Gwanghwamun and Jongno-gu – Seoul, South Korea

Today was a grey, snowy day and so was the mood. Although I could pretend we have no issues with the children travelling, that would be a lie. At some point, there is always a struggle day, where fatigue and irritability set in….. today was it. After our huge day yesterday, it isn’t a surprise.

But, I ushered everyone out the door at 10:30am. To start, we taxied to Gwanghwamun gate, the main entrance to Gyeongbokgung Palace. This is the largest of the five palaces in Seoul and dates back to 1395. It has been through many restorations and dynasties, each adding to and repairing when it was destroyed by Japanese invasions. The most recent restoration was of the main gate in 2010 (because of age not the Japanese!).

We timed our arrival to watch the changing of the guard. This was a colourful and interesting spectacular that kept the teens quiet for a short while. The guard’s weapons and their inspections were quite intriguing.

Many of the other tourists were dressed in traditional Hanboks, an act that gains you free entrance to the palace. I’m not sure what they cost to hire, but considering you get your makeup and hair done too, I’m willing to bet it is significantly more than the ticket into the palace. I’m sure it is a great experience, but today none of them looked to be very warm!

Knowing the teens were in no mood to trudge through a palace full of museums and history, history, history. We moved through the main courtyard, took a picture of Heungnyemun Gate and carried on to our next destination….. Starbucks.

After refuelling, the mood was slightly better and we moved on to Bukchon Hanok Village. This was my favourite part of the day. Here, you can wander around 900 Hanok (traditional Korean homes). Some have been transformed into shops or cafes, others into unique hotels. Many are still residential so there are loads of signs asking tourists to be quiet and respectful.

The area was enchanting, as were its inhabitants. We found a friend who escorted us for much of the way. She was definitely no stray, with a beautiful shiny coat and collar. Our self appointed tour guide. I love how animals instinctively know who to befriend.

After a Korean beef BBQ lunch, we have retreated to the hotel to watch the snow from a warm vantage point. The rest of the day looks pretty miserable and after a huge day yesterday a quiet afternoon is in order.

Incidentally, for those who have been wondering……. Today we saw our first protestors, two men in their 50-60s holding signs in front of the Constitutional Court of Korea. There is a high police presence in the city, but we have seen no evidence of trouble (we are avoiding the common protest spots though).

TTB