After unpacking, shopping for essentials, recovering from a wee bit of jet lag, and settling down in our little apartment, we looked forward to a relaxed weekend in Milan.
Someone had mentioned that a street market took place on Tuesdays and Saturdays in our area. Well, Iād heard a great deal about the open-air markets in several European cities and I wondered what Saturday had in store for us.
At about 6 am, we heard voices and the sound of vehicles outside. Within a couple of hours, our street metamorphosed from an empty one to a vibrant, colorful place, buzzing with activity. Here are some snapshots of the completely transformed street view from our window! š
Lo and behold, the Saturday market was here!
Braving the (almost) freezing temperature, we headed out into the streets in our area, bundled in warm clothing. Whew, we were trying hard to get used to the cold here. Bangalore winters seemed so warm now :).
And for the next couple of hours, we strolled along, observing the items on sale, stopping for more than a brief moment at the stalls that interested us, completely soaking in the experience. Amidst the clothes, electronics goods, trinkets, fruits and vegetables, Junior spotted toy motorcycles and cars in some corner! That kept him engaged and we had a wonderful time. We managed to learn some basic Italian phrases and words related to shopping, making the experience all the more enriching.
In the evening, after the market closed, and the vans sped away with all the goods, the cleaning trucks arrived promptly to do a great job. Very soon, the street was back to its original state with absolutely no signs of the street market.
Very MAGICAL, indeed! š