Shopping in Alicante, Spain

Mercado Central
Markets in Spain are all very centrally located in the downtown core, and the one in Alicante is HUGE! Upstairs is meat (plus cheese and eggs), while downstairs one wing is devoted to fish while another wing is devoted to fruit and vegetables. Flowers are outside on the main patio.


I was particularly impressed by the booths selling heaps of eggs of different kinds and sizes.


The fruit and vegetable displays are all artistically arranged with overflowing piles of so many different varieties.


I loved the purple-and-white-striped eggplant, the knobbly green-and-red Raff tomatoes and itched to try some of the many different kinds of mushrooms and fresh cheeses.


Bakeries
No wonder I like Spain – the Spanish obviously love sweets just as much as I do. And of course croissants don’t have calories if you’re on holidays! Mireia, from MandarinaBlue Travel Experiences, recommended two bakeries that were close to my hotel.


The tiny Croissanteria on Calle Poeta Quintana (cross street – Segura) had vegetarian pizza slices – no cheese, just lots of flavourful roasted onion, pepper and eggplant.


I had a gooey pastry circle filled with jam from Panaderia Dorita at Calle Bazan, 36. I loved the way they twisted a sheet of paper to form a bag. However, Spaniards are certainly not trying to reduce the number of plastic bags they use. Everything comes in at least one, if not two, plastic bags.

ChocolaThe
Tea and chocolate is a wonderful combination, so I was delighted to discover ChocolaThe, a tiny store that is dedicated to both (Calle Medico Pascual Perez, 17).


The owner and I agreed that Ding Dong oolong is one of our favourites, and she gave me a tea bag in a cute little individual package(Original First Tea from England) to try. I’m always moved by unexpected kindness and generosity, particularly as a solo traveller in a foreign country.

Buttons
I don’t sew and I don’t knit, but I do love button stores. So when I spied a tiny store whose walls were lined with drawer upon drawer of buttons, I couldn’t resist. I spent far too much money (gold dust would have been cheaper!), but I had such fun, and the women working in the store were very pleasant.


The Mercaderia Turia is located on Calle Poeta Quintana very close to the Mercado (possible cross street is Capitan Segarro).

Comments

Jen said…
I LOVE the buttons! I wish they had one of those here! I can never find the buttons I'm looking for. I guess I'll have to start ordering from Spain!
April 14, 2011 at 4:42 PM
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