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Shopping in Istanbul

I arrived in Istanbul with the smallest carry on suitcase in tow. This meant I couldn’t go wild shopping in the grand bazaars as much as I would love to. What’s more, Istanbul was my first stop in a four-country tour. There was simply no room for stuff in my Lipault. Fortunately, I only had three items on my list of things to absolutely buy in Türkiye; a nazar, a refrigerator magnet and baklava pistachio pastry.  Grand Bazaar The Grand Bazaar is a maze of shops selling everything you can think of. Shop windows with jewelry, pottery, Turkish Delights, spices, clothes, souvenirs, colorful lamps, household goods, candy, designer knock-offs and the list seems endless. That may be an exaggeration but as I was walking along the main corridor, I found many side corridors which branched out to many more aisles which then led me to the outdoor stalls surrounding the Grand Bazaar.   Grand Bazaar (side corridor) Beautiful pottery I wish I could have brought home the tulip shaped tea glas...

Salzburg’s Chic Store Signs

    Wieber The Getreidegasse in Salzburg is an elegant street lined with boutiques, passages and restaurants. There are no gaudy shop signs to be seen here. Instead, there are beautifully crafted wrought iron signage announcing the name of the store and what it sells. In the photo above, Wieber has a key hanging from the beak of a gilded bird. This is a metalwork and locksmithery shop that's been around since 1415. They do keys, yes, but they also do a full range of custom made street lamps, guild signs, railing, etc. and restoration of old metal works.  Behind Weiber is the kaleidoscopic sign of Aschauer Hüte, a store selling hats and traditional Austrian garments.     Zara Zara is one of the most popular clothing stores in Europe. Notice the scissors, an important tool for sewing.       Stassny The dancing couple in diandl and lederhosen proclaim the goods sold at Stassny. Traditional Austrian costumes and accessor...

Themed Travel Ideas for Summer 2017

    Church of Santa Maria, Jeronimos Monastery, Belem

Greenhills Shopping Center Revisited

Religious articles It's been years since my last shopping trip to Greenhills Shopping Center. We were looking for some giveaways for a big meeting and Greenhills has an incalculable array of gift ideas. We started in the jewelry section and found a fresh pearl bracelet with an attractive and colorful accent stone for P95.00. We were able to bargain with the vendor since we were buying 50 pieces. She marked down the price to P70.00 for each bracelet. Souvenirs Greenhills is divided into sections - handbags and accessories, clothing (separate sections for men and women), jewelry, home decor, souvenirs, Filipiniana arts and crafts, shoes and knick knacks. It's especially fun to shop here in November for Christmas decorations and gifts though the crowd might be unabearable.  Knock-offs Many shoppers come to Greenhills to buy knock-offs. And there are gobs to choose from. Be careful though if you are bringing this to another country because Customs a...

Bellagio and Lake Como

"I ask myself Is this a dream? Will it vanish into thin air? Is there a land of such supreme  And perfect beauty anywhere?" H. W. Longfellow A short train ride from Milan's Cadorna Train Station to Como Borghi and you're in a totally different world. The temperature is cooler, the streets are quieter, pastel hued houses spill down the hillside to the water's edge and Lake Como is as refreshing to the eye as always. I hopped on a ferry to Bellagio which is 45 minutes away. The fare each way is 14.75 euros as of this writing. There were only two lakeside stops along the way and my head turned from side to side as we passed villages, one in which George Clooney lives. As we cruised farther into the lake which is 30 miles long, I held my breath when I saw the snow capped Alps in the distance.     Bellagio is a disappointingly commercial lakeside village. The stepped streets are filled with shops and restaurants. The result of its popu...