Back in Paris

I am currently sitting at a McDonald's in Paris (my hostel is not the most comfortable of places), but will later be going to a picnic hosted by a friend from college. My last day in Istanbul was great. I went for one more big walk, then stopped off in the Grand Bazaar for just a little more shopping. Unlike the the bazaars of Syria, the Grand Bazaar is a peculiar mix of old-fashioned and modern.



Although some stores sell interesting and exotic goods, many have resorted to selling counterfeit designer clothes, shoes, handbags, watches, you name it. One of the store owners said that brand representatives routinely walk through the bazaar and try to shut down operations whose fakes are just too good—so they hide all of the best replicas in the back rooms until customers come looking for them. Dan's old shoes are dead after years of valiant service, so he is now oufitted with a fine pair of "Lacoste" shoes. I confess I picked up a shirt with a Macy's cut but a Burberry print.



The most disturbing (but interesting) area of the bazaar is the area where they sell small animals. You can pick from boxes and boxes of chicks and ducklings, sympathize with sad puppies who haven't sold and are growing too big for their cages, purchase leeches, and even consider investing in a $2500 toucan. I felt bad for the parrots, especially, because they looked so bored and miserable.



The spice bazaar still has some shops piled high with fragrant wares, but is now dotted with knockoff purse shops and the like.



My last stop of the day was Çemberlitaş Hamamı, a historic Turkish bath that has been around since the 1500s. It is pretty touristy now, but I had a great experience. After coughing up a significant wad of cash, I was led to a locker room where I changed into hamam-provided underwear and a body wrap. I was led into a steamy room where I lay on a hot stone and sweated for a good while. I felt a little awkward at first—I have never just run around topless before—but I got over it pretty fast. Then an attendant came over and gave me a full scrub, rubbing me down with a rough glove to remove sickening amounts of dead skin. Then she soaped me up, shampooed me, and gave me a good rinse. I got to chill in the jacuzzi for a while, and was then led to another room for a half-hour oil massage. I emerged from the bath relaxed, fragrant and cleaner than I have been since, oh, May. It was fantastic.

I'm just spending one night in Paris—tomorrow we're off to Strasbourg for a week of Coptic madness. A look at the schedule tells me that we will be reading and discussing lots of Shenoute, which sounds heavenly to me after a two-month hiatus. Oh Shenoute, it has been too long!