It's fair to say that this morning, I woke up a little excited. I had lots to do, but the thing I was most excited about was taking a trip to the market. Why? Because, I knew that it was part of something special. I would be joining in with some global fun, where I'd not only get to enjoy the feel of a local market, but also get to share in the delights of markets from all around the world.
I was on a not-so-secret mission set by none other than the Cap'n of DreemPort herself, @dreemsteem. The mission, if I chose to accept it, was as follows:
Go to a local market ✅
Take some pictures ✅
Show everyone around ✅
I arrived at the Ennis Farmer's Market at about 10am. It looked quiet. There were men in shorts, as you can see. Because, here in Ireland, it doesn't have to be a warm day, it just has to be summer. If you wait for the weather, you'll be waiting a long, long, time.
Now, although it was quiet, there was still that feeling you only get from a market. It's hard to describe, but it's something that takes me all the way back to my childhood. It's a certain spirit that is lacking in mainstream shops. Perhaps, you know what I mean. Perhaps, you don't. The thing is there's a vibrancy that is special to markets. Somehow, there's a lightness of being as you stroll around, and look at the wears on display.
It's like time slows down. People engage in conversation. They are quicker to smile. They connect.
Stories are shared in markets, and this is handy, as the second part of the DreemPort challenge becomes easier to contemplate. Because, I'm sure, if you know Dreemie, you have probably already figured out, that there would be more to this challenge than I've so far described. And you'd be right.
You can check out the challenge here. But for convenience sake, here's a little more of the brief:
Greet the owner of the shop (or in my case, one of the stall holders) and tell them you're writing a post about their wonderful market ✅
Ask if they'd like to be in a picture with you (Yikes! Now it's getting scary!) ✅
So here's what happened. I walked up to one of the stalls that caught my eye, and began to chat with the lovely lady who was selling produce from her little plot of land. She had quite a collection from marmalades to hand crafted walking sticks. You can visit her on Instagram and check out a video that shows you more.
I found out that she'd moved to Ireland 10 years ago, and that she was originally from Gloucester in the UK. She had decided to stay after she came to visit County Clare on holiday. We had that in common. Although, it took me a fair few holidays in Ireland before my hubby and I decided to uproot our lives in London and try out country living.
Lauren and her partner live in a cabin by the river not too far from us. They live off-grid and sell their produce at this and other markets. As she shared her Instagram with me, I told her about Hive, and what I was doing. I asked her if I could take a selfie with her and she happily obliged.
I'm not that great at taking selfies and usually only get a small part of myself in any picture I take. It's something my kids laugh at, but little do they know, it's totally intentional!
After chatting to Lauren, I moved on to chat to the stall holder next to her. He owns a pig farm in Inagh where the pigs roam free. He was at the market selling pork chops, sausages and hams. He was also more than happy for me to take his picture (this time I didn't even pretend to get in it).
I purchased some sausages for my husband, two packs in fact, and spent €10, which is close enough to $10 to meet yet another part of the challenge. However, I failed when it came to finding something expensive. This just wasn't that kind of market.
On another stall, I found my most beautiful item. It sat there teasing and tempting me. I just couldn't resist taking it home. Both my husband and daughter agreed. It was yummy, beautiful deliciousness.
We enjoyed this banana and walnut cake with a cup of tea. And now, as you can see, I've returned home so that is the end of my trip to the market this Friday.
Hope You Had Fun Tagging Along With Me!
Loved this Julia! A proper market post haha... I must say I love going to actual markets to pick up fresh produce... our local one is on the Village High Street on a Wednesday...I haven't been in quite a while as I work... but I am wondering if they have more organic fruit and veg now. I might have to pop out one day and see... take an unannounced lunch break haha.
aaah County Clare... I fell in love with it on my first trip to Ireland in July 2006. I loved the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren and the countryside. The drive from Dublin to the West coast and then heading up North was sublime. That first holiday I took with my sister, my mom and a friend and the sun shone beautiful and warm for an entire week. I was like...well this isn't so bad haha...so we booked to visit again and do the Ring of Kerry... we spent a week driving in belting down rain and fog that did not let up one iota!!! we spent a lot of time and money in coffee shops that trip 🙄😂 I think your #marketfriday post was perfect in every way. Ticked all the boxes for the challenge and was a really enjoyable read... what is most special about it? Your first post in 3 years. Welcome back !LUV
@juliamulcahy, @samsmith1971(3/5) sent you LUV.
