Jeonju

A couple of weekends ago, thanks to a Friday off from work, HT and I took a trip to Jeonju in the afternoon to visit his old boss and boss' wife. It was a lovely day and they happened to be celebrating their 38th wedding anniversary. It was our second time in Jeonju, our first visit was back in August, and it was a different feeling to be there together again.

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.

listen to | carly rae jepsen

Carly Rae Jepsen | I Really Like You

Give this song another listen because it's just a lot of fun. And the video stars Tom Hanks, so it's awesome (also, there's a cameo of J. Biebs at the end).

Oh, did I say too much?
I'm so in my head
When we're out of touch
I really really really really really really like you
And I want you, do you want me, do you want me, too?

seoul: gyeongbokgung

Despite the rain, we couldn't leave Seoul without exploring one of its beautiful palaces. We chose Gyeongbokgung as it was highly recommended by pretty much every tourist site about the city.

And they weren't wrong.

Gyeongbokgung was the main royal palace during the Joseon Dynasty, built in the 1300s.

Let that sink in a little bit.

Even though parts of the palace have been renovated and reconstructed since the destruction during the Japanese occupation, there once were kings and queens walking along these grounds. Feels straight out of a fairy tale.

That's what I absolutely love about Korea, realizing just how ancient and historically rich everything is. I probably say that in every post. Seeing this gorgeous place in the middle of a modern city gives a sensation you can only feel for yourself.

The palace grounds were pretty impressive. It took us a good couple of hours to walk around (+ a museum). There were English tours offered, but we went our own pace with the audio tour since the available times didn't quite match our timing.

My absolute favourite part was hands down the Hyangwonjeong Pavillion. This was so breathtaking to experience in person, in part because the light rain felt more like falling magic. Completely ethereal.

There was a kind lady who offered to take a picture of Ivonne and I after we did took some for her and her companion. In fact, she took several minutes composing, telling us to move here and there, and waiting for other people to move out of the way to take the perfect shot. We thought for sure that during those several (slightly awkward) minutes we got a keeper. And yes, we did, kinda.

I suppose we should be flattered that she thought we should be the focal point of the photo, not the gorgeous pavilion behind us!

We took a selfie from a different angle, laughed and gave up.

We popped over to the National Folk Museum of Korea next. We had free admission since we'd already paid for our visit to the palace. They stamped our hand and let us through.

Elliott had his "Thumbelina Moment" finding little buildings and people just his size!

We decided it was time to go back out for fresh air when I overheard him asking the others how much the pay was for a gig like this.

We found our Zodiak friends just outside. Since I was born in the Year of the Rabbit, here I am with Tokki and little Elliott, of course.

Before we said goodbye to the palace, we observed the changing of the guards at the Gwanghwamun (the main gate). It was an impressive ceremony to behold. Each uniform was inspected before switching places as a drumbeat pounded on.

Getting there:

Gyeongbokgung (경복궁) Address:
161 Sajik-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (Sejong-ro)
서울특별시 종로구 사직로 161 (세종로)

Subway options:
-Gyeongbokgung Palace Station (Seoul Subway Line 3), Exit 5 (We used this option) 
-Gwanghwamun Station (Seoul Subway Line 5), Exit 2

And, for more info on the palace, click here.