The buffet breakfast (included in the holiday) was a mix of Western and Korean, there were only a fork and spoon on the tables so I first tried eating scrambled eggs and bacon without the aid of a knife. Later discovered there were knives to be had. I dozed off again afterwards as my body clock was out of kilter with Korean time. Only just made it downstairs to the start of the tour which proved to be a confused affair. We were a mixed group of Europeans, and to cope there were three guides for French German and the rest (English as lowest common denominator) on board. The French guide was great and gave a running commentary as the coach wrestled its way through the Seoul traffic to her group. But our English speaking guide didn't say anything - he was more voluble when we were on foot I will say and forthcoming then. The tour was haphazard, it wasn't clear what was going on at times.

So we looked without understanding at one of the large US bases here, at pet shops with white pekingese in cages in the window, at rows of scooter shops, at Churches in this Asian land, at an odd monument which had Aztec like numbers on it. As the rain poured down as it did for most of this day. Our first stop, along with most of Korea's school children, was the National Museum of Korea - we raced through some of the exhibits in an hour where really a day wouldn't be enough. Then we and the school children met up with coach loads of Chinese for the Seoul Tower in Namsan Park - on a fine day the views would have been impressive from the top of the tower. Still one could see a long way, and there were sweetshops at the top for the children. Namsan means South Mountain we were told - odd that Namsan in sound is so close to Nan Shan which would be the Chinese for South Mountain.

We were dropped in a good location for something to eat - a kind couple from Germany took pity on me, and let me join them for a lunch of Bibimbap and dumplings. A decent place and it was great talking to them. In Korea they use red for female (yin) and blue for male (yang). Got some postcards on the way back to the coach then it was off to some exercise to wear off the meal at Changdeokgung Palace. The walk around the Secret Garden was long (over two hours) and involved going up and down the hilly terrain this Royal garden is situated in.

There is a lot to see there, pretty settings for ancient wood pavilions and halls, the pond in the shape of Korea, much photogenic like the young girls who had fitted themselves out in ancient costumes. Our guide said most would be visitors from China and Taiwan who fancied wearing Korean period costumes from watching Korean TV dramas.

The tour rounded off with the day's highlight for me - a walk through the complicated matrix that is Gwangjang Market. A miraculous collection of stalls selling food, many where you can sit and eat. Some stalls sell jiaozi for the Chinese customers now so common. There were also many stalls selling cloth, both for suits but also traditional dresses. Gwangjang Market isn't just a covered single arcade, at right angles we often saw it stretching out to be a lattice covering a vast area.

With tired feet we arrived back at the Aventree Hotel and I made a big mistake. I thought I would find a Korean restaurant and try a local dish. So I walked out to take a good picture of the Jongno Tower with the circle of the top floors perched on three pillars. And then tried streets near the Aventree Hotel for a likely Korean restaurant where I could point at something on the menu. I summoned up courage and walked into a place which had a menu with pictures. I pointed at my choice naengmyeon and the waitress went away, returning with kimchi, some slices of vegetable, a hot looking condiment, mustard, a colourless sauce and a pair of scissors. I began trying the scissors on the kimchi but wasn't convinced that was the right answer. Eventually a bowl of noodle soup arrived and the waitress took pity on me, added some mustard and some of the colourless fluid into the soup, cut the noodles, then indicated I was to stir the concoction. It was when I began eating the soup that I realised by an unhappy mischance the soup was in fact iced noodle soup - either a real dish or they were working off some angst against Europeans. Not so hot in fact not hot at all!

Eating out in South Korea is very cheap, so much so that it is competitive price-wise for eating at home.