Photo Post: The Riverside Market of Girona, Spain

Girona, Spain
Artichokes

When I visited the gorgeous city of Girona just north of Barcelona two Junes ago, I came into town expecting to stay just two nights before returning back to BCN and from there to Santiago. No, this isn’t one of those cliché “I just had to extend my stay!” posts—I literally thought I had only booked two nights in my hostel…but come to find out, I had actually booked (and pre-paid for) three!

Girona, Spain
Fuet sausage

Another happy surprise was that my (now-longer-than-expected) time in Girona overlapped with the biweekly (twice-weekly?) open-air market, as I found out while reading the hostel’s bulletin board. What better way to spend a Tuesday than by taking in the sights and smells of the building blocks of the local cuisine? It was a literal walk in the park to get to this market as they had moved the stalls that typically line the banks of the Ter River into a sprawling wooded park for the summer.

Girona, Spain
Tomatoes

Once in the center of the action, I practiced my pitiful Catalan reading price signs, turned up my nose at stinky salt cod, salivated over glistening olives, and fantasized about making colorful salads. I didn’t buy anything from the market, but the churro stand was tempting…

Girona, Spain
Buying groceries

How to get there


The Mercat de les Ribes de Ter is held every Tuesday and Saturday along the banks of the Ter River just to the north of the old town, but in the summer months it moves into the shade of the nearby Parc de la Devesa, where the vendors set up shop along a tree-lined north-south path that bisects the park.

Girona, Spain
A walk in the park

 What was your favorite photo from this post? Do you enjoy visiting markets when you travel or do you feel awkward…since you can’t cook anything? Tell me what you think below in the discussion thread!

Girona, June 6th, 2015

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