While Tie is working on a post about our First Class Korean Air flight experience, let’s start blogging about our latest trip to Korea before I forget everything. The first leg of our Asia trip was in Seoul. When people think of Seoul, they probably imagine tall buildings and a very metropolitan area. True, but if you want to take a break from the city, Bokchon Village is within walking distance from Gyeongbokgung Palace. There you can find some beautiful hanok (traditional Korean houses). Just remember to keep your voices down, as this is also a residential area. There are signs reminding you of that everywhere. The paths are pretty well-marked – just be on the lookout for maps. There’s an observatory as well as several small shops. At the very end there is also some street food and places you can pick up souvenirs.

Some places allow you to enter and explore. Others are residential (usually you can tell because they have a very advanced-looking lock/security system in place).

Found this gem in an alleyway.