The day started with a lunch at a place that only served fresh, local foods and a stroll around Geumsansa, one of Jeonju's famous temples. A lot of it was under construction and they were preparing for a festival, so we couldn't see it in its prime. Impressive nonetheless.
Afterwards, they drove us around on an epic search for the thousands of cosmos currently in season lining the roads which was so beautiful. It was also incredible to see the rice fields. The flat, golden land stretched out for miles, not a sight seen very often in this country covered in mountains. Perfect Sunday afternoon drive material.
We also briefly wandered the traditional hanok village with them in search of the beautiful, one of a kind carvings made from the jujube tree for their anniversary gift, and then we ended our "double-date" with some bibimbap for dinner.
It always impresses me how kind and generous Koreans can be when they have a chance to show you who they are. On the street, it is off-putting how some can just bump into you or straight up push you out of the way without a word. But when you get to spend time together, some can make you feel like family.
Korean was the language of the day of course, but HT translated for me and the captain spoke some English to me too. Even though the lady only knew limited words, she really made an effort to communicate with me through pictures on her phone of her family and teaching me a few words in Korean. She even gave me a hug when we said goodbye, which is again, kind of a rare thing amongst strangers here. My head hurt a bit from trying to keep up with some of their conversations, but they made me feel comfortable despite it.
Before leaving Jeonju, HT and I stopped by a cozy little cafe that I can only describe as Korea Meets Anthropologie. The traditional style house, white walls, dark wood, quirky decor, adorable music and porcelain kitties--I couldn't resist.
If only these little treasures could be just a teensy bit closer to my Yeosu.
