And there it is: an invitation to a turkish wedding in the flourishing and expanding metropole of Istanbul. We are going to Istanbul, Turkey, where Europe meets Asia. I always thought its just a saying but really Istanbul has indeed an European and an Asian part, divided by the Bosporus river. A city with a long history and many markets that will leave you breathless. Both because of the colourful beauty and because its rather crowded and not made for agoraphobics.

 

Who would not want to buy something at this delicacy store at the grand bazar. For a short moment there were just two customers in it, otherwise it was rather full.

Aside from Baclava and in honey embedded nuts you can find a big selection of the usual bazar items like bags, shoes and shirts. Besides all that you can find colourful carpets and lamps.

We entered many of the lamps shops, actually not intending to buy any lamps, but when a seller told us he is going to sell us something we would not need, we sat down for a chit chat and got a warm apple tea.

After one hour of a conversation full of jokes and laughed we walked out having three new lamps in our hands.

 

 

In the middle of the Grand Bazar is a nice cafe called Sark Khavesi, where you can enjoy Baclava, a turkish tea or turkish coffee with a little Halva. Just the right energy boost to continue strolling in the Bazar.

 

Probably you need more than one day to see everything in the Grand Bazar and Spice Bazar, but at the end of the day we collected some very affordable gems and priceless memories.

 

1.) Turkish apple tea-the taste and smell still reminds me of the Grand Bazar feeling

2.) a collection of spices-from pepper to safran

3.) Baclava: sweet pastry of many layers of fill filled with pistachio and nuts

3.) Lokum: a soft gum made of gel of starch and sugar

4.) Pistachios

5.) Watermelon flavoured chewing gum- haven’t seen this anywhere else than Greece

6.) Flavoured soap

7.) Key chain withNazar Boncuğu to keep the evil away (blue eye top right)

8.) and last but not least one of the three lamps, super colourful on night stand or reading corner

 

We stayed two nights at the Conrad Hotel in Besiktas. Its undergoing renovations now but you will get a newly renovated room. Very quite and comfortable.

Here is our breakfast with fresh figs, which I think were just picked in the morning