After a lovely morning cup of tea in bed, we got ourselves together to set off on our walk to the local weekly farmers market which is at a bar in Puente don Manuel down a little laney type of dirt track with reeds, orange and lemon trees, lethal looking electric cables on leaning poles and a seventies style dumped armchair. I always liked this walk until a hiking guide told us about the wild boars. Now the rustling in the reeds I believed to be birds, worries me to death in case a wild boar dashes out and gores us. I think Thorn Birds can also take some responsibility for this fear!

Anyway, we arrived to find the thronging converted car park, full of people and tables displaying wares of all kinds. Just to the entrance of the car park was a formidable four by four with “Guardia Civil” emblazoned on the side and an impressive set of coloured lights across the top, complete with a serious uniformed Spanish policeman, scribbling something down whilst sat at the steering wheel.

Now the first stall inside was laden with all types of fruit and veg, clearly having been recently harvested judging by their fresh appearance and the clods of earth clinging to some of the roots, manned by your archetypical Spanish senora complete with balancing scales and weights from my childhood era.

Sadly, this was the only stall which could possibly be construed as “farmers”! Venturing beyond was like venturing onto Peckham market! Cockneys (or at least southerners, I’ve never been able to distinguish between them!). were all up in arms having been visited by the Guardia. Upon closer eavesdropping, which wasn’t difficult – imagine walking past Del boy, hot and bothered, protesting innocence and complete indignation about the council coming round whilst he was trying to flog his stuff – it seems that the policeman was checking up on permits and passports!

As for the goods, well it could have been beamed across, Star Trek style, right out of Rodney’s suitcase and the yellow van. Costume jewelry Bet Lynch would have cringed at, some bric a brac, kitchen utensils etc., hoover bits and pieces, DVDs claiming not to be copies and looking less like originals that your average photocopied fiver! To be fair there were several arts and craft type stalls,as well as some bargain clothes etc. and under cover were the food stalls which did look tempting, home made pies, pasties, sausages and sauces but they were very pricey and not in keeping with my new philosophy of doing my own home cooking.

In the end, I proudly purchased tomatoes, aubergine, lettuce (2 for one euro), potatoes, mushrooms and onions, in Spanish and was understood!!!!

Now I feel ready to try the real market down in Torre del Mar or Velez Malaga, only there the vendors all compete by shouting about their bargains in very rapid Spanish, reminiscent of Cross Lane market when I was little, and just as scary! However, “when in Rome” as they say, that’s a challenge for next week! We can save Peckham market as our fall back!