I is for Izmaylovo Market, Moscow

  

I know that some folks go on vacation and buy up tons of souvenirs.  I did not do that on this trip, but in hindsight, there are a few things I wish I had picked up while in Russia.

Many items can be found at the Izmaylovo Market.  In case you want some old Soviet memorabilia, this is the place.  Me?  I wish I had grabbed one of the wooden statues of Grandfather Frost.

If matryoshka dolls are your thing, they had plenty of those too.

The market is next to the Ismailovo Park, an honest to goodness tourist trap if I ever saw one.  I was told it was built for the Moscow Olympics.  (They should have hired the Disney Corp.)

Tolkien Bonus:  I is for Isengard, a fortress in Gondor.  In the Third Age Saruman began to live in Isengard, housing Orcs and building his army until Isengard was destroyed by the Ents.