On our last marathon day in Seoul, my sister and I checked out another place that was right next door to our hotel in Gangnam. At the Seoul Center for Important Intangible Cultural Assets, we took silly pictures (see above)!, wandered through galleries, and checked out studios where master craftsmen produce things like norigae (decorative tassels) and calligraphy.

And then it was on to another part of the city to visit the university my grandfather founded. We saw this fantastic cart en route:

and stopped for lunch. It wasn’t exactly what we were expecting!

The last time I was in this part of the city about five years ago, this stream area was still under construction:

After a lot of aimless wandering, we finally found our way to the university, where my grandfather, an uncle, and our own father were presidents, and where another uncle is currently the president:

my grandfather

my dad

We finally ended our last day in the Bukchon Hanok Village. This is a residential area in the center of Seoul, between the palaces of the Joseon Dynasty – Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung. These traditional houses (“hanok”) were the residences of high-ranking government officials and aristocrats. They have been carefully preserved and are still used as private homes. Some have been converted into shops and restaurants.

There were so many other places I wanted to go, but didn’t have the time. It will have to wait until my next visit to Korea!