August 31st, 2023
Exhausted from the hideous long journey and upset by the lost suitcase, the thought of the market lifted our spirits. A lot! But the last Tuesday of the summer holidays, combined with rain, meant that only a few vans made the effort.
The strangest sight was 6 vans in the enormous piazza – strange because they only parked in their allotted places so there were huge spaces between them. The (very good) shoe van was at the far end near the columns (very similar to the columns in Venice); in the centre the plant van unloaded the basil and other herbs and placed them where they always sit. The scarf van sat cosily next to the rug van but the rest of the piazza was empty. Of course the scarf van was also offering umbrellas. We bought an umbrella for 8 Euro but should have waited because the man next door – also selling socks, was offering them for 5.
Today the whole market was back in town. It was festive – like the Perth Royal Show. People jostled for a bargain at the outlet vans – fresh supplies from Designer Outlets there for the picking over. We’ve both had some great finds at these vans, but it’s very hit and miss. There’s only one of anything with limited sizes and colours, but you can be lucky and we often are.
Today we bought only a lush fragrant basil plant, from the stall near the 15th century cathedral – built over Roman ruins – and some onions and peaches near the Roman Crypt.
The end-of-summer clothes were giving way to some darker autumnal colours but there were bright outfits everywhere complemented by great summer tans.
Hot pink tulle teamed with lime green, and fluoro lemon with stilettos to match contributed to the festive air. This is the last day the markets will coincide with school holidays so kids were running around as well.
The concern is that in a week’s time, I’m going to love all the interesting outfits which today I found a bit weird!