Shopping at the Market

It is Saturday morning and the sun is shining. I get up at seven thirty and have breakfast at the hotel. Today I want to go to the famous outdoor market in the old town. My friend Maria told me about it yesterday at breakfast. She said it is the best place to buy fresh food, flowers, and local products. I ask the man at the hotel desk, "Excuse me, how do I get to the Saturday market?" He says, "The market is in the old town square, near the church. You can take the bus from the stop opposite the hotel. It is bus number twelve. The journey takes about fifteen minutes." I say, "How much is the bus fare?" He says, "It is two euros. You can pay the driver when you get on." I say, "Thank you very much." I get my bag, my wallet, and my new map, and I go outside to the bus stop.

I wait at the bus stop for five minutes. There are three other people waiting too. An old woman with a shopping trolley, a young man with headphones, and a mother with a small child. The bus arrives at eight fifteen. I get on and say to the driver, "Good morning. One ticket to the old town, please." He says, "Two euros." I give him a five euro note and he gives me three euros change and a ticket. I find a seat near the window and sit down. The bus drives through the city streets. I can see shops opening, people walking their dogs, and children going to school. After ten minutes, the bus crosses a bridge over the river. The old town is on the other side. The buildings here are older and more beautiful, with coloured walls and wooden shutters on the windows. The bus stops and the driver says, "Old town square!"

I get off the bus and I can immediately see the market. The square is full of stalls with colourful awnings. There are stalls selling fruit and vegetables, bread and pastries, cheese and meat, flowers, honey, soap, and handmade crafts. The smell is amazing. I can smell fresh bread, roasted coffee, and flowers all mixed together. There are many people here already, even though it is only eight thirty in the morning. I walk slowly through the market, looking at everything. A woman at a fruit stall calls out, "Good morning! Fresh strawberries today! The best in the region!" I go to her stall and look at the strawberries. They are big and red and they smell wonderful. I say, "Good morning. How much are the strawberries?" She says, "Three euros for a box." I say, "I will take one box, please. And how much are the apples?" She says, "Two euros a kilo."

I buy a box of strawberries and a kilo of apples. The woman puts them in a paper bag for me. I say, "Thank you. They look delicious." She says, "They are! Enjoy them." I continue walking through the market. I come to a cheese stall. There are so many different types of cheese! Big round ones, small square ones, soft ones, and hard ones. The man behind the stall says, "Would you like to try some?" I say, "Yes, please!" He gives me small pieces of three different cheeses to taste. They are all delicious but I like the soft one the best. I say, "How much is the soft cheese?" He says, "That one is eight euros for a half kilo. It is made locally, from goats on the farm just outside the city." I say, "I will take a half kilo, please. It is wonderful."

Next, I go to the bread stall. There are long baguettes, round loaves, rolls, and pastries. Everything looks fresh and golden. I say, "Good morning. Can I have one baguette and two croissants, please?" The baker says, "Of course. That is three euros fifty." I pay and he puts the bread in a long paper bag. The baguette is still warm from the oven. I can feel the heat through the paper. I also see a stall selling sausages. I remember that my hotel room has a small fridge, so I can keep food there. I go to the sausage stall and say, "Please give me some sausages. How many are in a pack?" The man says, "Six sausages in a pack. Five euros." I say, "That is a good price. I will take one pack, please." He wraps them in paper and gives them to me.

My bags are getting heavy now! I have strawberries, apples, cheese, bread, croissants, and sausages. But I want to buy one more thing. I see a beautiful flower stall with roses, sunflowers, tulips, and lilies in every colour. A young woman is arranging the flowers. I say, "These are beautiful! How much is a bunch of sunflowers?" She says, "Sunflowers are four euros for five stems." I say, "I will take five sunflowers, please. They will look lovely in my hotel room." She wraps them in brown paper and ties them with string. I pay and say, "Thank you. They are gorgeous." She says, "Thank you! Have a lovely day." I now have so many bags that I can barely carry them all. I need to find somewhere to sit down and have a rest before I take the bus back.

I find a small café at the edge of the market square. It has tables outside under a big umbrella. I sit down and put all my bags on the empty chair next to me. A waiter comes and says, "Good morning. What can I get you?" I say, "A coffee and a glass of water, please." He says, "Of course. Would you like milk in your coffee?" I say, "Just a little milk, please." He brings my coffee and water. The coffee is strong and delicious. I sit and watch the market. People are laughing, talking, and carrying bags of food. A man is playing guitar near the fountain and people are putting coins in his hat. Children are running between the stalls. It is a happy, lively scene. I take my phone and make some photos to send to my family back home.

While I am drinking my coffee, I remember that I want to buy a gift for my friend back in England. She loves cooking, so maybe I can find something nice for her at the market. I pay for my coffee, which is two euros fifty, and go back into the market. I find a stall selling local products: olive oil, herbs, spices, honey, and jam. Everything is in beautiful glass jars with handwritten labels. I say to the woman, "I am looking for a gift for a friend who loves cooking. What do you recommend?" She says, "This local olive oil is excellent. And this jar of herbs from the mountains is very special. Together they make a lovely gift." I say, "How much are they together?" She says, "The oil is six euros and the herbs are four euros. Ten euros for both." I say, "Perfect. Can you wrap them as a gift?"

The woman wraps the olive oil and herbs in tissue paper and puts them in a small gift bag. She even adds a ribbon. I say, "That looks beautiful. My friend will love it. Thank you very much." I also buy a jar of local honey for myself. It is three euros. The woman says, "This honey is from bees that live in the lavender fields. It is very special." I say, "It sounds delicious. Thank you for all your help." She says, "You are welcome. Enjoy the rest of your day!" I check the time on my phone. It is half past ten. I have been at the market for two hours! Time goes fast when you are having fun. I need to get the bus back to the hotel now because my bags are very heavy and I want to put the food in the fridge.

I walk back to the bus stop near the church. I can see the church tower from the market square, so it is easy to find. I wait for bus number twelve. It comes after about seven minutes. I get on, pay my two euros, and find a seat. My bags take up the seat next to me. The bus crosses the bridge again and drives back through the city to my hotel. I get off at my stop and walk into the hotel. The man at the desk sees me with all my bags and says, "It looks like you had a successful morning at the market!" I laugh and say, "Yes! I bought too much, I think. But everything looked so good." He says, "The Saturday market is the best. Enjoy your food!" I take the elevator to my room and put everything away. What a wonderful morning! The market is definitely my favourite place in this city.