The Grand Bazaar

 Just a little taster from my trip to Istanbul last weekend.  Such a beautiful city, a trip to the Blue Mosque was on the agenda, but the real reason I wanted to go was to haggle in the famous Grand Bazaar.

 This indoor market has over 4000 shops and you can easily get lost in there. Not really a foodie market, but lots of hip and cool stuff from the 1970s such as a silk scarf, a leather pouffe, a water pipe...

 or perhaps treat yourself to a new belly dancing outfit?

 All this shopping really took it out of me so I stopped in the Bazaar for a lovely cup of Turkish coffee and a plate of baklava.  Feeling refreshed I carried on..

 The shopkeepers are tiresome as they try to approach you in conversation, the best thing I found was not to make eye contact and walk straight past.  Not always what you want to do when you enjoy window shopping, but I guess that's what happens here.

 Some of the other locals were very friendly. Stray dogs are everywhere. The authorities give them a health check once a year, they have injections for disease and fleas, then they are given a numbered plastic ear tag and let loose.  They don't bother anyone and they look fit and healthy (leftover kebabs perhaps?)

They say, don't drink the water when you are in Istanbul... but a cooling glass of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice is just the ticket after a hard days' shopping.  More to follow when I visited the Egyptian Spice Bazaar.