A few days ago we went grocery shopping in Edinburgh. Now, no matter where I go shopping, particularly for produce, I will think of Valencia’s Central Market. Several friends have suggested that this trip will change me and/or change my life. I suppose this remains to be seen and I’ll have to let them tell me if they notice differences in me. The only thing I can say is that the produce in Spain changed the way I see fresh fruits and vegetables for life.
One of our favorite things in Valencia was food shopping. A short 5-minute walk from our rental was the landmark Mercat Central, an incredible example of Valencia’s Art Nouveau architecture. It is such a hub of activity that begins as early as 7:30 a.m. Considering how late folks like to stay up here, we were surprised the hours started that early. One day, when the weather was forecast to be stifling and at least 95 with high humidity, we decided to go around 8:00 a.m. and get our errands done early. We found that not all the stalls do open first thing – lesson learned.
The first time we went, it was intimidating. This is not just a touristy spot. You are moving among locals, including lots of old ladies rolling their carts and making their picks of the day. There isn’t a lot of English spoken and the totals, in Euros, rolls off their tongues quickly. Trying to understand the amount and pick out the right amount of change while others are clearly not happy to wait was a bit stressful at first. But some take credit cards, and we just accepted that some vendors were less than thrilled to deal with non-Spanish speakers and weren’t going to be friendly.
Others were just the opposite, including our favorite fruit stand where you had to take a number. We were put off to this initially but once you get home and cut into that fruit, you get it. We had the best melon, the best mango, the best… well, everything, we’ve ever had. In fact, of all things we were very sorry to leave in Valencia, I think Virginia Fruit Stand was at the top.
I think the other wonderful thing was the prices. Produce was also very affordable in Lisbon but we didn’t have the selection and you just can’t beat the setting of Valencia’s market. Everything you want in one place. You can even snack on fartons (think Churros) and chocolate before or after your shop at the stand outside the front door. Surrounding the market are kiosks where vendors sell everything from jewelry to kitchen cookware.
As we have progressed on our trip through countries in northern latitudes, it has been melancholy to purchase a red pepper, an avocado, or a mango and not smile when reflecting on what a great experience we had at this market.
