Saturday Market

Although Romsey boasts three market days each week, the Saturday market is usually the smallest with just a handful of stalls — fruit and veg, flowers, garden plants, and often bread or cakes, free range eggs and maybe meats and fish.
Today's was no exception, and when I called  by it was not exceptionally busy.
The number of stalls tends to be greater on the two other market days Tuesday or Friday and the first Sunday of the month Farmers' Market.
Of course we do our principal shopping at a local supermarket — anyone of seven which are within five miles, and then there is the local convenience store. But street markets in market towns are part of our heritage, and I can never resist exploring what's on offer, especially if it is freshly grown, caught, laid or baked.
The same goes on the Continent. Whenever I am visiting, and wherever I  will always make a point of finding out when the local market day is. The Continental markets are often much bigger than here, although every market is relative in size to the population of where it is held. 
The one thing that caught my eye especially today was fresh lemon sole  of the small Cornish variety.  We shared two one evening earlier the week, and they were absolutely delicious.
But, I alsowell remember one shoe manufacturing town I visited in Europe quite often, which held a regular Saturday market in the main square . . . and it was dominated by shoes, much to someone's delight in the family.
Have to say that I was always relieved that the main square also had an acceptable selection of bars and cafes . . . where I could always sit out the Saturday market exploration with a coffee or cold beer or two.  Come to think of it, so did a good many other males!