Changdeokgung Palace

During the Chusok holiday we decided to take advantage of having less crowds here in Seoul. This is the biggest holiday of the year and most people travel to visit their families and/or places or birth. Our Korean friends say it is a bit like Thanksgiving in the U.S. It is tied to the full moon so the actual holiday varies in month and day each year. Many people take this holiday to travel out of the country also...many went to Vietnam and Thailand. Next year we will have a better idea of how things run and where to go.

The photo with this post was taken at the Changdeokyung Palace Secret Garden. It was really beautiful. A French fellow with a very high-tech camera took the picture. He looked at my simple Kodak with almost confusion....haha. I hope to 'upgrade' soon. My Dad sent the camera edition of Consumer Reports...so we are doing our research!

A little background regarding the palace. It was built in 1405, the fifth year of King Taejong's reign during the Joseon Dynasty. As is the case with most of the palaces and temples...it was burned during the Japanese invasion . It was rebuilt during the reign of King Kwanghaegun (1608-1623), and functioned as the main palace for the longest period in Joseon history. www.cdg.go.kr We took the English speaking tour so there was quite a variety of people. I have included a few additional photos.

After the tour we walked around Insadong for a bit but quickly realized that most of our favorite places to browse were closed for the holiday. We called Chris' buddy Rogelio (he lives near the palace) for dinner. As we were leaving 'Somerset' where he lives, we walked through a revolving door to exit. We were right behind a German group and we spotted a Korean woman standing at an angle to the door. All of a sudden she rushed the glass encasement and actually broke her glasses and cut her face. It was the loudest 'thud' I have heard in quite a while. We felt so sorry for her. Her family rushed to her aide so they didn't need further assistance...but now when I wear my glasses I do a 'sweep' of the area to make sure I'm not walking into a glass panel! :-)