I love my MOM and DAD!

Families group photo (+ David) at Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul.

IT'S OFFICIAL: I have the most wonderful parents ever. I mean, they came all the way to KOREA to visit me! They could have gone to the Serengeti, the Amazon, London, any other possibly more 'appealing' destination. But No, they came to Korea! Thank you Mom and Dad, for such a truly generous and loving gesture. I'm so blessed!

Mom and Dad and Gordon and Kay (Julian's parents) came to visit us in South Korea for 2 weeks in March-April.

It was really special to see them again and to show them 'our places'. By the sounds of it, they had a wonderful time. It was a whirlwind trip, and pretty exhausting for Jules and I, as we'd have our normal 8 hour school day and then come home in the evenings to our eagerly waiting parents, bless them! Having them here made me realise all over again how helpless one is when one first arrives in Korea and, actually, how traveller-unfriendly Korea is - well, from a language perspective at least!

Mom and Dad were in Sangju for two weeks, and Gordon and Kay were here for a week and in Seocheon, with Simon for a week. At the weekends we tried to arrange trips for us all to be together. We basically spent our two weekends all together in Seoul, being real tourists. An adventure of note: leading 7 people through the massive metropolis of Seoul!

On Mom and Dad's last weekend here we hired a car, and Jules and I went to Gunsan with them. There is an estuary there which has been proclaimed a sanctuary for migratory birds and we had agreat time bird-watching there and just bumbling along country roads exploring and enjoying the freedom and flexibity of having 'our own wheels.'

I'll let the photos tell the rest of the story.

(Mostly my photos and also some from the Barker's camera).

At a 'Sujebi' (dough flakes soup) restaurant in Insadong, Seoul.

The 'gents' reading their newspapers while we waited an hour and a half at the bus terminal in Seoul to catch our bus back to Sangju.

Our fancy car for the weekend in Gunsan. Not bad for a 'first car' eh?

In Buyeo: we had a lovely walk through the forest.

Dad at it: with as many accessories as he could manage around his neck: binoculars, camera, compass, sunglasses....that compass DID come in useful! As did his 'built-in' compass: like the time when the taxi driver took a wrong turn on Seoul and only noticed after Dad had...

Jules 'getting lost' in the VAAAAST reed beds near Seocheon, one of those hyped-up tourist detsinations in Korea which is a huge let down once you get there!

Our picnic breakfast at the reed beds.

Dad cooking up a storm in our apartment. Thanks Dad!

With Mom on a boat cruise on the Han River. Mom made me feel so very loved on this trip: just always telling me how wonderful to be with us. And just being so relaxed about everything. Thanks Mom, for being such a gracious guest!

Dinner with the Barkers and Julian's co-teachers.

All of us at Incheon International Airport.

Birdwatching at the Geum estuary in Gunsan.

Missing INGI! The three of us at Gyeongbokgung Palace.