Oxford Diary: Saturday at the Covered Market

Ever since we have come to Oxford, we have heard about the Covered Market. This Saturday we ventured there. Kolkatans would find covered market very similar to our dear old New Market. There are several entrances of this market in the High Street, while a back entrance opening to the Market Street. Indranil and my, our condition was like that of two kids taken to a fair. We just loved about everything....we went around with eyes round and popping in excitmenet. I wanted to buy the flowers, the pretty dresses, adorable dolls, silver earrings, aromatic candles, perfumed soaps, the fancy shoes, the tea set, the handbags....eat all those chocolates, demolish the cakes.....the list went on and on. Indranil wanted the sweaters, the shirts, the expensive suits, the exhorbitant silk tie,  the tee shirts with slogans (Jesus loves you, but not like a gay), the boots, running shoes (though he never runs), the miniature army sets, silver cufflinks and last but not the least guns etc etc etc. Sadly we are kids no longer and did not go with our parents. If we did, I am sure I would not have come back at least without one small gift. We two mature, poor, unemployed people on tight budget, just oohhhed and ahhhhed and window shopped. Bought some food and that was it. At one point wanted to buy a house plant (more long lasting and economical than flowers, also every window has a plant in this town, so I also want one, never mind that no one can see our window sill), but could not come to decision as to which one to buy. Decided to postpone the purchase, go home do google homework and come back.  Inspite of all the heartbreak we loved our time there, so would you when you see these photographs. Enjoy.

Entrance to the market with wall murals and bright lights.

One of the wall murals.

Now comes the window shopping part. Peeping into a shop's window selling china stuff...tea sets, coffee mugs et al.

Now a toy shop's window. I want this doll. Nowwwwwww.....

I never knew handknit sweaters can be this expensive.

Is'nt this flower shop lovely?

Yes you are right, those lovely violet bunches hanging are nothing less than English lavender....all fresh and smelling heavenly.

At least this is one thing I didnt want to buy. Me wearing hats....ummmm, a little difficult even to imagine, is'nt it?  But the hats sure were lovely. Now it I were richer, slimmer, taller, (in my mind's eye I am seeing Demi Moore or Julia Roberst) could carry off hats, went for horse racing/ derbies or regularly have tea with the queen or maybe even a duke or a duchess....maybe, just maybe....but with my present life style....nah I dont think so.....happy with my silk saris and chuky gold jwellery....ala Indian style.

Ah shop selling Indian handicrafts. Strangely it is named Kashmiri dragon, strange I thought dragon was a Chinese thingy....

Peeping into the shop opposite, this had a name with opium.

Now this is what I call a wise ol' postcard that needs to be sent to mom so that she stops hinting about finishing half done Ph.D.

Ok, now for some food and none less than organic meat. We picked up goat meat from one of the butchers. Almost 400 gm came for three pounds. I was a little skeptical. I used to hate eating those frozen goat meat in Canada, however well cooked it was. But this meat was surprisngly fresh and not smelly, oh well a wee lil bit. But as Indranil says I have high smell/odour detecting genes, so moi can  be excused. If you are like Indranil, maybe you will not smell any smell and just enjoy the meat.

Now for some fishy fish. We picked up for ready to eat makarel. Will eat and duly report.

Fruits....pears, peaches, grapes, apples, oranges, bananas...

Check out these curious cabbages!

These artists work for a confectionary called the Cake Shop. They prepare heavenly piece of cakes. Some are given below. I will make a seperate post on their wedding cake selection. If I had one of their cake for my wedding, I can assure you that I would just be eating the cake and not getting married.

Filled with goodies for Christmas.

The bakery had closed, but I just loved this notice stuck outside the shop.

One of the cheeky signposts for sale.

Ok, this hazy photograph is a shop called Ben's Cookies. Since we could not afford to buy any stuff, we decided to sample everything, or almost everything edible. Since there were long queues outside this shop we also joined the line. If you like me have lived in Canada for a year you are no stranger to cookies. But omg this Ben fellow or shop makes cookies completely differently. For started they are not thin, but flakey and fat, and are sold by their weight. Indranil had a white chocolate chip cookie and I have a peacan cookie. But were fat, thick, sweet, crammer with stuff inside, crisp, and oh melted right on our tongue without us making the slightest efforts. Now we got why people queue up for Ben's cookies. We sure would next time we are there.

Another shop in the market which had a long queue. This is none other than this pink shop named moo-moos. Oh well they sell milk shakes and every teenager in Oxford is their fan and had queued up that Saturday aftertoon. Indranil, belligerent after being not able to buy the two hundred pound navy sweater, queued right up behind the last teenager. Me, feeling slightly more grown up and way more mature, took position leaning against the boot shop. It was a long wait and I soon grew restless. But Indranil was not budging without a milkshake for a chilly October afternoon.  Finally after twenty minutes wait, he got his mango milkshake, took one sip, closed his eyes and floated into dreamland. Curious to see him behaving in such a juveline manner, I disdainfully took the cup and decided to take a sip. You know just to prove to him that it is milkshake and no need to over react. But man oh man, it was the best milk shake I have ever tasted. It was creamy, forthy, not too sweet and just about heavenly. Two people, deeply in love, floating in milkshake heaven, wandered into the chilly October evening too busy savouring the milkshake to talk.