There is something about a street market that makes everything look, smell and taste just that little bit better. From colourful markets on the sunny streets of Central America…
…to chilly floodlit flower stalls on London’s Embankment…
…street markets are just plain fun. There’s nothing predictable about them, which is what I love. Chaos reigns supreme. Street markets don’t have a bread aisle and a hardware section. Here, all bets are off. Freshly picked fruit rubs shoulders with the unlikeliest of bedfellows…
…such as umbrellas, drums and spices.
I think this would make a wonderful travel theme and I’d love to see your take on outdoor markets, so if you’d like to join in, create your own post about markets between now and next Friday, title it “Travel theme: Street Markets” and put a link to this page in your blog post to make it easy for others to find your post.
If next week’s WordPress weekly photo challenge is Street Markets I’ll be more than a little weirded out. 🙂
xxx Ailsa
Where's my backpack? 
I love street markets too, there’s a beautiful one in Lyon France & the floating flower market in Amsterdam in absolutely lovely.
Ooh, I’ve been to the Amsterdam market and it is truly breathtaking. Sadly I don’t have any photos of it. I don’t suppose you have any photos of those markets, M. Darville Anaya? I’d love you to join in this week’s travel theme! xxx Ailsa
I lost myself in the evening market of 2nd hand books in Amsterdam.
Try to remember if it was on the Friday evening,but did not really keep tract of the days
I never made it there, sounds great.
I’m on it. I may be late – really ? – but I’m on it.
Your markets are colorful and fun.
Woot, looking forward to your post, firstandfabulous! You’re not late at all, I just posted the challenge a short while ago! xxx
Street Markets is a great theme, Ailsa!! I can’t wait to post an entry. That was so strange that WordPress came up with your Summer theme this Friday. I’d be weirded out too if they came up with Street Markets next week!!
Haha, that would be just too freaky. Looking forward to your street markets! xxx
Oops, sorry, I meant to also say I love your photos of the street markets. I especially love the colorful Central American market and the umbrellas! 🙂
Thanks, catbirdinoman, Central America really gets colour!
What lovely photos. 🙂 The fruits made my mouth water. Really!
I will see if I have available photos now. Mmm, maybe, I can have some fresh Maine photos in a few days. 🙂 Thanks for the invite.
They tasted just as good as they looked! Looking forward to your photos, Imelda! 🙂
Thanks. 🙂
you’ve composed a wonderful tribute to this street market!
Thanks, frizztext, I love the smells and sounds and sights of street markets, it’s always an awfully big adventure!
Gorgeous photos. Street markets are such a great way to get to know a place…great post!
Thanks, newsofthetimes, just saw your gorgeous poppies post for summer, are you up for this challenge too? xxx Ailsa
Thanks for the compliment! I would love to join in this one. I’ll see what I can pull off by next Friday. Thanks for the inspiration! Glad I found your blog.
Love the pictures… tooo pretty!! Have to go clicking… shall be back soooooooooooon!!!
Happy clicking!! xxx Ailsa
This is a fabulous idea for a travel theme, can’t wait to see these photographs. Ailsa, your collection is stunning, I love the array of colour and the vibrance in the subject matter. Should be able to post mine sometime in the next 24 hours. Thanks again for the personal invite!
Me too, Cinova, I’m excited to see what market photos everyone comes up with. Looking forward to yours! xxx
colorful, cultural voyage–great composition of the berries and spices
I’ll be back with a link. 🙂
Yaay!
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Briliant theme Ailsa. Here in Indonesia, street market is everyday phenomenon. It is literally everywhere. Wait, maybe I can find a good one to take.
Can’t wait to see your Indonesian street markets, Albadr! xxx
This is street market just near my lodgement in Bandung, Indonesia. http://albadrln.wordpress.com/2012/05/28/travel-theme-street-market-pasar-simpang-dago-bandung/
Sorry I don’t have time to shot farther market. They’re actually so many like this in Bandung and in all of Indonesia. Some just take the sidewalk, some take half of the street, and some take the full street. Once in a week, there is also a market that take very wide of street area. It’s very crowded there.
