Plonk me in a foreign country, point me in the direction of a food market and you won’t see me for dust.
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| Kas Market, Turkey |
Local food markets are one of the quickest ways to get a
vivid snapshot of a country. They give you the opportunity to see ordinary
people living their lives. You see the type of foodstuffs they eat and you see
how they interact with each other. In short, because the food market is there
for the locals, not you, they give you a chance to mingle in a way you never
can when you visit dedicated tourist attractions.
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| Kas Market |
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| Kas Market |
On my recent trip to Turkey, I spent a happy hour wandering
around a small market in Kas in the Antalya region, marvelling at the beautiful
fresh produce and drinking in the atmosphere.
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| Buying fresh yogurt - Kas Market |
I communicated largely by sign language with women selling
herbs and salad leaves and a lady with a bubbling pot of corn on the cob. I
watched a woman spooning a thick white substance into plastic bags which she
weighed for her customers. Noting my curiosity, she gave me a small dollop to
taste: it was yogurt – thick, fresh and very sour!
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| Kas Market |
I feel another mini-series coming on...
Fabulous photos, Susan. I can imagine the smells and the sounds of a busy market - and, as you say, the experience helps to inspire rich detail in writing.
ReplyDeleteHelen
Thanks, Helen. I love markets for all sorts of reasons - and the fact that they offer a rich source of writing material is a bonus.
DeleteA mini series around markets would be great if there aren't too many weevils!
ReplyDeleteHe he - fair enough, Ros - I'll try to keep the weevils at bay!
DeleteMarkets are so much more lively than shops aren't they. I always recommend visitors to Oxford to take in the Covered Market where not just food but a whole range of goods are sold. The sights and sounds and above all the smells are just so different to normal shopping. We seem to be cut off from all that in our sanitised shops.
ReplyDeleteAnn
Absolutely, Ann. It doesn't matter where in the world you are - all markets have something unique to offer. I think I will start that mini-series!
DeleteI couldn't agree more about the evocativeness (?) of local markets. My memories of France revolve around them, as well as those of Tenerife. I was camera-happy too, though the camera can never capture the smells.
ReplyDeleteAll markets have a distinctive smell don't they, Lizy? Part of the challenge when I write about them is to effectively describe the smells... and sounds.
ReplyDeleteI loved the markets in Turkey. The fresh figs were so delicious. Kas was a rest day on our cycling trip there. Well we did go paragliding off the cliffs but a rest day from cycling.
ReplyDeleteI would love to tour Turkey in more depth, Sue, but I'd prefer a motorhome - I'm rubbish on a bike! I've explored Istanbul and the area around Ephesus - wonderful country, wonderful food!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't mind pinching some of that corn. :) I passed through Kas briefly some years ago but didn't get as far as the market.
ReplyDeleteI was slightly surprised by the corn as it's not something you see in Turkish restaurants.
ReplyDelete