It has been a while since the last time I participated to #MarketFriday, initiated by lovely @dswigle but last evening I had an opportunity that I couldn't pass. A fair right on my doorstep, with traveling merchants coming to town with all kind of goods to sell and a flock of people, locals and tourists, swarming about, eager to taste a delicacy, buy some products or just wander in the festive atmosphere!
So @traisto and myself took our cameras and headed straight to the action :)
The beaming ladies at the first picture of the post are a couple from the dozens of street vendors that came for the fair. They are Roma, an ethnic group that seem to be in their natural environment in gatherings like that! And although I wouldn't adopt their way of living, I have to say that they are cheerful and openhearted in a way that has been lost in the modern western societies!
The variety of goods in offer is beyond any imagination. Hardware tools, socks, plastic flowers, candies, pans and all kind of cooking utensils, tacky ornaments, worry beads, underwear, roasted pig on the spit, toys, jewellery and many more, all mixed up in a combination that is almost surrealistic!
Smells, noise, human energy and kitsch are all blending together in the most charming way, reminding me more of a market of Middle East, rather than a European country like Greece.
But then again Greece has always been the crossroad between Europe and East!
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We have a specific word for this kind of fair in Greek, they are called:
εμποροπανήγυρη.
It is a compound word made from the words trade (εμπόριο) and fair (πανηγύρι). I guess the translation is trade fair but as I read in Wikipedia:
A trade fair is an exhibition organized so that companies in a specific industry can showcase and demonstrate their latest products and services, meet with industry partners and customers, study activities of rivals, and examine recent market trends and opportunities.
source
and we have a totally different word for that, with a totally different quality. Anyway,I don't know why I wrote this paragraph, I just wanted to point out that when you hear the Greek word about this kind of events, there is no chance to misunderstand what it is all about!
After this clarification I can continue calling it a trade fair and you'll know what I mean :)
As the sun was setting, the kiosks with traditional pastry became the most popular, not only among visitors but among the people that worked there too!
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Trade fairs have their routes in antiquity and during the Middle Ages they were a very important factor of development for the domestic commerce. During the time of the Byzantine Empire they entered under the protection of the church and were associated with Christian celebrations, a practice that still stands. This specific fair is taking place under the blessings of the near by church of Virgin Mary!
I kept a chronological order in the pictures because, honestly, I can't think of any other way to handle this small chaos :)
And when the dusk came, it was time for some wide angle views of the street with the sky turning dark blue and the medieval castle on the hill illuminated and majestic!
The cute pig on the stand is advertising the roasted pig that is lying on a kiosk next to it but I didn't want to shock my vegan readers so I spared you of that image :)
Of course we had to buy something and @traisto took 3 pairs of socks for 5 euro! Sounds like a good deal, doesn't it?
The last picture with the gas station is rather irrelevant but it turned out too good to leave it out of the post!
Have a great weekend!
Cheers :)
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Thank you very much!
I get weak at the knees at the presence of middle eastern sweets. all logic barriers come crumbling down and sugar is no longer a problem, for the time it takes..
if the white pigeon on the socks @traisto bought will bring peace, then 5€ is a bargain !!!
thank you for sharing !
Haha yes, they sure know how to make sweets in the middle east!
I don't know if the pigeon will bring peace but they looked as a bargain anyway :)
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