Tales from Turkey - Part II

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul has allegedly got 58 covered streets and over 4000 shops! Overwhelming is a pale understatement. Getting-lost-factor? Very high. However, this being my fourth visit, and having been blessed with a built-in radar, I know my way around some parts and know that when the crowds, the chaos and the sales-hungry shop keepers start getting to me, I can escape to a small outdoor square in the western area of this enormous myriad of bustling trade. It seems like few tourists make it out there, and the small shops and workshops flanking the little square are a calm haven.

There, in a tiny shop, I saw these little tassled darlings, and it was explained to me that they are for "lokum", i e Turkish delights, sugar and other sweet things.

Gorgeous metal kaftans in different sizes and patterns.

I simply had to take a photo of The Cat on a Hot Tin Roof here, just so that I could write that...

...and this little darling needed no literary reference...

***

The hotel we stayed in had a very warm and welcoming lobby, 

more like someone's modern - or modern traditional - Turkish living room than a formal lobby:

I like the kaftan-shaped lamp base...

... and the colours here are to me both calming and energizing...

Now, I confess, one thing in the pictures in this blog post happened to come with me home. I wonder if you can guess what...? A hint: as much as I would have liked to, no feline smuggling took place in the Swenglish suitcase. In my next blog entry, I will show you what it was and how I have put it to use at home... After that, one more Turkish-scented blog entry before I return to my interior and garden themes a little more religiously for a while!

All the best and thank you for your kind comments.

Helena

Categories: Travels , Turkey