Page 54 - wadirum

But to be honest, I had to think about it.
I’m not a keen collector, so I’m unlikely
to spend my days bustling between bou-
tiques searching for the perfect addition
to my “Cities of the World” limited edi-
tion ceramic thimble collection. Nor am
I a real “culture vulture.” I get hives if I
spend too much time in a museum—
particularly if it’s a sunny day—and, I’m
ashamed to say, I fall asleep at the opera
and the ballet.

"Well,” I finally admitted, “I guess I just
like to wander.”

When I’m in a new city, I enjoy simply
stepping into a strange street with a
map and a short, scribbled list of rec-
ommended restaurants and cafes (and
bars, of course), and then…getting lost.
That last bit happens quite naturally, be-
cause I have such a poor sense of direc-
tion, I wouldn’t know up from down if it
weren’t for gravity.

I’m a sucker for a narrow, winding
cobbled lane. I’m always sure it will
lead somewhere interesting. Usually,
it does, and when I find whatever that
is, I have my camera at the ready.

I come back from every trip with hun-
dreds of photos. A wall of graffiti. An
imposing door. An intriguing sign. A
gargoyle hunkered in a sunbeam atop
the roof of a cathedral. Two grown
men, inexplicably clad in diapers, loi-
tering beside the Seine.

Although I’m never going to melt my
credit card in a buying frenzy, if I see Photos Copyright Amy Laughinghouse
a shop that’s particularly unusual, I’m
not averse to crossing the threshold.

Istanbul’s labyrinthine Grand Bazaar,
for example, is an absolute must. Not
only is it an Aladdin’s treasure trove
of hookahs, mosaic lanterns, Turkish
rugs, tasseled slippers, belly dancing
outfits, designer underpants and the
occasional axe and chainmail, but it’s
also cheap entertainment--if you’re
not intimidated by the aggressive
sales pitches of the proprietors. My
favorite? “Excuse me, lady. May I sell
you something you don’t need?” It
was so cheeky, it almost worked.

I’m also a huge fan of cemeteries,
which might seem morbid, but I think
of them as big, leafy parks filled with

54 Wine Dine & Travel 2016