Tuesday October 8, 2019
ISTANBUL, Turkey – Overrated? Underrated? Overwhelming?
Probably a combination of these three to describe the Grand Bazaar on the European side. There is so much hype about this place, so much written, so much mystery, so much history and that trip here is definitely on anyone’s radar screen.
There are over 40 entrances and over 4000 shopping stalls. For the most part, it’s inside and “streets,” (yes, they do have names) direct visitors. No one pays attention and it’s nearly impossible to find the same exit from your original entrance.
What’s curious about this place is that selected items are sold and geared toward tourists. A visitor will find the usual array of Turkish spices, glassware and ceramics, trinkets of all kinds, clothing and some electronics. What you will not find are food vendors, food stalls and vegetable and fruit stands. Sprinkled throughout, an occasional café appears but the Bazaar is essentially a mecca for Turkish-made items.
Correction. It’s a safe bet that the vast majority of items are made in China, but who’s looking at the label. We did make a purchase and secured two small, glass tea-drinking glasses and stands. Cost was about $20 U. S. and now we need to be careful about packaging and taking this on planes.
The day itself was terrible, rain, cold and temps in the upper 50s. We agreed this was not conducive to walking about the city and falling into the usual tourist traps.
From the Grand Bazaar, we took the T1 tram. This is one of four trams which traverse the city, fairly long in distance and provides a good, overall view of the city.
My observation moves Istanbul very close to New York and Paris relative to the pace, temper and swiftness. Traffic jams, from cars, trucks, buses and cabs are quite common and gridlock is the norm. The streets teem with thousands of your closest friends and drivers never pay attention to the traffic around them nor to any street signs, if posted.
While the vast majority of visitors like to take tours, we believe the best way to see a city is through public transportation. For the fastest way to get from point A to point B, we look for the metro. To get a feel and the pulse of a city, we ride the buses and trams.
Because of the rain, the T1 tram ride was especially gratifying. Not only did we get out of the inclement weather but also had an opportunity to see the city and make some causal and non-scientific judgments.
After the tram, we grabbed lunch/dinner. Waynette ordered eggplant and I took a chicken kebab. The ones here are different than in Greece and in Turkey, this rolled in a flatbread. With fries and sharing a salad, we were full.
More shopping and this time, we bought Lindsay, our daughter, a ceiling light for her dining room table. To do so, we faced-time her at home and the store merchant showed different styles and colors. After she explained what she wanted, the deal was sealed and now we need to figure out how to get this back to her house in Lakeland, Fla.
Now, an admission.
After dinner I ordered Turkish tea, and a photo was posted. Slowly and with little resistance, I’m falling gracefully and deliberately into European café society. That’s where I feel a kinship with especially with the French, who sit for hours and watch the world parade before them. Waynette still pushes me to get going, but I’m resisting, these days. I’m becoming very comfortable in this direction and sense my travel personality is changing for the better.
For Wednesday, it’s Yom Kipper, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. In the morning, I’m going over to Neve Shalom synagogue. It’s one of the oldest in Europe, dates to 1459 and I’ll ask to attend services. Their response should be interesting.
PICTURES – the Grand Bazaar exterior, images from the Grand Bazaar interior, inside of the metro we take every day, Istanbul “stock exchange”
STEPS – Despite the rain and tram ride for over one hour, we managed 9,500 steps or 4.5 miles
markstravelblog2019 