Festive market!
National holiday today in Greece and in the small town where we now live, there is a tradition of having a flea market with traders coming all over the country.
It takes place on the street where my first house was, this market felt like my market when I was a kid :)
I chose the photo above because I like it, this is an old neighborhood with lot of character but nowadays most buildings have been restored or replaced by new ones. This might be the only one left abandoned and flying pillows and colorful covers will accompany it for two days.
I was surprised to see that the market on its own hasn't changed a lot. There are still the same things, you can find pretty much anything. Don't ask me about the quality, but I can tell the prices are low and since Greece (and not only) is under a constant economic crisis and in bankruptcy state since 2010, I could notice that this festive flea market had a lot of people. To be honest I thought it would be just me and @fotostef and a few others. I was imagining a state of decadence, but I was wrong. And it was fun too!
You must expect a lot of surrealism, underwear on the air and papaya from Thailand rich in iron and calcium, and some herbs and ceramic pots in between :)
I have said that again, in my opinion Greece belongs mostly to the East that to the West. I could expect to see a market like this in Turkey, Lebanon or Egypt. It feels different than the European flea markets. Let me know what you think :)
After having written these lines I read the post of @fotostef that you can read here, that shares the same thoughts :)
@fotostef went a step further and looked for the origins of this tradition - a festive flea market that happens due to a religious celebration - and found some interesting stuff going back to Middle Ages!
You name something and it will probably be here :)
Kitsch chaos!
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The stand with toys are always popular. Some of them were really nice. Definitely an affordable way to get some gifts for the kids. Not a singe kid without a smaller or bigger present, happy faces!
I am not sure how successful the day was for the others, but the one sector that worked well without doubt was the stands with the sweets! Almost everyone was holding one. Too sugary for us, we just took photos of them.
Famous loukoumades, the bestseller :)
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We went late in the afternoon and when the sun set we were still there.
You can see it's full of people! While I am not a fan of all traditions, this one I find it sweet. A memory from the past and something that I have the feeling that it won't last for long. Maybe I am wrong. I was certainly wrong about this year!
If you have already checked out @fotostef's post and you are wondering why his panoramic photos are so much better than mine, this is the reason :)
In my defense, he is much taller than me!
Thank you so much for reading!
Photo taken by @fotostef.
This is my contribution to #MarketFriday, initiated by wonderful @dswigle!
If you would like to know more about me this is my introduction post.
The pinocchio doll looked good. If I were there, I would buy it
Pinocchio was great! I bought some socks instead, haha! Thanks so much for stopping by :)
This seems a beautiful market. I am totally for (most) traditions !
I relate to what you say about Greece being rather an eastern country. the market sure looks like something you would expect to see in Istanbul or there about.
not sure what loukoumades is, but I can easily see why it is a bestseller !
the name reminded me of the Turkish Rachat Lakum (sometimes called Turkish Delight) which I LOVE.
thank you for sharing.
Loukoumades are awesome to be honest! You could call them Greek honey donuts :) I love them, but as they are deep fried and in a fiesta like this the same oil can be fried for hours, I just avoid them. Otherwise they are really tasty :)
Glad you also see it this way! I like the multicultural character of this small part of Earth :)
Thank you for stopping by dear @bigorna1!
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I've never been to a flea market so far even though there are quite a few organized in my town as well. I've heard all kind of stories about that such as being able to buy lots of precious things very cheap as well as paying a fortune for things that you think are original but they are not. Either way, I think it's a cool experience and should definitely try it one day 🤗
Both sides are true, you are right! I didn't mention it, I didn't think of it, but apart from buying cheap you can also pay for some fake brands, haha :) Flea markets are pretty cool, I love the markets with antiques and old stuff :)
Thank you so much for stopping by, dear @gabrielatravels!
Thank you for taking time to reply. Hope you have a beautiful week! 💚
You, too, have a lovely week :)
What a fabulous market! I agree, Greece is definitely more Eastern than Western "flavoured". I LOVE it. Although I think I would slam on brakes in the eating part of the market.
How are you both lovely @traisto? What a fun photo of @fotostef!
Long time no see @buckaroobaby :)
We are both fine and on the move! There has been same big changes in our lives but all for the good!
How are you?
We're well thank you. Just overcoming numerous challenges. Happy to hear you two lovely people are good despite big changes.
Haha! Most people did that :))
We are well! We have moved to a different place and we are now working on how to organize our brand new start! Nice hearing from you and knowing you are all well! xxxx
A different place! But still the same in that you have your herbs and weaving and trees? And that magnificent view?
Not really!
If you have the time you can check the life updates we have both written :)
https://peakd.com/hive-140635/@fotostef/forget-it-mate-this-is-never-going-to-happen
https://peakd.com/hive-152889/@traisto/50-steps-around-a-brand-new-start
I can see a lot of cute items in this market. It is a nice market.
Thank you so much dear @whitebean! Plenty of cute stuff, yes :)
It looks like you had fun! I can see the smile in your eyes in the last shot! I like fun socks and they had an abundance of them!
I love flea markets, although more the antique flea markets. I love finding a piece that will fit perfectly in my life. I don't mind redoing them, it is all part of the adventure. They certainly had everything there! I know you said that it was a comfort having this in your old hometown once again. I guess it is all in what is familiar and makes you feel that way once more.
Nostalgic. That is it. ❤️
I definitely think more East than West. I would have said Turkey, easily. But, sometimes Greece falls on that same crack. It is such a unique place in this world. How lucky you are.
I am not a huge sugar fan, even as a child, but, many people love the sweets of the MidEast or Greece/Turkey. I love the shots of the town, and the underwear hanging high! :) your pictures were great and fun to look at. To be fair, @fotostef was not better, just different. :)
I loved coming with you! Thank you for taking us!!!
#MarketFriday began as a way to reach out across the globe and learn about different cultures through their markets, especially local markets and farmers' markets, and eventually branched out and evolved over time from straight shopping to a cultural affair as it highlights how we differ and then again, how much we are alike. We have become a melting pot of culture, but it is still the Rituals, Festivals, food, architecture, and even your language/languages that separate us... Along with the fact that these things are normal for us. There are unwritten rules that rule our social behaviors. I see this as allowing for increased tolerance between cultures and nations, and opportunities to come together on an even playing ground. A strong culture can be beneficial to a country as it promotes unity, especially during a crisis, peaceful debate, and open dialogue. I have learned so much about all of you and it has been an amazing experience. I can only hope that learning about each other can help us work together for a peaceful world. Thank you for being a part of #MarketFriday
Rules of the Road to Join #MarketFriday!
1.Go to any type of market, or anywhere where you pay money for a service. It can be a museum, a movie theatre, or an auction. Be creative!
2.Tell us a little bit about the market or the event. What brought you there? What did you buy? How much did it cost? We like to compare prices, otherwise, it is just pictures of a market!
3.Post the pictures! No out-of-focus ones, please! Tell a little bit about the pictures that you post. Having many pictures to scroll through does not make a better post without explanation.
4.Use the MarketFriday Community Platform to post #hive-196308 (this is not required, but appreciated) If you don't, then #MarketFriday should be your first tag
5.Following me and reblogging the post so more see it would be appreciated !! Not a rule, just appreciated, more vision for more views on your posts!
. You must put #MarketFriday by @dswigle somewhere on your post.
6.#MarketFriday post should be submitted sometime on Friday UTC
7.The post MUST be in English
8.Drop the link into the MarketFriday comment section so I can find it
#MarketFriday loves you!
I'll take that as a compliment since @traisto is my student in photography and every teacher wants to see his students thrive :)