To market, To market

In past years we often visited the fresh food markets in Sydney. Today we returned after a 3 year absence as we had the desire for fresh food!
We have a technique for getting great prices. The greengrocer and fruit retailers finish their purchasing by around 6:00am to 7:00am and the general public doesn't generally arrive in force until after 9:00am. So we aim to arrive in the quieter middle stretch. Considering the drive is around 1.5hrs this means waking up around 5:30am!
Here is Rose wrapped in a blanket in her chair not fully aware of what is happening. The temperature was -1C (30F) and still dark. The van's airconditioning could be described as co-operational. It waits for you to be warmed up before it starts blowing hot air.
Surprisingly, very little has changed. Many of the sellers we used to frequent were still in their same positions, remembered us with a smile, and gave us fine deals. We purchased apples, pears, pineapples, mandarins, oranges, eggs, cauliflowers, celery, mushroooms, grapes, zucchinis, potatoes, onions and carrots. The one fruit we didn't buy which we sorely miss is Bananas. Since the cyclone (hurricane) destroyed the bulk of Australia's banana crops earlier this year, bananas have been selling for anywhere from $12 to $18 a kilogram ($4.10 to $6.15 US a pound). We are looking forward to the summer when prices should return closer to normal.
In this photo Clare is showing you the array of fruit and vegatables we purchased, which should last us most of the month. (Click the photo for a closer look)