Exploring The Back Roads

This weekend, we went saw some parts of Istanbul that tourists normally don’t see. I am sure that we will have to go for a few more trips because there are roads and alley ways that weave among thosand year old buildings. They just continue forever, the more you see the more you understand there is SO much more to see!

We started out in the Tourist-y section of the Misir Market (Spice Market) and wandered through the side streets. The close buildings and small shops reminded us of Divisoria in Manila. You could buy ANYTHING in this area.

There were two story toy shops, crafts stores, hardware stores, clothes, shoes, rugs, gun shops next to the bakery, you could buy tobacco to roll (everyone smokes here) and next to that some fake money…just in case you need some! HAHA

 We spent time browsing cake and bakery stores, which made us both miss Moana. He would have loved the area there. They had all kinds of trinkets.

 After we ate at a popular restaurant that overlooked the Galata Bridge and the Bosphorus. It was a gorgeous view on a gorgeous day. We took a stroll over the bridge and  Lucky liked seeing all the buses come and go. We thought it was fun to watch all the fishermen. Especially since below the bridge there is a second level for fish restaurants.

Our last stop of the afternoon—for tourism anyway because we went shopping for vegetables afterwards—was at the Galata Bakery that is famous for their chocolate baklava. I didn’t think baklava could be any more rich than it already is, but when you add a chocolate dimension into the picture it is way over the top!

The Lucky Dragon gets free gifts wherever we go!