Excursions in Seoul

Gyeongbokgung

Gyeongbokgung was the royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty that ruled ancient Korea. It was originally built in 1395, but was burned down completely by the Japanese in 1592 (this is information from the brochure, not from memory). In 1867 the palace was rebuilt only to have the Japanese destroy it again in 1915. It's no wonder that the rivalry between the countries is so intense. It's rebuilding has been a long process and is still underway.

The entrance to the palace and a picture of us with a traditional Korean palace guard.

The King's Throne

This building is where the king had his throne, hence it was the primary building for political affairs. Here the king had meetings, met emissaries, and conducted ceremonies.

Gyeonghoeru Pavilion

This pavilion served as a banquet hall for the king.

Interesting Food...

After visiting the palace with our Korean friends, we stopped by a Korean market to sample some traditional Korean food. It was an interesting experience to say the least.

On the left is pig's feet. They were very fleshy and chewy, with little or no flavor. Most of what was edible (not bone) was skin. It was pretty disgusting, but I had what my mom would call a "no thank you serving." On the right is pig intestine stuffed with noodles, vegetables, and some meat. The flavor wasn't great, but it was much better than pigs feet. We also had a stir fry with cow lung and vegetables. Again, this was too chewy and fleshy for my liking.

Fortunately, we also ordered some more familiar Korean dishes as well. Noodle soup on the left and Dak Bokki (chewy rice cakes in a spicy, sweet sauce) on the right.

Cherry Blossoms and Yeouido

For about a 2-3 week period in April, cherry blossom trees bloom and line some of the streets in Seoul. We headed to and island in the Han River, Yeouido, in the center of the city where the trees are most prominent.

Yeouido Park

Yeouido Park is a large park in the center of Seoul.

The Korean National AssemblyThis is Korea's government building where their National Assembly meets.