Day 12 : Secret Garden and Bukchon

Started with a 10k around Gyeongbokgung Palace and through downtown Seoul before the city properly woke up.

A few hours of work back at the Airbnb, then lunch at Salt Meat Deli - a proper deli find in a city full of them.

Ben had a recovery day. YouTube, Airbnb, no complaints from him I don’t think.

Afternoon into Bukchon Hanok Village - the old neighbourhood of traditional Korean houses that sits between two palaces. The narrow laneways and tiled rooftops feel like a completely different Seoul to the one you walk through at ground level. Grabbed some souvenirs. May have overpaid.

Then the Secret Garden tour at Changdeokgung Palace.

The ticketed guided tours are the only way in, which keeps it feeling like a private adventure - even with a crowd.

Bus home to check in on Ben. Still alive. Still watching YouTube.

A bit more work, then back out to Itaewon and Insadong for dinner and shopping. Tracked down more salt bread - if you haven’t had Korean salt bread, imagine a croissant that balances salty and buttery at the same time. And it’s zero calories too which is amazing……and not true.

Got a caricature done of Krissi and I. May go back to get one of Jerry. I mean the kids….

Picked up some Craft beers. Back to the room.

26,000 steps today. Averaging 22,000 for the week. The legs are cooked.Read more