Shortly after I arrived in Madrid, I somehow discovered that La Cámara Agraria organises a monthly farmers' market and, as good luck would have it, I was just in time for the next one. So I went to check it out... and then promptly forgot all about it. Finally, some 23 months after I last visited, I went back.
Last time I'd gone, the crowds were immense and I was barely able to see the stalls, never mind actually buy anything. So this time I headed down earlier, arriving at around 11:00. I was pleased to note that very few people got off the metro. But then I discovered that's because everyone was already at the venue, and the place was every bit as packed as it had been the year before. Fail!
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| The entrance |
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| A sneak preview of what was to come |
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| Another basket of vegetables |
Two years ago, overwhelmed by the sheer size of the crowd, I simply let the cart-wielding
abuelas shove me out of the way. This time, I refused to be jostled or pushed aside. I was here to take photos and sample whatever foods were on offer and, come hell or high water, that was what I was going to do.
I made several circuits of the market, slipping through snaking queues and sneaking up to stalls to sample anchovies,
boquerones (Spanish white anchovies), various cheeses, melon, raspberries and potato chips among other things.
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| Some of the herbs on offer |
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| Lavender and thyme |
From the colour to the sheer variety, I really enjoyed looking at the vegetable stalls. However, as these are the big draws of the market, getting close enough to get the pictures I wanted was pretty tough. Nonetheless, on my third or fourth walkaround, I managed to grab a few nice shots.
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| A study in red and green |
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| Corn-on-the-cob |
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| More garlic than you can shake a stick at |
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| Radishes, courgettes (zucchini), aubergines (egg plant) and white onions |
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| I was really intrigued by these dried sunflower heads |
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| A pumpkin that gets its own chair |
While the vegetable stalls may have been in the majority, there were plenty of other things that caught my eye, among them, a couple of baked goods stalls. The bread was especially popular, and within an hour or so, it had almost completely sold out.
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| Pretty bakery |
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| Chocolate truffles and cake |
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| Freshly-baked bread |
While some things appealed to me from a photographic point of view, like the bakery stalls, for example, others did from a taste point of view. One of my favourite stalls was the one selling anchovies and boquerones. Not only was the seller friendly, he was positively pushing samples of these delicious goods onto all and sundry. I definitely ate my fill of boquerones. My only regret is that I didn't buy any!
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| One of the best things I tasted |
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| Delicious cheese made from sheep's milk |
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| Typical Spanish fare |
Having spent quite a while walking round looking at all the stalls, I decided to have one last wander before calling it a day. By now, the place was filling up and I had pretty much seen everything I'd come to see and tasted everything from sweet, juicy melon to soft, melt-in-the mouth cheese. So, from the main entrance, I did one last anti-clockwise circuit and left. Market, done!
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| Colour that appealed to me |
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| A little bit of everything |
El Día de Mercado (Paseo de la Puerta del Ángel, 4) is held on the first Saturday of every month from 10:00-15:00. The nearest metro is Lago (L10), from where you turn right out of the station, take a short uphill walk, and
La Cámara Agraria is on the left-hand side, just past a carpark. You can also take the metro to Puerta del Ángel (L6), but not having done so, I don't know what the walk is like.
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