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Wow! You got a sunny week in July? You must have had the luck of the Irish that week. 😂
When the sun is out, Ireland is the most beautiful place to be, for sure. The Ring of Kerry is an experience to be had, and many, like you, get to enjoy it with frequent downpours. It's what I call good story telling weather. 😄
Why do you take half selfies (people only showcase their own look and the second person looks like dim in their glamour hehe-my friends irritate me un this way.
Are they the people of the same world if yes then they deserve salute honestly 😍
You brought walnut cake can i have tea time with you🤩
Believe me i would drink cold tea ( my mom always says Hot tea would burn your organs 😥 but when rea becomes cold it doesnt give me vibes nah )
-sorry for these homie talks.
Good luck for the contest.
i arrived here on the suggestion of Dreemport🤗
!PIZZA
In my book, tea has to be hot! Lol! But then, here in Ireland you need the warmth. Sometimes a little organ burning is just the very best thing. Hehehehe.
Thank you for stopping by and for the pizza! (I haven't worked out that part of Hive yet, but I will).
Good luck to you too for the DreemPort contest! 😀
Awwwww 🤗 going to tell all of this to mom. Instead of burning heart 😆
These are second layer token hehe its all about sharing love and fun .
Stay blessed 😍
How lovely! Farmer's markets are so splendid. I wish I could go to them year round, but they really are only possible in the summer months here in Minnesota. (Maybe that's true everywhere.)
That is so true. I think that if everyone could go to small markets and talk to vendors about their wares, the world would literally be a better place, and we would all just calm the f... down! Ha ha. I'm actually kind of serious.
Looks like an awesome day, and you can't go wrong with banana bread and tea at the end of it.
p.s. Oh! Be sure to mention @dswigle whenever you post in Market Friday, as she is the host and owner. You can read all about it in her latest #marketfriday post: https://peakd.com/hive-196308/@dswigle/cruising-thru-market-friday
Hi @jayna, thanks for dropping by.
I totally agree that we would calm down quite a bit if the world could go back to the time when markets were the norm. Lol! That was a time when shops weren't open every day and at every hour. People actually had time to stop (and smell the roses).
The banana bread was delish, and the walnuts made it even better.
Thanks for the heads up about mentioning @dswigle, I will endeavour to do that next time. And, there will be a next, for sure! 😉
What a great market I love exploring markets like this and that banana walnut loaf looks so good
People here in New England well not all but many are the same once it is officially summer and fir some even spring it’s shorts time jo matter the temperature
Lol! Perhaps, there's a lot in New England with Irish ancestry. 😂
Thanks for taking the time to read my Market Friday post, @tattoodjay. It was fun to explore this market, and now I have the bug, I'll be sure to explore lots more here in Ireland.
there is a big Irish community if many cities here in NEw England so perhaps that is part of it
I am of Irish descent, and maybe when I was younger i wore shorts in cooler weather as I get older I fell the cold more lOL
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Nice to see you writing again @juliamulcahy. I was wondering what it might be which would provide the needed inspiration. Now we know! 😉
Markets. The closest we have around here are fruit and vegetable stands. And there is one little family-owned store, which primarily sells fruits and vegetables. It is a favorite stopping place for us, as we are keen to "buy local" whenever that is possible. We used to think we were saving money. Maybe. But we are most certainly benefitting from a very nice "step up" in terms of the quality of the food we are eating. Of that, we have no doubt.
Would you say these markets take us back in time? Haven't we people been conducting this type of business with each other for generations? Sure it has changed some, but ... I think the "basics" have not.
I really enjoyed reading of your "adventure" there in Ireland. Looking forward to seeing what provides the next inspiration! Until then ... 👋🙂
P.S. As a little editing assist, in attempting to follow the URL to the post mentioned, it was the same as the URL to Instagram ...
