Soles pacing Seoul

This morning we did a hop on-hop off bus tour of Seoul. As we walked to the bus stop we came across a photo display of the Korean War. It was a poignant reminder of the suffering of war and that this is the only still-divided country in the world.

The first stop we took was Myeongdong where we visited the Catholic cathedral. There was a statue there of St Andrew Kim, one of the many martyrs of this land but the best known.

Carrying on a bit further we went to the Namsangol traditional Korean village. This is made up of seven traditional houses that have been moved there and restored. It is wonderful to see the old craftsmanship restored in this modern and sprawling city of some 11 million people.

Next stop was the Changgyeong Palace. Again the craftsmanship of this palace was incredible.

We had a brief wander around Insadong which was an area of traditional teahouses, craft and art shops. We opted for a coffee at Starbucks instead. Today was a public holiday – Buddha’s birthday.

Tonight we went wandering around the Namdaemun Market and had a wonderful meal in one of the many street stall restaurants.

Tomorrow we fly to Tel Aviv – it maybe a day or two until the next post goes up.