Whenever I’m in Málaga, it’s either mid- to late-afternoon or a holiday, which means the central public market is always closed. I was pleased when Judy and I walked by Monday and found most of the stalls still open. The fish market had already closed up, but the produce stalls were in full swing, so we browsed the aisles. The market is called Mercado Central de Atarazanas. Atarazanas is the name of the street and comes from the original Arabic word meaning “house of industry,” and in Andalusian Spanish means “boatyard.”
The site dates back to the 14th century when it was the Moorish city’s boatyard. The Mediterranean Sea, now around 3/4-km (1/2-mile) away, used to lap its walls. The current market was built in 1879 and a restoration was completed in 2010.
The history lesson is over.
The food is new and fresh.
(Don’t forget to click any image to make things really fruity.)
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| 14TH-CENTURY MOORISH GATE (THE ONLY ONE REMAINING OF SEVEN). NOW THE MAIN ENTRANCE TO THE MARKET. |
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| THE WEST WING… |
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| ONE OF SEVERAL AISLES. |
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| OLIVES: MY IDEA OF HEAVEN. SAN GERALDO’S IDEA OF HELL. |
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| FRUITY. |
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| ECSTASY. |
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| CANARY ISLAND BANANAS, PLUMS, TOMATOES, CHERRIES, AND MORE. |
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| STAINED GLASS (1908): THE PINTA AND THE SANTA MARIA ARE OUT OF VIEW. (I WISH THEY’D LET ME CLIMB ATOP THE STALLS TO GET A BETTER SHOT.) |
Judy has been shopping for the perfect hat. I think I’ve found it…
d
