A Bit of Europe

Every Tuesday on Alvarado Street in Old Town Monterey, the city has a farmers market from 4 to 8 PM. The fresh fruits and vegetables here are the closest I have found to the farmers market produce in Europe. Every fruit and vegetable you can imagine was picked either yesterday evening or this morning so everything is at peak freshness. The strawberries alone make it worth flying to Monterey to be here on a Tuesday to get some.

After our rest this afternoon, we strolled down to the farmers market. Everything from a singing dog, to two ladies offering consultations for whatever you want to talk about, to fruits and vegetables, homemade hummus and honey, homemade candy, Mexican treats, handcrafted jewelry, handmade sweaters, flowers and plants ….all at this farmers market. There were a couple of older gentlemen who were playing the guitar and singing. It sounded as though they had been taught by Chet Atkins in the 1950s. At the end of the street a woman, maybe 50 years old, was singing “Brown Eyed Girl” better than Van Morrison ever dreamed of doing. Although I did not recognize her, many famous performers live in Monterey or have retired here. I wouldn’t be surprised if she had been a professional.

Chuck and I’ve said we could be tempted to move back to Monterey because in many ways this town feels like a small European city. Everything is within walking distance. This is why we chose the Meritt House. It’s right in the middle of everything, and in addition, it’s half a block from where we used to live.Read more