@brittarnhild
The Grande Market, the bazaar, Kapalicarsi, opens at 8.30 in the morning. I came a little early, and could, with fascination, watch the workers arriving in masses, being swallowed by the gate. In my guide book I read that there are 4000 shops in the bazaar. 4000! Can you imagine!
I didn´t have any spesific plans for buying anything, I wanted to stroll around to get the feeling of the place, its temperature, its breath, its heart beat.
Being at Kapalicarsi (the word is actually written with a tiny beard under the c and the s, but my dear Mac doesn´t have these letters......) early, meant that the place was still quiet, something which change fast, and the sellers were eager to have their first customer.
"Buy from me" the sellers said, "you will be my first customer of the day. This brings luck so I will give you a very good prize"
And why not? A purple patchwork table runner, a perfect gift to myself for advent.
I don´t know how to bargain. When I buy something I am always leaving the sellers smiling, which means of course that I have payed way to much. But then, I am smiling myself as well, feeling that I have been lucky. So, what´s the problem then :-)
When in bazaars I always look for the spice section. In my kitchen you find pepper from all over the world. Pepper which is used daily in my cooking. But you also find a huge variety of other spices, collected on travels. Spices which looks tempting there and then, but most of them I have no idea how to use.
In Kapalicarsi I ended up with Indian saffron, and a variety of teas.
And of c ourse the charming seller gave me the "you are my first customer today very good prize just for you madam"
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The Blue Mosque got its name because of its blue tiles.
Granny, Mrs. Steglich and Anne, can you email me your address.
