Maastricht Part 8: The Market

Despite the miserable weather we've been having over the last few days (the snow was like lazers when it hit your eyes):

the weekly market will take place tomorrow in, aptly named, the Markt.  The market occurs every Wednesday and Friday, with the Friday one having more vendors.

The market contains the same types of things you would find in a traditional farmer's market in the States such as vegetables and fruits:

Baked goods:

The pies are called vlaai and are traditional here in Limburg.  You may have heard of Limburg Pie, there it is in the crust.  The more orangy/brown-colored ones have rice pudding as their filling, which is pretty darn tasty.  The market also has an assortment of fish, meats, cheeses, and eggs:

Even some colorful eggs thrown in as the Easter holiday approaches.  I didn't get a picture of cheese because the cheese vendor was crowded and I didn't care to wait, just trust me it is for sale at the market. The market also has some things you may not see at a traditional farmer's market like flowers, spices, and nuts:

Beyond all those, there are vendors selling bagged coffee and perfume:

I didn't pick up any US Army cologne.  I'm not sure I would like the smell very much anyway.

In addition to all of the above named items, the number one product, at least by vendor space, is fabric:

There are so many colors, textures, and types of fabric one would think the average Dutch person makes their own clothes.

The market is a great place to get relatively cheap food.  For 5 Euros (~ $6.50), what it would cost me to buy a bunch of bananas and a kilogram of oranges in the supermarket, I got this haul a few months back:

The coconut was difficult to get into without tools handy, but once I finally got it open it was worth it.  You can also get about four pounds of chicken breast for around $13.  Admittedly I don't do the shopping at home, so I don't know if that is a good deal or not, but it's much cheaper than the supermarkets here.

Did I mention a lot of vendors at the market sell fabric:

Because they do.

Until next time.