We didn’t have much planned for our last day together. That’s why we stayed up talking all night long. We missed the breakfast but grabbed some coffee instead. We took our time getting ready in our rooms. I made sure I started packing my things since I had decided I was going to go to the airport tonight. I had a 4am flight back to Paris. From there I was going to fly out at 12pm back to Chicago. That was the best option for me when I booked these flights. My friends were leaving at 2pm the next day.
Today the Grand Bazaar was on the agenda. I knew I wanted to pick up a few souvenirs for my mom and for myself. We grew hungry since we didn’t eat yet and I decided a fish sandwich was going to be the best choice for me. I wanted to try some local cuisine and a fish sandwich around the port area was what kept coming up in my searches. I was too curious not to try! My friends found a restaurant and I walked over to a fish stand and ordered my sandwich. The man preparing it added paprika and lemon juice. To my surprise, the fish was very meaty and filling. For 7 turkish lire I would definitely recommend it!
We found the Grand Bazaar, and yes, this place was HUGE! They were selling everything imaginable. I found a trivet for my mom since she uses them a lot, and found some cay tea to bring back to the States. I kept walking around to look for something for my male co-workers, but in my opinion, everything seemed too girlie. I even tried to find some souvenir socks, but kept finding regular black trouser socks instead. In the end I got them both a can opener with the Turkish flag on it. Oh well; what can you do?
My friends wanted to go back to the Spice Bazaar. This part was confusing because I wasn’t sure what else they had in mind.
We rode back the other direction on the tram and headed to the Spice Bazaar. We stuck around until it closed. Beforehand, we had made arrangements with the concierge to have a pickup at the hotel by 7:45pm. They were going to take me to the airport, and unfortunately it was the last drop off for the evening. We got back to the hotel in time for my ride. I said bye to my friends and their parents. They were going to freshen up and head out to dinner. I wish I could have joined them.
Just like I expected, the caravan had to pick up other passengers at different hotels. This part took almost an hour. It wasn’t explained to me at the time but at least I wasn’t in a hurry. It also gave me a chance to see different neighborhoods since we mostly stayed in the Old Town neighborhood.
In the end, I got to the airport close to 10pm and once it hit midnight, I checked in and decided to kill some time at a café and use their plugs to charge my phone. I completely knocked out on my flight and landed safely in Paris after 6am. There I killed some more time by messaging my friend in Italy. I even got a chance to enjoy one last chocolate filling muffin before I boarded my flight home. I wish I could find those muffins in Chicago! They are delicious!
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