The first Saturday we were in town, we went to this farmer's market. We were told that it was at the Taieri Gorge Railway Station, possibly one of the grandest buildings in New Zealand.
It was a cold, rainy, windy day. It was our second day here. It was supposed to be summer. You get the picture.
So we got to the train station, and there was nothing. Wrong day? No. Wrong place? Maybe.
I stopped a man who did not look like a tourist. He was walking with a purpose, exiting the building. I asked him about the market, and bingo, he knew exactly where it was. He mans a cheese stall there. And oh, it is summer holiday here, so you might not find what you are looking for, he warned.
As it turned out, the market is held just adjacent to the station, in a lot. We ventured out, to find a handful of stalls with rather sad and wilted looking vegetables. There was one place, however, that had hot steamed buns and fried dumplings! Those tasted great on a cold and wet day!
Now, fast forward 8 weeks. I woke up to catch the sunrise like usual. The air was cool, but not cold. It felt like winter time in Thailand. I grabbed my bag, and off I went to the same market. This time the lot was full, the place was bustling with customers and vendors alike. Stone fruits in season bulged out of their crates. It was much more like what a market is supposed to look like!
I must say, though, that I have given up on trying to figure out what season it is equivalent to the States because what I see in the market now reminds me of early summer back in California. But whatever. I shake my head, and enjoy the freshly grown produce from the people who grew them. That's what these places are about.
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