After a 14 hour flight, we arrived in Seoul in the late afternoon and by the time we found our reserved pocket wifi, bought a T-Money card and added funds to it, found the subway, and took the hour-long trip into Seoul and our hotel, it was about 9pm. All we had the time and energy for was popping into the closest 7-eleven for some instant ramen, a sandwich, bananas, and drinks that we took back to our hotel room and shared before getting into our very cozy beds and falling asleep.
The next morning we were all awake very early and so took our time to head into the city to the Gangnam area to check out some shops, before finding a super cute gimbap lunch spot near our hotel. They had a vegan gimbap that was delicious, and came with seaweed soup, kimchi, and some condiments. We loved it and loved sitting outside at a little wooden table on the street, while listening to sweet k-pop music. After lunch, we walked to Gyeongbokgung Palace (경복궁), under a hot sun and walked around the many buildings, peering into the interiors and taking pictures of the intricate, sloping rooftops set dramatically against the blue sky.
The entrance to the main building and courtyard is massive and we loved the grandeur of it and how monumental it is. I felt like I was in one of the (many) historical k-dramas I’ve watched over the years, and loved seeing in real life the setting for so many memorable shows that I’ve enjoyed and raved to K and R about for so long! One of our favourite parts was walking through the gardens to the east of the main palace and seeing some of the buildings set against a square pond and surrounded by gorgeous trees.
After braving the heat for an hour or so, we walked through one of the shopping streets in Insa-dong and made our way back to our hotel for a shower and rest before going for dinner at Zio Cucina Ikseon, a great Italian restaurant in Ikseon-dong that R had found. We had amazing pizzas and R tried a Schisandra-ade, simply to try something new that he’d never heard of before. Turns out it’s a popular Korean summer drink made with Schisandra – or five flavour berry – juice, mixed with sparkling water and ice, and it’s delicious!
Our first day in Seoul was quiet and amazing, highlighted by high heat, yes, but also incredible food, a lovely sense of ease, and impressive beauty wherever we looked. We’re in love with Seoul already.
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