Saturday 25 April ANZAC Day

Received an early morning text from Kirsten - tomorrow is their 3rd anniversary so we rang her and then rang Helen. Lovely to talk to them. Drivers licence still has not arrived in Palmy but Kirsten is on to them!

Breakfast and then a relaxing start to the day. Tina does handwashing and laundry.

About 11am we gently stroll to the Grand Bazaar, about 15 minutes away. Over 4,000 shops. We enter Gate 7 (the biggest gate number we saw was Gate 18).

First shop we see has a coin purse I have been after (don't laugh Kirsten - she mocks me for my small Turkish coin purse from 2006).
Second shop I see the evil eye symbol with Ataturk on it - I had been looking for one for my classroom. I end up buying 2 Gallipoli themed ones (no evil spirits in my classroom!!!). I'm on a shopping roll!!!
A few minutes later I am in chess fashion heaven as I find a black and white crazy hat and scarf!!!! And the haggling is going well.
I buy artificial pumice as the soles of my feet are very dirty!
Tina buys pashmirs as gifts. She is looking for a gold bracelet and the Grand Bazaar is the home of gold (I bought her two necklaces here in 2006). She is getting the feel of prices and finally sees a piece she likes. They are not pleasant people. They will not take anything off the asking price. We agree to pay their price but when she takes out her VISA card they go into orbit wanting part of the amount in cash. We walk out. Tina doesn't look at another gold bracelet in the Bazaar ("I'm over it").

One small thing she does want is a little pill tin. She bought one in the $2 Dollar shop at home but it is difficult to open and the pills spill out everywhere. She sees a nice one in the Bazaar - 10 lira and they won't budge. Across the alley is another one - 10 lira and they won't haggle. Less than 20m down the alley is another shop and his price is 6 lira. She buys it.

Excellent lunch in an authentic place - down a side alley on a steep slope (I am sitting uphill; Tina downhill) where we are the only non Turkish customers. Nice spiced lamb, salad, bread and rice. No bloody chips!!!

We find our way out of the Bazaar and stroll back to the hotel. On the way we stop at an open air leather jacket place I spotted last night. I buy a cheap black sleeveless leather vest (Tina calls is a jerkin).

For once I do not sleep in the afternoon but Tina does.

We go for a wander looking for a money machine that dispenses euros and a restaurant. Find neither. Just masses of expensive shops catering for the new rich from Russia. Ate at hotel. Sleep interrupted by noisy party in restaurant below our window - lots of laughing, singing and clapping. How dare they enjoy themselves!