Description: Having tarried at the memorials awhile, we continue south to the real find of the day--the various markets upon which much of Argostoli’s economy is based. There are markets for fish, meat, fruit, and vegetables, and fortunately they are in the process of opening up as we approach. Needless to say, for health and safety reasons, the fish and meat trading is conducted inside, as it is still in the high 20s C. But the fruit and vegetable market is a pure delight, with growers and farmers from across the island bringing their produce to sell along the harbourside.
Think of almost any fruit or vegetable and you will find it here, arranged to beautiful effect and all in first-class condition. Lemons, limes, peaches, grapes, oranges, melons, bananas, watermelons, and apples sit side by side with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, cabbages, cauliflowers, carrots, lettuce, cucumbers, and others that I can’t identify. Huge strings of garlic hang from the stalls, their pungent aroma wafting across the walkway. Goodness me, I could spend all day here.
Many of the stalls also feature locally made wine. The major vineyards are based in the fertile Omala Valley, a sheltered plateau several hundred feet up along the foothills of Mount Ainos. The locally grown grapes here are virtually all used to make Rombola, a sturdy Kefallonian wine renown across the world. Most of the growers belong to the cooperative; they bring along their relatively small grape harvests, which are combined with everyone else’s, to make the wine. The growers are then paid a pro-rata amount according to how much they have contributed, thus ensuring that the local growers can compete and have a market for their alcoholic produce.
A stall holder offers us a drink, which we have to politely refuse, as we will be driving back soon. Undeterred, he hands us each a huge orange, and we thank him profusely. Such politeness, such generosity, it could only be Greece.
We peel the beautiful soft fruit, which oozes with juice, so refreshing on a hot day and so kind of our new friend. Our day in Argostoli has come to an end. We reluctantly amble back to the square, and the car that has waited patiently for us all day.
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