Seoul- Last Day!

By the last day we were in Seoul we were full of mixed emotions.  We were definitely ready to get home but also had so many things we wanted to do and see before we left.  It was hard to settle on what do and where to go while at the same time wanting to pack our suitcases. 

We decided to do a little exploring on foot.  We headed into a quiet little neighborhood and did a little geocaching.  We also browsed some sort of outdoor health food fair and enjoyed some local art.  There was a man painting and had several of his pieces lining the streets leaning on the walls of one of the ancient palaces.  There were a couple that I had a hard time leaving leaning up against that wall! 

We went into the palace grounds and let Eliza Grace get down.  She RAN all over the place, up and down any steps she came to, and met all kinds of new friends.  When we entered the palace, they were in the middle of the changing of the guards.  One of the guards waiting to go on smiled and waved at her.  Then when we were looking into one of the buildings she met a little boy who was carrying around a couple of pine cones.  She managed to coax one of the pine cones out of his hands!  She also attempted to catch a pigeon with one of her fruit melts, but after he pecked at it a little he ran off.

Then we headed back to Insadong Market to do a little more shopping.  It was a great afternoon of browsing the shops and looking for things to share with our friends and family and to remind us of this incredible trip.  We went into a little print shop to look at some artwork and met the sweetest little lady.  She was so excited that we were adopting Eliza Grace and thanked us many times.  She also gave us a brass book mark to give to Eliza Grace.

We had a quick snack and then caught a cab back to the hotel.  When we got there Eliza Grace made it very clear she was not happy hanging around the room.  So we freshened up and headed back out.  Phil was determined to try some street food so we stopped by a vendor that was near our hotel.  As he was downing some sort of meat on a stick the lady selling it took EG from me.  Eliza Grace took one look at this lady and turned around and reached for me!!  It was definitely the highlight for me.  We continued our stroll underground to browse the little mall below our feet.  I got one of my favorite souvenirs- a little charm for my cell phone.  It's a turquoise blue Korean knot with a little silk bird and beads.  So sweet and delicate and a daily reminder of our time in our daughter's birth country!  We also went back to the Krispy Kreme to introduce Eliza Grace to one of the world's finer delicacies.  She thoroughly enjoyed it and we bought a few extra to eat the next morning before we went to the airport.

 Yummy Underground Supper and Dessert

We went back to the room and packed a little.  Our hotel was right across the street from the Seoul Design City a part of UNESCO- United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.  It looked like they were building some sort of huge stadium but in front of that was a stage area and there was some sort of live performance every night.  We heard everything from show tunes to Amazing Grace on the bag pipes.  We decided to go check it out this night and were treated to a live ballet performance!  How fun- but it really made me miss Miller.  She would have loved it!  We watched and chased Eliza Grace all over the place. 

What a day!  It was finally time to go to home, finish packing, and go to bed.