Madness I tell you.
Markets are simply the best places on earth. My love of them is almost veering on obsession, to be honest. Living 2 minutes from Portobello Market in London has certainly been the ammunition for this obsession, feeding it every Friday & Saturday & even Sunday when I can conjure up something I managed to forget on my last previous two visits that weekend. My market love has always been reaffirmed on trips to Italy - filled with so many random bits & bobs that containing my complete & utter excitment is an impossibility. I'm not going to pretend that these spots provide the essetials in life (although Vini & I did buy some loo paper which was rather handy) & I'd even go so far as to suggest the rows & rows of stalls are filled with things which couldn't be more unnecessary, but the manner in which they are piled high in glorious chaos makes my desire to spend all my life's savings even more rife.
So on arrival in Florence one of my immediate concerns was to discover where & when the markets would be - asking everyone from our landlady to our life models. 'Mercato' was probably my most used Italian word while I was there...as well as 'vestiti' (clothes), 'bellisima!' (beautiful) & 'quanto costa?' (how much?)...all market related lingo, I'll admit.
Here are a few excited snaps.
So on arrival in Florence one of my immediate concerns was to discover where & when the markets would be - asking everyone from our landlady to our life models. 'Mercato' was probably my most used Italian word while I was there...as well as 'vestiti' (clothes), 'bellisima!' (beautiful) & 'quanto costa?' (how much?)...all market related lingo, I'll admit.
Here are a few excited snaps.
On Sunday we were at the bric-a-brac market in Piazza Santa Spirito buy opera glasses & considering many things owl related...
Saturday we were at Saint Ambrogio market buy bread, fish, olives, pasteries, bras & pants...
On Tuesday morning (up at 6.30am! We must get there before college!) I bought about 8 shirts. For ONE EURO each. Unbelievable. All retro & fab. Oh, & some highly pattered trousers which will certainly get me some strange looks when I wear them out & about..
The next Sunday we found an antique market in a park, set up around a large pond...
On Wednesday we were at Mercato San Lorenzo admiring all things leather...purses, bags, belts...
The biggest market let down was Mercato Nuovo which was rather touristy. Bit of a Covent Garden equivalent. But no matter! We'd certainly had our fix... ;)
No comments:
Post a Comment