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There's something magical
about markets, especially one's abroad. Yes, there
really are bargains to be had, if you look carefully,
but it's more than that. It's the atmosphere, the
buzz, the holiday feeling, the colours, the smells...
you know what I mean.
There's no logic to this, of course. In our heart
of hearts we know that we can live without a battery-driven
wiggling flamenco dancer or a singing chicken -
but they're so silly and so, well, holidayish,
aren't they? We're not sure about the sizes of the
bras on the underwear stall, but that black one
looks about right, and it's so cheap. The
teeshirt with the funny slogan will make everybody
howl tonight at the barbecue, and it's only a few
quid, so let's go for it! And that Hawaiian-type
shirt over there will look brilliant on Bill, especially
teamed with his holiday uniform of baggy shorts
and sandals. On a more sensible note, the ceramics
are absolutely gorgeous, so it would be a crime
not to buy that set of bowls... and perhaps that
jug... and that huge plant pot would cost an absolute
fortune at home.
Reality begins to bit when you're packing and you
realise that there's no way the huge plant pot will
fit in any of the bags, and you have a |
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funny feeling that the people
at FunFlights might live up to their name by getting very
funny indeed about large, unwieldy hand baggage. Later,
at home, you discover that the pretty black bra is a let-down
in every way (it couldn't lift a thing though it certainly
seperated you from your money.) The Hawaiin shirt looks
garish in the grim light of Grimsby and nobody in your
local pub laughed at the slogan on the teeshirt last night.
One of the set of bowls got broken en route, but the jug
might come in handy if you ever get round to throwing
a sangria party ("In your dreams," says your
husband, nastily). To cap it all, your local garden centre
is having a sale which includes a huge pot plant that
is virtually identical in appearance and price to the
one currently getting in everyone's way in the hall.
On the plus side, although the wiggling flamenco dancer's
battery has already run out (thereby consigning it to
the cupboard under the stairs, where it will gather dust
for many years to come), the peculiar charm of the singing
chicken hasn't worn off yet.
Yes, market mania is alive and well and brightening up
our holiday lives. So you wouldn't say no to a nice Spanish
or Portuguese market, would you?
Costa
del Sol
There are so many markets on Grangefield Oasis Club's
stretch of the coast that you could visit one every day
of your holiday if you wanted to - and if your marriage
could stand it. Here are just some of them (most are within
easy driving distance of the resort, although do set off
early enough to find a parking space). Ask Reception for
directions if you need to.
| SUNDAY |
Arroyo de la Miel (Second-hand
and new at Tivoli World)
Fuengirola Harbour
Torremolinos (Second-hand and new) |
| MONDAY |
Marbella |
| TUESDAY |
Fuengirola |
| WEDNESDAY |
Estepona
Cala de Mijas
Benalmadena Costa (At the Parque de Paloma) |
| THURSDAY |
Torremolinos |
| FRIDAY |
Arroyo de la Miel |
| SATURDAY |
Fuengirola (Second-hand
and new, Feria Ground)
Nueva Andalucia (Near the Puerto Banus bull ring) |
My personal favourite is the Arroyo de la Miel
market held each Friday morning. Arroyo is a small town
which lies just above Benalmadena Costa. The local train
which runs from Fuengirola to Malaga stops at Arroya (Benalmadena)
and the market is just behind the station. This market
is exactly the right size to be manageable (Fuengirola's
Tuesday market is very big and can be exhausting in the
heat of summer) and sells everything from cheap watches
and clothes to vegetables, fruit and spices. Arroyo de
la Miel is, in any case, a nice place to visit. It is
home to Tivoli World, the funfair with music, dancing,
shows and restaurants (a short walk from the station).
From Tivoli World you can take the cable-car to the top
of the mountain and enjoy glorious views of the coast.
Tivoli World itself has a rastro, or second-hand
market, which has stalls selling new items as well as
old. This is held on a Sunday morning.
If you, like me, love rastros, then I can personally vouch
for the Torremolinos second-hand-and-new market, also
held on a Sunday morning at the Feria Ground at the top
of the town, next to the Bull Ring. A cross between a
large boot sale and a normal market, you can pick up anything
from retro clothing to sofas. Avoid the furniture (you
know it makes sense) and instead head for the jewellery;
nice, perfect for presents and, best of all, portable.