I love the tailor mending clothes out in the street 🙂 xxx
Street markets are hard to photograph from a kayak. Here’s the best I can do:
http://windagainstcurrent.com/2012/05/25/travel-theme-street-markets/
I’m really impressed you got your kayak all the way upstream to Columbus Circle, Vlad, that must have taken some paddling! Lovely shot 🙂
Great photos – wish I thought I had somethng for this challenge – but I’ll forward to seeing what everyone else comes up with!
Farmers’ markets and street vendors totally count too … just saying 😉
The colors are amazing. Just looking at them gave me a sense of exitement. Reminded me of the beautiful street market in the Philippines. Great theme for the week.
I’m still in love with your entry for last week’s summer challenge, cannot wait to see what you post this week. xxx
Hi Ailsa, You picked a theme I’ve been waiting for! Your photos have colour and life and yumminess. Mine is old and not colourful at all, but the food is just as edible. Thanks for thinking this up. http://soundslikewish.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/ailsas-photo-challenge-street-markets/
Trish, this is an incredible photo from your dad’s album. The hand-held scales, the carefully stacked cart and the faces, glorious. Thank you for sharing a little slice of 1940s street life in Cairo. xxx
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Hopefully, “someone” will not come up with the same post theme.. right? 🙂
http://implicado.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/travel-theme-street-markets/
They’d better not! 😉 The skull and feather guy gives me the spooks. Great street market pics, Cedric. xxx
Hi Ailsa, I had done a post on Amsterdam in Feb this year. The pics right at the bottom were from the flower market in Amsterdam ..check it out
http://wingrish.wordpress.com/2012/02/24/amsterdam-just-click-it/
Thanks for showing us the floating flower markets in Amsterdam, Kavi, those markets are really something else, aren’t they?
The pics at the bottom were from a flower market on a street…absolutely beautiful .Unfortunately didn’t get to see the floating ones but not complaining as the city is so picturesque
Ahh I was looking at the boats on the canals with the flowers, last time I was there, there were several of them moored by the market. xx
This is a very interesting and colourful post Ailsa 🙂 Two things in particular caught my attention: yellow raspberries (never seen those before) and Van Gogh umbrellas :D. I will have to pass on my submission for this theme though, as I have nothing to post.
No worries Paula, hope you enjoy looking through everyone’s entries. I was really tempted to get a Van Gogh umbrella, but decided for the yellow raspberries instead! Yummy.
A great group of market Pics Ailsa! I especially love the one of the umbrellas. It’s excellent!
Thanks Jude, I am kicking myself that I didn’t get one, by the time I came back they were all gone 😦
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Impossible to resist this one, I love markets 🙂 thanks for the challenge Ailsa.
http://lucidgypsy.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/travel-theme-street-markets/
So glad you joined in, Gilly, I’m fascinated with the black magic ingredients the spice girls are selling! xxx
I just love the fruit stall and could be very happy there!
I certainly was!
What a lovely theme. India is the mom of street markets. malls are the exceptions and street markets rule. If ever there was a theme that made me wish I had a photographer’s eye this is it. Let me see what I can do… Will surely put up something for this
Super, can’t wait to see what you come up with!
Really enjoyed your street market photos.
Thanks! Judging by your blog you’ve done a fair bit of travelling, do you have any photos of markets from your travels? Would love you to join in! xxx
Yes I think I must have quite a few. I’ll have a look. 😉
Here is my contribution to the theme:
http://adinparadise.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/travel-theme-street-markets/
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Found a few (‘photographs from the shoebox’) taken ‘pre-digital’ over ten years ago, they came up a treat when captured with my phone camera. Thanks, Ailsa for inspiring us with this exotic theme, it makes me want to travel again. I will be certain to take plenty more photos of street markets in the future! http://cinova.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/travel-theme-street-markets/
Great selection of street market photos from all over the world, love it, cinova!
Hey Ailsa your new theme is really taking off! Here’s my contribution: http://judesphotography.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/travel-theme-street-markets/
Jude, I let out a squeak of delight when I saw your photo – I went to university in Aachen and know this market like the back of my hand. And the Glühwein!
cool theme…let me think on it.
