Today we wandered into Mainz to soak up some local colour and just chill being a tourist. The farmers markets in Mainz have occurred for centuries and it was a real delight to see unpretentious stalls set up offering fresh fruit and veges with very little snobby pompous deli food stuff touted about. ( the bane of most open air markets in Australia now)
The flowers were so fresh, you could see they had just been cut that morning. I'm a huge fan of cut flowers in the house, and it is something I miss being a traveller and one with no real roots anywhere.
With the very limited German I have ( and I am talking pathetically low) we were able to buy fresh berries ( yummmmm, a new obsession for me; particularly as it has some very strong delightful memories attached to it!) The kids practiced their counting in German and ordering some fruit. Its just as well the stall holders are kind and have a good sense of humour.. its pretty embarrassing how bad we are.. but I guess we are trying. The truly annoying thing for me is that I can understand much more than I can say, and because I have traveled around a fair bit, I have a scant smattering of a whole range of languages and will often answer in something completely inappropriate. ( its usually Japanese, as this is the language I have the most knowledge on.) It annoys me that I feel I should be able to understand everything and am confused as to why that last little key isn't turned in my head and I can't....perhaps the answer is more travel and staying in one place long enough to do a intensive language course. hhmmmm..
One of the more amusing things we saw at the markets today was the egg farmer; who had a giant cockerel sitting beside him. We greeted him and took photos of the rooster. He explained that it was a boy not a hen - which I understood and told the kids in English - and then he tried to tell me in English and I answered him in Spanish.. far out.