Costa de Almeria
Because Almeria is far less built-up then the Costa del
Sol and doesn't yet see the huge numbers of holidaymakers
that the latter attracts, there are fewer markets of the
type described above. But there are still enough of them
to make a market-lover's heart beat a little faster:
| MONDAY |
Huercal-Overa
and Antas |
| TUESDAY |
Cuevas
del Almanzora and Almeria |
| WEDNESDAY |
Mojacar
Pueblo |
| THURSDAY |
Cuevas
del Almanzora, Carboneras |
| FRIDAY |
Garrucha |
| SATURDAY |
Aguilas
& Vera |
| SUNDAY |
Villaricos |
No personal recommendations here, because I haven't
yet managed to visit the markets near Vera Beach Club.
That pleasure is still to come. I have, however, visited
and loved both Mojacar (Wednesday market) and Garrucha
(Friday market), so these markets are where I will be
haeding in the fullness of both time and purse.
Mojacar is a gorgeous small white village just a very
short drive along the coast from Vera Beach Club. The
market is held in the football stadium, which can be found
on the way out of the village, Vera Beach Club Reception
tells me. Reception also warns that parking in Mojacar
is virtually impossible (you'll understand why when you
get there), so you have to park outside the village and
walk. Please ask Reception for full details.
Garrucha, on the other hand, is a small working fishing
port just a few minutes' drive from Vera Beach Club, and
parking at the harbour is relatively simple. The market
is held along one of the main streets near the harbour,
and sells everything from clothes and toys to food and
drink. This sounds like a very good bet to me.
The Algarve
Like Almeria, Portugal's Algarve Coast hasn't yet caught
up with the Costa del Sol in total market mania, although
all towns and villages will have small fruit and vegetable
markets. However, the following two 'tourist' markets
are recommended by CPO and are big and beautiful enough
to be well worth a visit.
| WEDNESDAY |
Quarteira |
| SATURDAY |
Loule |
I visited Quarteira myself, and I can tell you that it
has everything. There are stalls selling souvenirs, shoes,
clothes, watches, bags, fake designer this and that...
shopping heaven. Quarteira is adjacent to Vilamoura and
is half-an-hour's drive or less from Praia da Oura. We
parked in a street just off the paseo maritimo (seafront),
walked through to the main street and then followed the
streams of people heading towards the market. I have it
on the best authority that Loule is also a very good market
and a nice place to visit.
If you haven't hired a car, then do speak to Reception
or call the Petchey Travel Shop. There are also at least
two market trip excursions available, and these can be
booked in advance by calling the Petchey Travel Shop on:
0845 4300888.
Don't
Flash the Cash!
It is highly unwise to visit a market with anything of
value about your person. You already know this, of course,
but we often do things on holiday that we wouldn't think
of doing at home, do we not? This phenomenon explains
why, each and every year and without fail, a number of
holidaymakers visiting markets are divested of passports,
credit cards and large amounts of money. Do leave all
of that in your apartment safe (rent the key from reception
on arrival) and just take the cash you'll need to buy
the irresistible singing chicken and so on. That thief
over there, looking just like everyone else in his fake
Raybans and bermudas, is in heaven - crowds of people
jostling one another and leaning over stalls to see the
merchandise, leaving their back pockets exposed or their
handbags (often open) slung behind them. Don't make his
day!
My own tip, for what it's worth, (and I've been visiting
markets for many years now without losing money, except
on a voluntary basis) is to put a small, cheap purse (you
can buy them at the market!) containing coins and folded
notes into a plain plastic carrier bag, along with your
newspaper, tissues, comb or whatever. Okay, it might be
bad for your image, but people in shorts carrying plastic
bags probably don't look worth robbing. But just in case
the would-be pickpockets get hold of this article and
start ignoring the leather shoulder-bags in favour of
tesco carriers, another option is to buy a small purse
with a long strap and hang it round your neck and down
your front, or put the readies in your partner's breast
pocket (but don't lose him in the crowds).
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