Peter Bartholomew's Joseon Seoul RASKB Tour

We met at 9am in front of Deoksugung.

Our first stop then was Deoksugung.

Every time Peter does this tour, there's some new development to agitate him. This was the first of three by my count.

He's right, chimneys can be aesthetically pleasing.

Admiring the detail in the wall.

There's that palace building under renovation again.

Leaving out the back way.

This building was previously a library if I remember correctly (which I might not) and then got taken over by foreigners in the late 19th century and used as the Seoul Club.

When we got here, everyone was already interested in sitting or lying down.

And uphill we go.

There's that abandoned highrise building. That used to be on palace property.

Looking back over the Jeong-dong area.

I'd never seen this view of Gyeonghuigung before.

And now you can see Peter's second disappointment of the day, which blocked off the path we were supposed to take.

Yep, gates closed.

Obviously not part of the tour.

As can be expected at a place like this, the fence really wasn't built to physically keep you out.

This is how the palace grounds looked under Japanese occupation. It had been demolished and a boys' school was built on the spot, with a gymnasium right where the throne room would have been so the kids could stomp all over its stone foundation.

Today.

Checking again for a way through.

That's as far as we go.

Peter apparently is a relatively recently converted cat person.

This bomb shelter was built by the Japanese.

This tree reminds me of Millie with her bald tummy.

Here's another example of an archaeological site "preserved" under glass.

Does Peter's shadow look a bit like Homer Simpson?

Looking down into this old stream, I wanted to see where this led.

Nowhere really.

The other side has no openings.

Then we got lunch and reassembled.

Walking through Seochon.

I made a quick detour to visit the spite house, which is still in the same spot as before.

And still as useless as ever.

Interesting that we have the same sign in Bukchon but it's in multiple languages.

Three people on a scooter, pulling up to Cheong Wa Dae. The cops let them by.

Peter lectures along the wall of Gyeongbokgung.

A traditional Korean Street Churros in Samcheongdong.

Last stop, just like what I joined last year, was Unhyeonggung. I'd heard most of this part before, which was good because there was a loud nongak concert elsewhere in the grounds.

This girl paid no attention and wandered through our group.

A pretty dramatic shot of Peter.

This is the room where Peter stayed for a few days when he first moved to Seoul, I think in the early '70s. He moved to another room next, then had to leave the palace entirely because he was fed up with the ladies-in-waiting.

Peter points this out as a good example of one style of traditional brickwork, if you can forgive all the mortar. Which--I finally got confirmed--is not a traditional thing at all, just lazy craftsmanship.

The next king.

Then in City Hall Station I found this mural which recreates the entire day.

Also, here are the three finalists for worst slogan of Seoul.