Feeling a little sentimental today—I’m starting the month with an article on Seoul, and it brought me back to the day my sister and I first explored the city. It was a gorgeous autumn afternoon, and Seoul welcomed us into the city by going all out.

We had just had an incredibly filling Korean lunch, and when we stepped out of our restaurant, we saw that a full-on culture festival showcasing Seoul’s homegrown art and musical talents was happening by the Deoksugung Palace walls.

Being art and culture geeks, to say that M and I were absolutely thrilled is an understatement. But what really wowed us was when, while listening to this young girl play the piano on the street, we suddenly heard the thundering rumble of percussion and saw these vibrantly attired men make their way to the palace.

It turns out we were there right in time for the Changing of the Guards ceremony at Daehanmun Gate of Deoksugung Palace.

Because we thought we had already missed the ceremony, their sudden arrival was a pleasant surprise. :D

The ceremony, it turns out, happens thrice a day. We were lucky to have been there when we did as it was quite the spectacle. :)

After the ceremony ended, tourists were encouraged to take photos with the gatekeepers of the palace. Some were even wearing traditional korean garb, like this lady here:

After our encounter with Seoul’s men in uniform, my sister and I decided to walk around the city. We had a few hours to kill before watching Nanta that evening and we were delighted by the things we saw along the way:

Yeaaah, my mind is definitely somewhere in Seoul now.

Time to write that article!