On Saturday I joined many tourists and Viennese at the fabulous food market – there seemed to be shopping baskets and cameras in equal number.
The market is set up on temporary stalls along a road between two tram stations. The first thing I saw when I emerged from the escalator were these magnificent buildings. There are decorated building fronts all over the city and I particularly enjoyed the two different styles next to each other here.
![market-1 market-1](//lh4.ggpht.com/-mSCCK4TtlzQ/T6jjsICLb4I/AAAAAAAACOk/rYyiRvEJ6Tk/market-1_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Once into the market I was surrounded by delicious and fresh food that would make a wonderful spread of food for grazing – cheeses, breads, tapas style stuffed items and lots of dried fruit and nuts. There were also salamis and hams but I didn’t get a photo of them. The food market really showed how Austria uses its central position and mixes the foods of north and south Europe.
Lovely fresh fruit and vegetables too – look at the size of the asparagus – white and green (middle photo, standing upright on right).
![market-2 market-2](//lh3.ggpht.com/-f_68k2ZCrKs/T6jjuMb2mGI/AAAAAAAACO0/ox4YVJ-Q0k8/market-2_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
Flowers were also in abundance on the stalls – big bunches of tulips or roses as well as vibrant mixed bunches. I was delighted to see them selling bunches of lilly of the valley because it is my birthday flower. There were also lots of herbs in pots – I wanted to squeeze them all for the smell.
![market-3 market-3](//lh3.ggpht.com/-rQoDjjALixI/T6jjwcdNZUI/AAAAAAAACPE/_HQsT-s5cwg/market-3_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
And I was amazed to see pink chestnut flowers on the trees (bottom right). I was enjoying how many chestnut trees were in bloom down many streets, with lovely big white blossom and then saw pink flowers in several places – I never knew they came in pink too.
And then at the end, as I was looking for the next tram stop, I spied another beautiful building facade
![market-4 market-4](//lh3.ggpht.com/-ISJUhAUmMOM/T6jjyEHqeGI/AAAAAAAACPU/qvNFB8Ezhng/market-4_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800)
I’d love to have a market like this in Edinburgh, our Farmer’s market is mostly meat.
Next instalment from Vienna will be a sampling of the many photos I took of the Imperial architecture covered in imposing sculpture.