Two last days in Seoul

← PreviousIn Seoul, you need to get some perspective

Tuesday 20 May

Maybe we're no longer cut out for big-city life, or maybe it's the pace with such a young child that throws us a little. Either way, we decide to head for the countryside and make for Bukhansan National Park. After two metros and a bus, where Clémence is still the undisputed star, we get off at the park entrance. We find the entrance easily and set off on a small 2.5-kilometre climb. Surprisingly, the park's outskirts are full of shops. You can buy everything you need for hiking from well-known brands, or something to eat. We grab a hot chocolate, the little one's new passion, and a coffee, and off we go.

The first section is a gentle slope on a very easy path. We pass lots of elderly, even very elderly, people. Hiking is a national sport in South Korea and they take it very seriously. Their gear is complete and state of the art. They look surprised to see Clémence walking on her own and greet her with amusement. The little one climbs without complaining, going up steps almost taller than she is, and at a good pace!

Stéphane carries her in the backpack when it gets too hard and slippery, but against her will. The last section has 300 metres of climbing over one kilometre, so she doesn't have much choice. We go slowly, because with Clémence in it the backpack must weigh close to twenty kilos, a hefty load on the back and thighs. The Koreans we pass are very surprised to learn we're heading for the summit of Wonhyobong, but that's where we're going.

After a long climb in tiny steps, we finally reach the huge rocks that form the ridge. From here there's a very wide panorama over Seoul and its surroundings, as well as the rest of the park. We sit out of the wind and nibble little sandwiches. Little feral cats prowl around us, and one of them scratches Clémence's hand when she tries to give it a bit. She has a big cry, and we take the opportunity to put her back in the backpack and start the descent.

Because we have to go back the way we came, and the way down is almost harder on the legs than the way up. You have to avoid slipping and watch where you put your feet. Clémence now talks almost like an adult and shares all her observations with us. We debrief the little cat's attack at great length until we reach a more stable section. Then she walks on her own to the bus stop. The bus doesn't take us to the metro but to a gigantic playground. She tries every activity (a new passion for the swings) but always ends up coming back to play with us. Tonight she's baking imaginary pizzas, bringing them over and then saying "oh noooo, I dropped it, I have to start again."

The clock is ticking and we've been playing for more than an hour and a half, so we take the metro back to Seoul. We stop at yesterday's little market to eat in a very cute restaurant with a little pond, fish and a water wheel. Clémence doesn't want to eat anything; she's tired, so we go home and put her to bed at 8 on the dot.

Wednesday 21 May

"I'm sick." Words every parent dreads, even more so when travelling. Clémence says them on waking just before 9 am, then tells us she feels like throwing up. Two minutes later she does, in the shower. We rack our brains: we haven't eaten anything hard to digest, there wasn't that much sun yesterday so it can't be sunstroke, and she has no fever.

We decide to take it easy this morning and do nothing, even though after being sick she seems perfectly normal. We still go out for breakfast, and she seems in great shape. That's confirmed at the playground, where she goes with Cassandre. Despite the heavy, stifling heat, she has a whale of a time while Stéphane gets the bikes checked at a bike shop.

Tomorrow is the big day, so everything has to be spot on. The mechanic checks everything and gives it all the OK. We go back for a walk around Cheonggyecheon Stream, the pretty little stream that brings air to the city. Clémence loves putting her feet in the water and crossing from bank to bank by jumping on the stones. We try our luck again at the very popular restaurant Niroumianguan, where the little one literally devours half of our noodles.

This morning's scare has definitely passed, and we go off to wander around two more of the city's royal palaces: Changdeokgung and Changgyeonggung. Lingering in the alcoves, you can imagine life long ago in this huge green space. The buildings are original and typically Korean. There are ponds with fish, which fascinate Clémence far more than fragments of history.

In fact, we find the whole thing lacks context, as there are few explanations of what the buildings were, and those there are only in Korean. A guided tour might be the answer, but that's impossible with such a young child. She's getting a little bored anyway, so we go back to the playground next door that she liked a few days ago. Here you can bounce on trampolines, climb ropes, scramble and jump. There's even an exercise corner, once again used by rather elderly people. We go wild for a long while before heading back to the flat for a well-earned shower.

We go out again very quickly to eat at the Myeongdong night market. There, an avalanche of noise and lights hits us. There are street-food stalls everywhere; we grab a sausage wrapped in fish cake, another coated in fried potatoes, then an egg bread. We walk all around the neighbourhood watching the street vendors. Clémence asks for a chicken skewer, so the chef flambés it before our eyes. She tucks in on the way back, as it's already 8 pm and she needs to sleep. Cassandre is motivated and goes for a run from Mapo metro station along the Han River, on the greenway we'll ride tomorrow, while Stéphane puts the little one to bed. Tomorrow the trip really begins!