Need fresh flowers, produce, cheese, or meats? Why go to the grocery store when you can find it at the local markets. Everyday a different city holds a market in the city center and today was my town's day. And wow it did not disappoint! Ever since my driving fiasco, I haven't exactly been dying to drive into unfamiliar cities so I went with a few other girls.
Lots of interesting vendors... A coffee stand with a friendly salesman willing to create special blends of coffee beans, an area if you need to buy live stock, and lots of fresh flowers, fish, cheeses, meats, and fruits. Searching for fresh basil has been challenging but not at the market. I bought enough basil to make pesto for a month and a delicious rotisserie chicken for tonight's dinner.
Lately, I've been craving a dish my mother makes: chicken stuffed with spinach and prosicutto. Delicious. So I bought fresh spinach too. But when I told the man I wanted spinach I didn't realize how much he was going to give me! I'm horrible with standard US measurements and dealing with the metric system... well I'm totally hopeless! I can remember back in school when they were teaching us the metric system I thought, "The US will never switch to the metric system; when will I ever use this?". Now I'm wishing I would have paid more attention! haha I watched the man stuff a regular grocery bag full of spinach and I mean he was stuffing that bag that the spinach was spilling over the top. I kept telling the man, "tres bien" but it was no help. I walked away with enough spinach to feed 10 families!!! hahah
All I could do as I looked at these pictures was say, "Wow". All of it is amazing to me. I keep using that word and yet I just love it. I wish I could smell and hear what is going on too...
Posted by: kristine | 26 September 2006 at 20:12
My friend Alexandra just told me about your site and I've been perusing it wistfully -- I lived in Belgium for 8th and 9th grade! My father was US military posted to NATO headquarters. I have some very fond memories, though in truth we moved there from a beach town in southern Italy, so I was a bit glum about the transition for a while. I couldn't tell from the posts I read what part of the country you are in. I was in Brussels, but we would go to SHAPE for sports events, etc. I remember some small towns, but it was a LONG time ago -- almost 20 years! (OH MY GOD!) Love you pics of the markets and chocolates and cheese! I'm surprised more of the people you've met don't speak English -- not that they SHOULD, but it seems in Northern Europe everyone speaks about 5 languages fluently. Anyway, glad to find your site!
Posted by: Laini | 27 September 2006 at 01:24
Oh -- I almost forgot -- our house in a Flemish village was gorgeous but had terrible wallpaper too. Ha ha.
Posted by: Laini | 27 September 2006 at 01:24
at least you are getting spinach. i'm in the part of the us where it is currently banned due to recent contamination scares. i'm thinking i may never eat it again. :-(
Posted by: ally bean | 27 September 2006 at 14:02
Hey, nice page!
I really enjoyed reading your experiences. Its very funny to read what outsiders think of us Belgians :)
Keep up the good work!
Posted by: Glenn | 27 September 2006 at 16:49
I was at a market in Brussels and saw a goat's head for sale.
I wish I'd had a camera....
Posted by: V-Grrrl | 28 September 2006 at 14:51
Neil matched me to you! So, hi! When he said you lived in Belgium, I didn't realize that you had JUST moved there.
It's nice to meet you, anyway. I'll be back!
Posted by: Alison | 28 September 2006 at 16:17
thats one of the things I most miss about Europe-the markets. When I lived in Bulgaria for two years, along with the fruit & flowers for sale, you'd also see pigs for sale in the backs of open trunks, back seats full of cabbage where you'd just reach your arm in through the window and grab what you'd like, and all sorts of other unique, fun sights to witness! Enjoy all that spinach- don't forget its good in an omelette too!
Posted by: Alexandra | 28 September 2006 at 16:55
Hey, it was lovely to meet you and your family last night at Cindy's.
There's a really good market here in Antwerp on Saturday mornings ... they call it the foreigners market because the stall owners are all Moroccan or Turkish and ecetera and there's a French speaking guy who has a stand up the back and his strong Brie is the best I've tasted :)
Posted by: Di | 29 September 2006 at 08:35
you post a craving for your mom's chicken, prosicutto and spinach and then leave me hanging w/o a recipe.
oh, that's just cruel.
Posted by: mckay | 30 September 2006 at 20:52