BOMONTI FLEA MARKET

After having weeks without rain, enjoying the sun with a temperature around 15-16 °C in Istanbul, today we have a dark and freezing winter day.  We woke up little bit early and headed to Bomonti Flea Market near the old Bomonti Beer Factory.

The flea market is settled on sundays at the same market place where Istanbul’s only organic market takes place on saturdays. Bomonti Flea Market has a character between flea market and antiques market. There are enough stalls to spend at least one hour looking to oldies. The dealers are kind but as a couple who spend lot of time in antiques markets and shops, when we compared some prices with our previous purchases from other markets and shops,  we can easy say that at least half of them are talking about unrealistic prices (sometimes ten times more). As in all antiques markets, here also to bargain is welcome.

Despite the cold wind and the high prices, we spent couple of hours there and came back home with two trophies: an old green glass bottle and a traditional Turkish hard candy jar. Happy? Yep!

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Haftalardır İstanbul’da yağmursuz, 15-16 derece civarında seyreden güneşli havanın tadını çıkardıktan sonra, sonunda karanlık ve buz gibi bir hava var dışarıda. Bugün biraz erken kalktık ve eski Bomonti Bira Fabrikası’nın yakınında kurulan Bomonti Bit Pazarı’na yollandık.

Bit pazarı pazar günleri, cumartesi günleri kurulan İstanbul’un tek organik pazarının kurulduğu pazar yerinde kuruluyor. Bomonti Bit Pazarı, bit pazarıyla antika pazarı karışımı bir yapıya sahip. Eskilere bakarak en az bir saat dolanabileceğiniz kadar tezgâh var pazarda. Satıcılar kibar ama antika pazarlarında ve dükkânlarında çokça vakit geçiren bir çift olarak çok rahat söyleyebiliriz ki, en azından yarısı uçuk (zaman zaman on kata kadar varan) fiyatlardan söz ediyorlar. Bütün antika pazarlarında olduğu gibi burada da pazarlığa açıklar.

Soğuk soğuk üfüren rüzgâra ve yüksek fiyatlara rağmen, birkaç saat dolandık pazarda ve eve iki ganimetle döndük: Yeşil eski bir şişe ve bir şekerlemeci akide şekeri kavanozu. Mutlu muyuz? Olma mı! 

JUDY'S VINTAGE FAIR

After a nice walk to Old Spitalfields Market in a sunny London day, some vintage shopping. 

Perfect for a lazy saturday.  

ANEMONES

This week’s fresh flowers at home from Columbia Road Flower Market: anemones.

PRINTERS & STATIONERS

Today (like yesterday) was another sunny day in our little kingdom and we walked to Columbia Road Flower Market for a late breakfast and to buy fresh flowers for our home.

In the market we have our breakfast always in our favorite place at Printers&Stationers in Ezra Street . The sandwiches are tasty and even the market is packed, this little cozy place is quite. Before the owners were serving our smoked salmon sandwiches and red wine while they were preparing to their selfs a morning drink, we were having a chat with their dog.

We didn’t go there for a while and today after buying some anemones for home, we popped for a glass of wine and sandwiches. The sandwiches were delicious again and we tried also the new pork and chutney sandwich. But we noticed some little changes in decoration and service. It looks like they are making a step forward with more staff, putting printed menu on the tables, more choice of sandwich, salad addition to sandwich plates, etc. We hope this step don’t turn our favorite place in the market to a less cozy place.  

CHRISTMAS POP-UP MARKET AT DALSTON PIER

Small, 5-6 stalls pop-up christmas market at Dalston Pier. It’s worth only if you are in the neighborhood.

MANCHESTER CHRISTMAS MARKET

Yesterday we were in Manchester. During this two years we went maybe ten times to Manchester but never before christmas. This time a surprise was waiting for us: a big christmas market. Best christmas markets we know are in Germany, they are really good on it. Christmas markets in London (except the Winter Wonderland where there is a lot of German touch) are not so successful. 

Manchester Christmas Market, is a big classic German christmas market and it is brilliant. Main part of the market is in Albert Square. There are also stalls in King Street, Brazennose Street, Exchange Street, Hanging Ditch. If you want to visit, it will be open until 23 December,  Sunday-Wednesday 12.00-19.00, Thursday-Saturday 12.00-20.30. 

As a typical German market (even is in Britain), it was full of mulled wine, beer, sausage and chocolate smell, also christmas decorations, Polish pottery, lots of gift choice. We didn’t miss the chance to eat a good charcoal grilled German sausage. 

If you want to bring home some of them, also there is opprtunity. 

We first met in Frankfurt with Polish pottery and we love them. 

For warming your feet in cold winter nights. 

Who can resist to this variety of chocolates? 

CAMDEN PASSAGE SUNDAY MARKET

A new market came to our neighborhood. Today first time we had a sunday market in Camden Passage. For the moment there aren’t a lot of stalls but anyway, it’s nice.

There are cheese, olive, cupcake, bread, ladies underwear, chocolate and handmade item stalls for the moment but it looks like our new little market will be very popular in next weeks.  

MARYLEBONE SUMMER FAYRE

Today there was a summer fair in our ex-neighborhood Marylebone. And it was a lucky, sunny day (mostly),  like a nice spring day. The fair was taking place in all the big streets of Marylebone and it was a mix of a big food market and a big playground (lots of children everywhere). Marylebone Farmers Market also was there like every sunday morning. 

There was lots of food everywhere, roasted meat, sausages, paella, etc. The most colorful ones were the cupcakes.  

London Cat’s choice in the fair for today’s breakfast: roasted meat and typical British summer coctail Pimm’s. 

LONDON KIND OF SUMMER WEEKEND

Last summer (our first summer in our little kingdom), was a shock for our Mediterranean bodies. But this year, we are ready for what is waiting for us: 90 days of rain!

After a normal, rainy and windy summer week, this morning we had a little bit of sun. It was a good reason for a walk to London’s famous Columbia Road Flower Market to buy some new rosemaries, thymes, tarragons, peonies and lavenders for our terrace.

Afternoon? Some kitchen activity, making zucchini pickles in a “lovely” rainy afternoon... 

WINTER WONDERLAND IN HYDE PARK

Last days of the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park for a good walk, having fun, gift shopping, skating, sniffing the Christmas spirit still going on there and tasting the mulled wine in Santa's Pub.