Category

Tonya2

Tonya2

Another picture perfect day

Today was catch-up day… We had intentionally left today pretty open to go back and take care of ‘unfinished business’… which meant we had time to buy more carpets! We had planned to start the day with one of the…

Tonya2

Eating our way along the Bosphorus

Each day on this trip has had a theme… Monday was culture and history day. Tuesday was shopping day. And Wednesday was – without a doubt – FOOD day. We started the day with a cruise north on the Bosphorus…

Tonya2

125 Shopping Days until Christmas

I’m in Heaven… well, maybe just the Heaviside Layer. (get it? “Cats”?) The Grand Bazaar was the very last stop on the Silk Road and is one of the largest ‘malls’ in the world with 4,400 shops along 64 streets…

Tonya2

Two Turkeys in Istanbul

Lee arrived this morning on a 5:30 flight from Beijing. Once we compared our ‘plunder’ from the previous day’s shopping (albeit from different continents), we went to work on our itinerary of the day. Today was sightseeing day and we…

Tonya2

Party at the ‘drome!

The square in front of the Blue Mosque covers the site of the ancient “Hippodrome” – one of the most famous areas in Byzantine Constantinople. The Hippodrome was once the equivalent of the Roman Circus Maximus – the original was…

Tonya2

Shopping Fix(es)

So after the Blue Mosque, I wound my way around back (it’s amazing how much kicked in that I remembered from my last visit here)… and made my way through a small cobblestone tunnel to the Arasta Bazaar. I said,…

Tonya2

Over Budget. (way over)

I’m maxxed out. I have completely exceeded my allotment for the week – though I’ve only been on the ground about five hours. Calories. Expenses. You name it; I’m over budget. Now remember – I just got checked into my…

Tonya2

Istanbul. Here’s your history lesson.

There’s a reason I don’t tweet: I’m a compulsive sharer. And I know you guys are too busy to hear about how I made one last healthy choice here at the airport (chicken nuggets + apple slices + water) before…

Tonya2

I know I really shouldn’t do this…

After all the lost luggage in far away lands, I know better than to do this. I will surely jinx things and have no one to blame but myself. But… I have amazing travel karma today. Maybe it’s the fact…

Tonya2

On the Road Again

I fly out tomorrow morning for Istanbul. Where better to go (other than my beloved Bangalore) for some pre-holiday shopping time?! (only 127 days until Christmas!) I have stopovers in Detroit and Amsterdam before I gain entry to the Promised…

Close