or just enjoyed the quiet gardens longer, we were hungry and ready for lunch.

Mr. Park had a special place mind, Koong dumpling house.

 

A family-run restaurant for 75 years in the Insadong neighborhood, it was the perfect spot for a lovely and delicious lunch. We watched dumplings being made in the window as we waited in line for seats.

 

We ordered soup to share and an extra order of Gae Seong dumplings, stuffed with pork, green onions and other seasoning, and we ate like royals! The soup was prepared with fresh vegetables right at the table.

 

After lunch, we headed out for a stroll in Insadong, a market area jam-packed with tourists, food stalls, souvenirs, art shops and more. It is a ripe audience for buskers, but I was not expecting this sight:

 

 

However, I'm not sure I'd be prepared anywhere to run into two American girls singing folk songs on the street and soliciting cash tips. Whether locals or not, I'm not sure any of the onlookers knew quite what to think.

 

Insadong was crowded but a feast for the eyes. But, I'm tired and we've got a family get-together to get to, so I'll leave you with this food stall snapshot. We definitely didn't have these kind of cones at the Dairy Barn. Until the next post!

 

 

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