Day 4: Gyeongbokgung Palace

As soon as we dropped off our luggage, we left Rakkojae for Gyeongbokgung Palace. :) The palace is within walking distance from the hanok. ^.*

Gyeongbokgung Palace was first constructed in 1394 and reconstructed in 1867. Gyeongbokgung means "Palace of Shining Happiness".

We made it in time for the reenactment of the Changing of the Royal Guards and the Patrol Ritual. Yeah! :D The procession took place in front of Heungnyemun (Gate) at 10am.

Gyeongbokgung Palace is deemed to be the most beautiful and grandest of all five palaces in Korea.

Besides tourists, there were many students on excursion.

Some kids were obviously bored... :)))

I can't remember if we had been here with mom & beanie when we were younger...so some pics for future reference. ;)

There's a story behind every door...

The palace compound makes a splendid picnic spot. ^.* If only we had our picnic basket...

Surrounding the palace were ginkgo trees!!! :D

This little cutie was posing for her mom. :)

We spent quite some time under the yellow canopy...snapping pics! :)))

There were some red leaves too...

We were all thrilled by the yellow ginkgo trees. :)

Lin & I love yellow. It's such a cheery & hopeful colour. So be prepared for more yellow! :D

Don't you love such intimate moments with grandparents? :) Priceless.

We marvel at God's creations & thank Him for such perfect timing to enjoy our autumn in Seoul. :)

There were more visitors closer to noon. :) So it's a good idea to visit Gyeongbokgung palace in the morning. ;)

Time for lunch! :D

Direction to Gyeongbokgung:

Day 4: Boutique Hanok Guesthouse - Rakkojae 락고재

We wanted a glimpse into traditional Korean living. What better way than to check into Rakkojae, a boutique hanok guesthouse. We seemed to have travelled back in time. :)

This would be our "home" for two days. :)

There isn't much reception area to speak of. But it was lovely nonetheless.

Everyone, except Beanie was thrilled. :D He much prefers modern hotels...Dad can be real boring at times. Anyway it was a marvellous experience.

Take a peep into our bedroom

Our bathroom with modern fixtures

and the dining room where we savoured home cooked meals. :)

Our stay at Rakkojae was inclusive of breakfast & dinner. :)

1st dinner at Rakkojae:

Bulgogi & assorted pancakes

Ganjang-Gejang (crab marinated in soy bean sauce) and kelp soup

assortment of sides

1st breakfast at RKJ:

Porridge and grilled fish

Sides

Coffee

We were satisfied. :)

2nd dinner at RKJ:

BBQ Sirloin and hot soup with soy bean paste

Assortment of side dishes

2nd breakfast at RKJ:

Nutty bread with preserve and butter

Sunny side-up, bacon, coffee, orange juice & milk

Rakkojae provides natural mud sauna for its guests too. We tried it on our first night there. :)  

We would recommend Rakkojae to anyone who wants to experience the beauty of traditional Korean culture. :)

Details of Rakkojae 락고재:
Seoul-siJongno-gu Gye-dong 98
주소 : 서울시종로구계동 98
W: http://www.rkj.co.kr/

To get to Rakkojae:
Anguk Station (Line 3), Exit 2

Day 3: Awesome Dinner at Byeokje Galbi 벽제갈비

Woohoo! We had dinner at Byeokje Galbi!  Byeokje Galbi is a highly rated restaurant by The Wall Street Journal and we had to check it out ourselves! ;) The verdict? Love, love, love...

Lin & Tina took charge of ordering. ;)

As in all Korean restaurants, we were served an array of side dishes. :)

And here're our prized dishes, Hanusaenggalbi (premium Korean beef short ribs) and Yangnyeom-galbi (barbecued beef ribs with seasoned soy sauce).

The beef are from cows raised on a Pocheon farm under the direct management of the restaurant and is richly tender and utterly delicious.

The beef were cooked over charcoal.

Our friendly server assisted us in cooking these gorgeous beef. :)

We looked forward to our first bite...

Just a little salt is required to enhance the flavour of the beef. Fingers & toes up! :D

For Yangnyeom-galbi (barbecued beef ribs with seasoned soy sauce), we just ate them on its own. No salt is required.

To top off the dinner, we had Pyeongyang-naengmyeon (Pyeongyang style buckwheat noodles). It's a bowl of refreshing chilled noodles. :D

Finally, ume tea and melon to end the fabulous dinner. Bliss... :)

We would definitely come back to Byeokje Galbi the next time we visit Seoul. :)

Now, we just had to walk off the dinner at Dongdaemun.

Details of Byeokje Galbi 벽제갈비:
Bangi-dong Bongpiyang Branch
T: +82 2 415 5527
W: http://blog.naver.com/bjgalbi

To get to Byeokje Galbi:
Take Seoul Subway Line 5 to Bangi Station, Exit 4
Once you exit from Exit 4, just walk straight till you see the entrance to an open air carpark.

The restaurant is near the entrance of the carpark.