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Wonderful to visited street markets. I always do every weekend. Thanks a lot my friend @Ailsapm for the invitation, here is my street markets photo challenge, thank you very much.http://campanulladellaanna.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/weekly-photo-challenge-ailsapm-street-markets/
Really fun entry, loved the pink shot at the top 🙂 I love street markets too. xxx
thanks for the challenge, I love markets so here are some photos taken in Cambodia
http://wp.me/p18B5-uB
can I make a suggestion for another travel themed challenge? fabrics?
Excellent, I shall squirrel that theme away for a future challenge theme (I bet you have some good photos ready!) Thoroughly enjoyed your trip through that market in Cambodia, I feel like I’ve been on a vacation. xxx
hey ailsa … thanks for the invite to your cool new travel photo challenge: Here’s my take on the street market theme:
http://stephenkellycreative.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/ailsas-photo-challenge-street-markets/
Kowloon Ladies’ Market, how exciting. And how incredibly busy! Really enjoyed this, Stephen, although I’m kind of glad I’m not stuck in the middle of the crowd 🙂 xxx
it gives new meaning to the term ‘crush of humanity,’ and i mean that in the best way possible. it’s all part of the amazing Hong Kong experience!
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These are lovely, Ailsa! This homebody doesn’t have anything in her files that come close to qualifying for a street market! A flea market… might be the closest I could hope to get! LOL Maybe I’ll have something to add to the next challenge. Enjoying strolling through other folks’ markets, though. 🙂
Haha flea markets totally count, Pamela. There’s been some wonderful photos, haven’t there? I feel like I’ve been on a whirlwind tour of world markets. 🙂
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Here is my contribution: http://wp.me/p1tzBV-1kM Maybe not quite the view one might think, but I think it meets the theme!
yum, my vote is for the strawberry rhubarb pie! xxx
I’m a fool but it was too hot to turn on the oven. Rhubarb-Strawberry Fool it was — easy, cool dessert for a hot day.
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Take me to this market… The delightful colors and treats are making me swoon… Yummy! 🙂
🙂
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This is gonna be a tough one for me (not sure there are many of these around near me), BUT I’m always up for a challenge. I’m in! 😀
Yess!!! Looking forward to your entry 🙂
Here is my “street market” Pics from China -with LIVE things
http://canadiantravelbugs.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/travel-theme-photo-challenge-street-markets/
I am completely fascinated by that lady sitting next to her chicken in Shanghai’s Venice. Lovely entry, and good luck with your reports!
Ya I am still not sure if it was there to lay the eggs or to be someone’s fresh catch of the day. I used to see the guys on bikes with a stack of ducks and chickens, and they just lay there… kind of unsettling. Every time I see them I never have my camera though 😦 One day I’ll have to snap a pic.
Here’s an entry from Debbie about Porta Portese market in Rome http://thekindnesskronicles.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/travel-theme-street-markets/ xx Ailsa
I like a lot your picture of the berries and the last one with the herbs & spices.
Where I live, saturday is marketday. That’ s also the day on which people get married, get burried etc… and lot’s of other things happen.
Probably you won’t understand much of my story (in which I explain in my own language (Dutch) why marketplaces are so fascinating to me), but as I had no other pictures from marketplaces and like to join anyway, I hope you can enjoy this older one, taken during a wedding at the marketplace, I used there as header, (or maybe you may like the video from the flashmob on a Marketplace in Valencia that a found on Youtube)
If you allowe me, here ‘s the link.
http://dagendauw.blogspot.com/2011/07/zaterdag-marktdag.html
Regards and have a nice weekend
– Dauw –
Dauw, this is wonderful, luckily I can understand your post because when I lived in Germany I used to get Dutch tv and picked up a fair bit of the language. But even without understanding your post, that opera flash mob of the market place in Valencia is brilliant – I loved the part towards the end where they got everyone waltzing. Excellent stuff!
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Lovely photos Ailsa. I’m looking forward to looking at everyone else’s photos too! Here’s mine. http://ayearinmyshoes.wordpress.com/2012/05/27/travel-theme-street-markets/
Hysterical, Livvy – when in doubt, randomly wave some bread. Ha ha! Love it. xxx