FARMERS MARKETS Farmers Markets offer the delightful opportunity to enjoy nature’s bounty while surrounding ourselves with the wonderful fruits of human creativity that always abound at these homey street festivals. The sights and sounds we experience as we stroll leisurely past booth after booth of homegrown produce and home-crafted goods delight the senses, temporarily lifting us high above the hustle and bustle of the modern world and almost magically transforming our city streets into quaint reminders of the past. The vivid reds, deep greens, and luscious yellows of fresh produce, locally grown, catch our eye, bringing a deep-down, almost-reverent satisfaction that we’d be hard-pressed to explain. Yet, all the ���������������������������������������������������������������������������� with bags and bags of fresh lettuce, tomatoes, spinach, and cucumbers for tomorrow’s salad or choose the juiciest oranges for breakfast, we listen to the murmur of happy, animated voices all around us and experience a certain contentment—a sense of community— that’s been all but lost in our modern society. The aromas of hot dogs, sausages, chicken, and ribs sizzling on the grill By Jeanne Dininni A TASTE OF THE COUNTRY RIGHT HERE IN NAPLES ������������������������������������������������������������������������ but pleasing combinations of scents and making our mouths water as we stroll past the food vendors’ delectable offerings. Pizza, Oriental Chicken, Gyros, and other luscious entrees add to the wonderful atmosphere of indecision we experience as we attempt to determine which of these delightful foods would best satisfy our taste buds at the moment. While we ponder our earth-shaking dietary decision, handmade jewelry, crafts, crocheted and knitted garments of every description catch our eye, making us wish we could buy them all. So much beauty…so much creativity…so much life surrounds us that there’s little wonder that one part of us would love to become lost in a time warp and stay here forever. Yet, reality beckons and we move on to the next amazing display. On scattered street corners, assorted musicians provide a few minutes’ diversion, as we make our way slowly through the crowd to see and hear and taste and smell all that Farmers Market has to offer. Reluctantly tearing ourselves away from the latest musical performance, we move on toward the next display, breathing a sigh of contentment as we anticipate the many delightful experiences that await us still farther down the street—a street that, for the moment �������������������������������������������������������������������������������� belongs only to us. Perhaps the most wonderful thing about Farmers Markets is that they’re everywhere! This fascinating neighborhood tradition, which adds so much character to a community, creating a small-town feel even in the middle of the largest, most bustling city, simply has no equal. The markets that are held in cities across the nation allow us, for an afternoon or evening, the luxury of escaping the busy, hectic, often-chaotic pace of 21st Century life, returning us, temporarily but ecstatically, to the simple pleasures of an earlier era. And that’s the secret to the incredible magic of Farmers Market. 18 entréemagazine
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