One of things most Americans take for granted is the convenience of American society. Only the larger Bulgarian cities have anything resembling what we would consider a grocery store. Moreover, the typical Bulgarian fridge is no bigger than the fridges usually associated with American dorm rooms. Consequently, for most Bulgarians shopping involves daily walks to a local магазин (shop) for staples such as bread and beer and weekly walks to the local пазар (market) to purchase whatever fruits and vegetables they don’t grow in their gardens at home.
Like most towns, the town I live in has a specific market day. Our market, which consists of a small produce market and what I consider to be a ьоклук (garbage) market, is open every Sunday from approximately 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The available produce, most of which is grown locally, changes with the season. Early in the summer, nearly every vendor is selling strawberries and raspberries. As summer gives way to fall, these same vendors are selling pumpkins and eggplant. It’s not a particularly interesting market, nor is it anything special, but it is a decent place to buy fruits and veggies and get at least a glimpse into traditional Bulgarian life.
A couple shots of the produce market.
люти чушки
сливи
лук
домати
чесън
The "ьоклук" market.
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I lived in Barcelona for a year and my family is from Austria. It's not Bulgaria, but I can relate to the size of the refigerator and going shopping weekly because I had to walk back to my house and couldn't carry a huge load.
ReplyDeleteWhen I lived in Austria in 1991 the market hours were very limited.
Living abroad really made me feel grateful for the conveniences we have in the US.
Hahaha - the "Bokluk" market looks a little bit funny with all these jipsy's cars and carts... I live nearby and dislike to go for a walk when it is Sunday actually. I often scold with them because they usually try to capture all the street.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are fantastic!