Today was yet another freezing cold day, and I spent it looking at some of the oldest castles, buildings and gardens in Seoul.
First up I went for a walk along Cheonggyecheon, a semi-artificial creek which runs though the centre of the town, uncovered kind of recently after being buried under a highway when Korea was expanding.
It would have prettier at night, but even during the day it was beautiful, with dozens of bridges and stepping stones across it.
After the creek, I walked up north a bit to Jongmyo, a temple to celebrate the lives and deaths of past kings and crown princes.
I was lucky enough to be the only person on the tour, so I got to have a great chat with the girl running the tour.
Connected to the temple is the palace the Kings lived in, Deoksugung, after the first Japanese invasion. It was beautifully decorated and intricate. Unlike Japan, where many buildings were destroyed by earthquake and fire, here, many of them were destroyed by Japan.
The gardens to the North of the Palace were perhaps the most impressive part though, with heaps of modest buildings set up for leaning and education, with a whole library for the royal family and academics to study in.
Finally, I headed to the original Palace, Gyeongbokgung. The size of it was incredible, with dozens of extra buildings and shines surrounding it.
I really just can't get over the sheer size of the place, and the amazing backdrop of the mountains behind it. Totally worth being out in the freezing cold weather!
Tomorrow, some K-Pop xx