To Market, to Market, to Buy a Fat....

Oh,  never mind.  I don’t buy fat pigs at the market.  And I don’t go home again home again jiggity jig.   But I do love going to markets, and I don’t mean supermarkets, which I do  appreciate when I am in a hurry.  Or at midnight. 

Being a Seattle girl I have access to one of the best and most famous public markets anywhere, the Pike Place Market.  (No, it isn’t Pike’s Market.)  Famous for the “flying fish” and a dazzling display of produce, much of which comes from surrounding farms, you can also find some fabulous restaurants, a great boutique hotel, and some of the most funky shops you will ever see.  Since it is over 100 years old, some wonderful businesses have located around it.

So I gravitate to markets  when I travel to get a fix of the bright colors and colorful people that populate them.   I find they reflect the city and it’s inhabitants.  The vendors are usually full of good information and cheer.  Plus, sometimes there are free samples.

Here are some of the most interesting, in no particular order:

In St. Petersburg I was on a tour that was billed something like this:  A Day in the Life of a St. Petersburg Resident.    We took the subway,  we went to a little shopping mall, that sort of thing, and of course we went to a market.  This was indoors in a run-down building,  but who needs fancy to sell foods?   (Well, someone does, and I will show you later.)  Some of the vendors did NOT want their photos taken but others were OK with it.  The fruits all look good, although we northwestern berry snobs would say the strawberries were pumped with too much water and wouldn't have the best flavor,  but some of the things were definitely tempting!  It was a busy place and really had a good variety.  It must seem like heaven to those who remember the old regime, when shortages in just about everything abounded.  (Oh, and  the end of the tour?  We went to a place to sample different flavors of vodka...and they weren't even trying to sell it!   I don't drink much hard liquor but they had a dill vodka that seemed just right.)

Next, here are a couple of shots of a little one-vendor market stall near the subway station for Gamla Stan in Stockholm.   I love the neat, precise and orderly way everything is displayed. 

Next up,  a little teensy weensy market at the entrance to an apartment in Shantou, China.  How easy to just grab a couple of veggies, toss your money in the basket, and run upstairs to prepare your salad.

This next market is dear to me as I came across it on my first visit to Italy.  This visit lasted about an hour or   two,  as we were in Monaco on a very rainy and miserable day, so we hopped on the train, headed through the tunnel just to the east, and got off at the first station, Ventimiglia. I saw some of the most delectable produce I've ever seen.  Plus a fantastic array of flowers.

 

And our favorite vendors, below.  Notice the beautiful untrimmed artichokes to their left.  (I will note here that the above photo has been enlarged, framed and has a place of honor in my office to commemorate my first visit to Italy.  Even if it was only for an hour or so.  I've made up for it since then.)

 

I was intrigued with the Halifax Seaport Public Market because it is touted as an environmentally friendly space (indoor).  Wide windows let you see through from the street side to the ocean side and the accompanying boat traffic, and of course let in light.  The heating and lighting systems are solar powered.     Besides produce there are other farmer's products and you could nosh all day amongst the booths.  I picked up some local pepper jelly for gifts.   (Small price, small size for the suitcases, in sealed plastic bags of course.)   My favorite thing is the green or bio-wall, used for air filtering.  You'll see it below.

You know I could post beautiful market photos all day.  So I will do one more and then end.  This one is kind of cheating as it isn't technically a farmer's market.  But it is an old and honored food emporium, with more glamor than Madonna and Lady Gaga combined.  (Or maybe Audrey Hepburn and Liz Taylor for us mature folks.)  I'll start with the chandelier, yes, and what a chandelier, and whiz you around for some of the more interesting foodstuffs.

Veggies and candy and terrines oh my!  This must be Harrod's,  home of everything from the 30 British Pound Sterling Ostrich Egg  to the good old boxes of Kellogg's Corn Flakes. By the way, those are marshmallows to the left.  Multi=colored.

 

Now I am finished, but I do need your help.  I took the next photo of a little shop in Sanary-Sur-Mer in the South of France, wanting to know what the French think of as the difference between a gourmet and a gourmand.   Unfortunately,  I forgot to learn French.  So if you can translate the text and then drop down below my commercial and click on "add a comment" and translate it, I will always be grateful for the next few days at least.  I am sure that many of you have favorite markets and would love to have you comment on those below too!  Thank you Lindsey Johnson for the Halifax photos.

Wow.  I have seen so many new and interesting trips this year.  If you are a birder or generally love the wild places and nature,  we have a small ship of 100 passengers maximum visiting the Russian Far East along the Kuril Islands, the Northern Ring of Fire.  Or go by luxury rail from Moscow to Vladivostok this winter and see Russia during this beautiful season.  If you are interested in sea life,  I can offer a chance to see the beautiful tusked narwhal--the unicorn of the ocean-- on a Narwhal and Polar Bear Safari.  Nowadays travel really can fulfill your dreams.  The dreams will become memories and will stay with you forever.  (If you are looking for a bargain,  I do have a special offer with Crystal Cruises through the end of this week, with additional discounts over what you may see published on their website, plus special amenities.)  anne@specialtycruise.com; 888-857-7379.  Happy travel dreaming!