Image by Spin Cycle NYC.
The Izmailovsky Markets are an enormous expanse of mainly tourist-focussed souvenirs and paraphernalia. However, there was also loads of interesting arts, crafts and second hand junk.
Most of the sellers are fairly standoffish but Mr Stamp Seller has obviously been to sales school. First he started smooth, then he tried to guilt trip us, and then he tried to bully us into buying his stamp collection books. He chased after us as we walked away, shouting about how great his stamps were.
My favourite thing that I bought for the whole trip came from these markets: a set of Russian dolls hand painted with characters from “Where the Wild Things Are”. So beautiful.
The highlight of the day was my brush with fame though. I was walking along when I saw a young man that I thought looked like Lance from ‘Nsync. Not being a big fan of that group (yeah yeah I hear you sneer) I wasn’t really sure. I had seen him in the news a bit because of his desire to be the first pop star in space, and so I had a pretty good idea that it was him.
Sitting down at lunch I told Glen, Matthew and Tracey. “Who?” was all they could come up with. Then some Austrian women sitting behind us said, “Yes, yes. It is him!” So I got all excited, but more excitement was to come! I saw him again and asked to have my photo taken with him and he said yes. Yay. I haven’t actually seen the shot yet but when I get it I’ll put it online.*Â My mates couldn’t really understand how I could be so excited about a sappy pop star and kept ribbing me about it, but they are the fools.
* Epilogue: I never have seen the picture. Tracey got our film developed and when the pictures came back to me there was no Lance Bass picture. Tracey’s girlfriend Katya said that she had definitely seen it amongst the prints, and Tracey promised she’d follow up with her. But since the end of that trip I never heard from Tracey again and so the proof of my meeting Lance Bass never surfaced. I promise Ali, I really did have my photo taken with Lance!
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