barefoot blogger moving to france
Barefoot Blogger

Istanbul: Shopping Highlights

Picture of Deborah Bine
Deborah Bine

The Barefoot Blogger

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

IMG_0698.JPG
The Spice Market

IMG_0778-1.JPG

Imagine walking past all this…

IMG_0704.JPG

IMG_0734.JPG

IMG_0706.JPG

IMG_0738.JPG

IMG_0750.JPG

IMG_0742.JPG

IMG_0739.JPG

IMG_0740.JPG

IMG_0751.JPG

IMG_0753-0.JPG

IMG_0756.JPG

IMG_0755.JPG

IMG_0760-0.JPG

IMG_0758-0.JPG

IMG_0759.JPG

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.

IMG_0701-0.JPG

…and the lamp merchant was a tough bargainer. We haggled over the price of a lamp for over an hour.

IMG_0711-0.JPG
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.

IMG_0714.JPG

Then I asked him to throw in the shipping.

IMG_2379.JPG

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More Adventures

Recent Posts

Popular Destinations

French Footsteps

A series of posts dedicated to helping Americans seeking to expat in France

barefoot blogger moving to france

Subscribe Now!

Receive the latest stories, expat tips and cultural insights from all around France delivered to your email!