Vacation Part 4: The Swag

By now, I hope you know that I went on a little multi-continental jaunt, so I will just skip that backstory. But if you’re not caught up, you can click these links to read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.

As the title suggests, this post is about what I brought back with me. Admittedly, most of my money was spent on the trip necessities: plane tickets, hotel, transit, and the all important food. BUT I did get a few items for myself and others.

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While in Rome, we needed to figure out how to get places. Originally, we were going to attempt the busses, but after looking at a map, we realized everything was within walking distance. This map ended up being the only souvenir I bought in Rome for myself, as most things I saw were waaaay overpriced and trinket-y.

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Remember how I said we got a bit lost? This is where that happened—this little bend of the river to that larger street with ‘Corso’ on it. It would’ve helped if the actual streets were labeled.

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The only other souvenir from Rome was for my mother who collects shot glasses. Before I left, she demanded a shot glass from each place I ended up—even if I was only in the airport, as the case was for Amsterdam.

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I couldn’t leave Istanbul without a bajillion Evil Eyes (Nazars), which are protective pendants that are everywhere. Since they are so popular, they were quite inexpensive as well. I snagged several of these hanging and magnet versions for people back home, as well as a magnet for myself.

IMG_0455This one is mine. I love the goofy shape and how it’s a bit different than the normal Nazars. I only saw this style at one shop the entire time we were in Istanbul. I have yet to get rope or string or whatever to hang it up with, but for now it’s nestled in nicely on my knick-knack shelf.

And what kind of media addict would I be if I didn’t come home with some music? I kept my eyes open for a music store the whole trip, but didn’t see one—even in the major shopping area. Then in the airport, BAM! Music store. It cost a bit more than I was hoping, but still much less than importing. So I picked up a copy of Murat Boz’s Dance Mix, and album of remixes and the self-titled MaNga+, which is rock with a bit of hip-hop flair. Sadly, the store was completely out of Tarkan albums.

Thus concludes my vacation ramblings.
I’ll be back to reviews and media updates by next week!

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