Market Watch, My Way

    We sure look forward to the various weekly markets here in Umbria…In our area, there is a an outdoor market somewhere nearby pretty much every day of the week. We generally head to the local market in Tavernelle, about a ten minute drive from us.

  We will go to other markets, too, just for fun and variety. There really are so many to choose from. I may not even buy anything…I just get a kick out of walking through all the vendors to see what's up.

  You never know when you'll come across something you've never seen.

  Much like the local markets back home, you will find all kinds of fresh produce. Though most is local, some of the fruit and veg come up from the southern areas of Italy, like tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. It's warm enough there now to grow these beauties.

I could smell the sweet fragrance of strawberries way before we saw this stand...

Shelling peas was a big job this week!

Lovely colors…And the first time we saw eggplant this season.

How many varieties of purple artichokes are there?

It's all about fava beans right now, and they are such a deal here.

  Besides produce, most markets will have cheeses, meats, breads, etc.
  A favorite is the porchetta trucks. There is a whole roasted pig, head and all, stuffed with an herb mixture. The vendors will slice off meat, and serve it in a simple white bun. Being vegetarian, I've never tried it. The skin is all crackled, and people go nuts over it.
  Also available... fish, cured meats, cheeses and even live baby chicks and ducklings. It makes me sort of sad…but also makes for good photos...

I forget that the sea is only a short distance away.

Not my thing, but….popular here.

Ummm….well…somebody must like it.

Yes, we will buy some cheese now and again. 

Yes, please.
This stuff never makes it home.

  These local markets are like having Target come to town for the day….they have just about everything. It's pretty cool.
  They almost all have one or more plant vendors, and I have bought lots of annual flowering plants from them...

The bigger markets have cut flowers, too, like we have at home...

  This past week, the old guys were buying tons of veggie starts..lots of tomatoes and such. Flats and flats for their home gardens.

We don't see nursery vendors at our farmer's markets at home.
I think it would be cool.

  Again, like a Target type store, you will find all sorts of stuff for the home…not furniture, but just about everything else, it seems...

Tons of kitchen items...

Stuff for sewing and knitting, even!

Drapes, carpets, towels and such….
Quality varies.

  We always buy a few scarves for gifts and for ourselves. I also like to check out the clothes vendors.

  This week I bought two very light weight shirts…it's gotten warm and muggy, and I needed something really light for our last days here. The markets have great deals on things...

There are always…and I mean always…scarves.
Lots of scarves.

Also leather goods….

New clothes and used, as well.
The used clothes are always piled on tables..these are new things.

The men's department.
Snazzy.

And for the ladies….
I can't imagine buying my girlie things here, I gotta say.

  Then you've got the shoes. 

  The women love the shoes….

  And there are loads of shoes for men, too…in all kinds of colors. 

  Johnny goes nuts, and always comes home with at least one pair of new shoes.

  But he is the clotheshorse of this family, that's for sure.

Oh, yeah.

The girl version of these come in way more flashy colors,
but they were not out here for some reason.

Don't know if these are the real deal, but I sure do love all the pretty colors.
Like candy.

  Just another fun day or two at the local markets.
  Can't wait for the next one…but I guess that will be next year.
  Oh, wait…I think there's one Friday in Pienza……we'll still be here…hmmmmm.