A stop in Istanbul was an unexpected treat on the way to my adventure in Nepal. Who knew it was between France and Kathmandu?
My geography is as bad as my French.
Now that I know Istanbul is a shopper’s paradise, I’m already psyched about my next visit. You see, this was not a buying trip. The Nepal tour has a baggage weight limit, and I’m traveling with Mon Fils. He’s the one who helped me with estate sales and with moving my last bunch of “stuff” to storage.
Talk about a disapproving eye!
Nevertheless, I could look. Right?
The Grand Bazaar
The Spice Market
Imagine walking past all this…
Missing from this photo tour are the Turkish rugs.
Oh my, are they gorgeous.
I didn’t have the nerve to walk into a store or take pictures. One step in that direction, and I would certainly have broken my vow not to buy.
Before you think I have a heart of stone, I admit I broke down once. The shops with the bright-colored lamps were too hard to resist.
…and the lamp merchant was a tough bargainer. We haggled over the price of a lamp for over an hour.
When he went to the back of the store and brought back a dagger, then motioned for me to stab him in the chest, I figured he was at his final price.
So I bought it.
Then I asked him to throw in the shipping.
