Seoul has been the capitol city of Korea forever, and it has ample historical palaces and shrines to prove it. We started the day with Changdeokgung Palace – one of 5 major palaces in the city – partly because it’s a grand palace and partly because this is also the sight of the Secret Gardens which I read were not to be missed.
Vibrant colors along the roofline struck us immediately. We’ve been to plenty of temples, but none with such amazing colors.
It was already hot out at 9:15am when we got there, so we took our time inspecting the palace grounds. The buildings were cooler, which was impressive since they were built at least 600 years before air conditioning was invented, but sadly, they don’t let tourists meander through the historically significant buildings too much.
Tours are mandatory to see the Secret Gardens – otherwise I would almost never book a group tour if I didn’t have to – and so we booked the first one of the day at 10:30. The gardens are nestled between two palace properties, and they are so very different from what I typically think of when I think of a garden. European – particularly British – influence on Americans means that we think of gardens as plots of land with ornamental flowers and plants, maybe a water feature, and probably a bench or two. Gardens in Asia are very different, usually with a spiritual, meditative, or other significant purpose behind their design. I feel that they have a better sense of balance and feel more natural (less manicured), which I find enjoyable.
By the time our tour ended at 11:45, we were ready for lunch and a cool place to sit for a bit. Luke had done a bit of research and found a vegan restaurant called Osegyehyang, in Isadong (a neighborhood adjacent to where our hotel is). Since the shops of Isadong were on the hit list anyway, we set off to see what an all-vegan restaurant in one of the most carnivore-centric cities in the world would be like. The bar at this point was low – as long is it had water, AC, and something I could eat, we were going to be happy.
Oh. My. Gosh, This place was SO good! Luke and I shared dumplings. Now, I am no dumpling expert since they are typically meat-filled so I don’t get them, but I thought they were amazing. Luke also thought thy were amazing, and he IS a dumpling expert. I also got the Korean sweet and spicy fried “chicken” and that was similarly fabulous! Koreans really know how to do a good spicy sauce…I don’t think anybody else does it better. Anna-Sophia had the fried “shrimp” which she said were incredibly close in texture to actual shrimp.
After stuffing ourselves with vegan food, we did some shopping. Isadong is a mix of tourist-trap type places and adorable little boutiques. We bought some souvenirs and gifts for others as we meandered through the tiny alleyways of the neighborhood.
Like Japan, Korea also seems to have an obsession with cute characters. Some translate well, some less so. There’s Sanrio, of course. I liked Brachio the dinosaur from Line Friends who was cute and sweet, but reminded you that he could still kill you if he wanted. We also saw the syrup pals – 3 little bear-like creatures that were part of the lineup at the Butter store. You get the idea…
We dropped Luke off for a bit so he could rest while Anna-Sophia and I went to Myeongdong, another shopping district. The walk alone was entertaining, with a river crossing, public art, and tons of street food along the way.
Shopping is Seoul’s greatest pastime, it seems, alongside eating. Interestingly, Korean culture leans toward conformist, so while there is a ton of merchandise to buy, there are also very strong, recurring themes to that merchandise. And all of it is displayed in multi-sensory forms, often on racks on the sidewalk or street, under super bright lights, with music blaring. Two vendors can be adjacent to each other and each can be playing totally different songs and nobody seems to notice.
We had plans to go to a night market, as well, but by 8:30pm, we were getting pretty tired and our feet were killing us, so we head back to the hotel. Seoul has a lot to offer at all minutes of the day, and that is simultaneously exhilarating and exhausting!
Vacation Days 