P.P.S. In reading DSwigle's linked post, she writes in bold of the need to have the #HIVE-196308 tag first. I hope this doesn't cause you problems in your entry (and I hope you don't mind the unavoidable attention to detail of my little engineering pea brain ... 😉)
Hey @roleerob, thanks for dropping by and for the assistance. I thought I had put the tag you mentioned, but when I added the hash-tag it didn't seem to like it, so I left it out. I've now added it into the main text, so hopefully, that will work.
Not sure about the Instagram pointer. It takes me to cabinbytheriver19's video post on Instagram when I try it. I thought it would be nice to share the stall holder's own social media. I'm hoping that she'll take a look at Hive after our chat, but for now she's only on Insta.
As for markets taking us back in time, perhaps that's just me. Markets were a big part of my childhood. They were vibrant and part of the weekly fabric of life. I've watched the ones I knew so well, lose their vibrancy, dwindle in size and eventually disappear. Farmers' markets, therefore, seem to be stepping back into that past, and breathing new life into them.
Mind you, as someone who grew up in Camden in London, there is one market that has never lost it's vibrancy and seems to grow bigger every time I visit. 😀
Okay. Glad it is as you intended. For some reason, upon reading that, I was expecting something coming up on a different UI than Instagram. False alarm! 🤷♂️
Hopefully, with your prompting, she will at least check into Hive. There was a favorite YouTuber of ours, who focused on gardening, who was here for awhile. But left ...
I cannot say for certain, but ... There was some indication it was due to issues you and I have discussed elsewhere ...
Sounds like you have a lot more experience with markets than we do. I just like the personal one-to-one human interaction of them vs. buying something online. That, far too often here at least, is being produced in China ...
Given the news lately, we will not be surprised to see "buying local" taking on much greater meaning in the months to come ...
Phew! Glad it was a false alarm. Thank you again for following up with me.
I have quite a lot of experience with markets. My best friend's parents were market traders, and one of my first jobs as a teenager was working on her mum's stall. Those were the days, my friend. 😁
I imagine you have memories of what it was like dealing with the general public walking up to it and engaging with you on whatever was of interest to them.
Am I reading right that this was in London somewhere?
In my childhood, we would put out signs to attract people's attention toward the fruit we had to sell. Sweet cherries were our big cash crop, but we also sold peaches, apricots, etc. I have mostly fond memories of that.
At the age of 19, I worked in a 7-11 store, in various capacities. Actually advancing to managing one at my young age. That experience with the general public led me to become an engineer! 😏😉
Lol!
Ah, the dear ol' general public have helped many a person find their talents. 😉😂
Upvoted on behalf of the VYB Curation Project
Thank you, @samsmith1971. I'll have to ask you more about VYB. x
I really loved the report! So great to meet the stall owners. You even have a Boylesport behind you to put a bet on before you go home!
Lol! Well spotted. Next time, I might just do that! 😀
hehheehehe she's baaaaaaaaack!!!!!!
I was gone all day, but guess what I had to come check ....YOUR BLOG!!! and now here I am..grinning from ear to ear, feeling like I'm right there in that market with you!!!
and yes, I totally know what you mean..you went to a market market!!! a real one! hehehe
I happened to see a farmers market the other day but I didn't have time to stop and take pics.... if I did, Im.sure that it would have been filled with lovely people like you've shared! because as you said, that's the kind of people those.markets attract!!! The ones that just make your heart warm and make your imagination take flight to whisk you to an earlier time when things were simpler and easier and lovelier....hehehe
and im.cracking up that you intentionally only get pieces of you in your selfies lolololol
it's kind of a fun little thing to do!!! hahahahaha.
Well....as far as coming back in with a splash...you achieved it!
This post was fun, and joyful and painted the scene with tons of love (and bravery! hahaha) Not to mention that I'm so happy that I get to read your writing again!!!
So happy this little (not-so-little) voice is back!!! Excellent entry...and way to go for getting those shots too!!!
(I am pretending that the banana bread was gluten free and that a slice was saved for me hehehe)
Hey Dreemie! I'm grinning from ear to ear now too. I've loved joining in with the fun of the DreemPort challenge. I've been reading lots of Market Friday posts and it's been a complete delight!
And, if you ever get to come and visit, I make a mean gluten free banana bread! 😂
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