Our last day in Seoul

Not much happened yesterday—hence there was no blog post. Sometimes there are just days when you take it a bit easy, and that was one of those days.

We only went to a local café, where the coffee nerd got to brew coffee himself. Sort of a small pop-up or guest appearance behind the bar. While cold, wet weather prevailed outside, it was cozy inside—and with the temperatures, this quiet day fit perfectly.

Aside from that, we used the time to plan our further trip. Trains, hotels, and flights were booked, routes considered, and the next stage of the journey became a bit more concrete. Not spectacular, but necessary—and somehow also part of the travel feeling.

Today, however, we went out again, as the weather turned out to be mostly dry. So we seized the opportunity to explore royal burial mounds in the middle of Seoul. Quiet, spacious grounds that provide a nice contrast to the otherwise vibrant city. Here, King Seongjong, his wife Queen Jeonghyeon, and King Jungjong were buried.

King Seongjong was the ninth king of the Joseon Dynasty and ruled in the late 15th century. The crazy thing is: he ascended the throne at just twelve years old and led the country through a phase of cultural and legal consolidation during his reign.

His wife, Queen Jeonghyeon, survived him by a considerable margin and continued to play an important role at court after his death.

The reign of King Jungjong, the eleventh king of the Joseon Dynasty, however, was considerably more turbulent and marked by power struggles.

The grave mounds still seem surprisingly peaceful—gentle, grassy rises that invite you more for a walk and reflection than for awe.

After this calm and contemplative start to the day, there was—unsurprisingly—yet another coffee.

Afterwards, we went to a mall to browse a bit. Unfortunately, the very item I wanted to buy was already sold out. But at least: So you can see what I'm talking about—this is what the countless Gacha machines look like that are everywhere here.

Since we were in this part of Seoul anyway, we made a stop at the café of the 2nd Korean Brewers Cup Champion. The coffee nerd was really eager to buy a UFO Dripper (or something similar) there—a fancy tool for pour-over coffee brewing.

The coffee there was also absolutely top-notch regardless. I can't really describe the flavors, but it was just really, really good.

After that, we went back to the hotel one last time. The next day, we would continue—by train to Busan. So in the evening: gather everything, forget nothing, pack backpacks sensibly, and prepare for departure.

And thus ended our last day in Seoul.