Before moving to Izmir, I’d seen a few travel blogs detailing what a trip to Kemeralti Market entails. It seemed loud, claustrophobic and awesome : ) I loved what I saw and couldn’t wait to explore it myself.
The market is about fifteen minutes by foot from our apartment building. Armed with shopping bags and a list of needed items, the kids and I usually make an afternoon of the trip. We wander, sometimes frustratedly, looking for the shop selling the particular thing desired. In this video, we were shoe hunting. Having bought a pair of knock-off Crocs in the market before I KNEW that there were more knock-off Crocs to be found. But as hard as I tried, I couldn’t find the same shop. I should have marked it on my google maps when I had the chance!!
During the search we passed restaurants, mosques, old ottoman hotels-turned-market, Turkish coffee shops, and vendors selling everything from silk flowers to leather goods. (Jack also took great delight in the sheep heads : ) As you walk, the call to prayer might punctuate the chatter of people and every once in a while you’ll hear the happy trill of a canary. These little birds are often kept as pets and they hang above shop entrances. The owners can be pretty persistent, but if you keep your eyes ahead and a smile on your face, you can emerge unscathed and without a 100$ leather jacket or fake LV bag : )
We did eventually find some Crocs for Brenn. We also bought coffee, vegetables, fruit and some soccer jerseys for the boys (trying to fit in and the Turks love football!) If you visit, bring cash, as most places don't take credit cards. However, any shop owners sensing a potential sale will be more than happy to show you to the nearest ATM :)
We usually end up eating at our favorite restaurant. The meal is simple (and there really is only one you can order.) Toasted bread is topped with sliced meat, spread with a tomato sauce and browned butter and then pieces are dipped into yogurt for the final bite. It is A-mazing.
It was a really lovely and ultimately productive afternoon! So different from our life back in Alaska though. It hasn't always been easy to make the pivot, but I'm glad that we persist in practicing this new way of living.
Jack made his filming debut during this walk as well. I'll let him tell you more about our afternoon adventure in the video above! Enjoy!
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