Market, market

Don't you just find markets intriguing? I get giddy all over seeing how people buy and sell their wares, how they bargain and exchange gossips on the side, how they try to woo locals and tourists... No matter how important historical monuments are in whichever place you visit, the markets remain the best source of all local color you'd ever need.


Like the Monastiraki in Athens. It's the renowned flea market in this capital city of Greece. While there are numerous shops that sell food stuff, clothes and souvenirs just like any other market across the globe, the thing that really catches the attention of tourists is the fact that there are antiques sold al fresco.


Then, there's also the floating flower market of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, called Bloemenmarkt in Dutch. The shops are constructed on barges floating along the canals of the city and are easily noticeable from afar for their colors and fragrances. And, oh, they also sell a *marijuana starter set* (lower center of the photo) for the daring.