The little town of Chirivel, has a lively Friday morning market, where I put my own stall up most weeks….and most weeks, I think to myself, as I wind along the lanes between the Sierra De Estancias and the Marias, watching the early sun come up, glowing on the mountain tops – it doesn’t really matter if I sell anything today – these views have made the day worthwhile!
Sunrise for market traders!
The market extends 400 metres down the street to the building where they sell meat and fish. Along the way there are clothes stalls; household goods; shoes; fruit and vegetables; sweets and nuts; olive oil; cheeses and cooked meats; jewellery; leather goods and plants. All sorts!
For me, best of all. is the 'churro' stall. Batter fritters are plunged from a gigantic wooden 'icing' nozzle into a great basin of hot olive oil. They sizzle for a couple of minutes, before being cut into bite size pieces, and served in paper bags sprinkled with sugar.
Or maybe it’s the basting chickens on the mobile rotisserie that appetise the air that temp me most?
Last week I was enjoying the atmosphere of the place when an older Spanish man, complete with black beret and a friendly twinkle in his eye approached my stall. In Spanish he asked me where I came from
- "Good Morning", he said when he learnt I was British. …. "And where do you live?. I told him that I lived in Barranco de Quiles. "Oh you are very lucky", he said. "You live in a green paradise. You always have water" As indeed we do! The barranco is blessed with many balsas and fuentas, and the valley is green with the production of vegetables, in the little fields for much of the year.
He went on to tell me that throughout his life he had been an artisan - able to make all kinds of articles by hand. He showed me the beautiful hand made shoes he was wearing, and asked if I wanted to see more. We went into his house, off the main market street. Here I was amazed by his artistry and craft. We explored his house which seemed to be divided into a whole series of workshops! There were leather jackets; turned wooden bowls: woven grass ornaments (esparto), more shoes and paintings. Truly amazing skill! If you want to see more take a look at Everisto's web site
Skills like that will be lost forever when the last of that generation dies.
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