[lars]

Saluhallen del 2

Around 6 o’clock, Agora is full of life. The butchers take out sucking pigs, sheep and goats from their big fridges and put them on hooks hanging from the ceiling.
Chops, ribs, steaks, beefs, chickens, rabbits still left with skin around their feet to show they are fresh, are placed behind the glass pans of the big stainless desks along the aisle.
One of the butchers places a big head of an ox on top of his desk and another butcher arranges some pig’s heads and feet together with some lamb heads onto a small desk outside his shop.
The activity is high almost everywhere; vegetables, fruits, cheese, nuts, olives, bread, dried fish and you name it are arranged to look as temping as possible.
During the night, some of the products have been hidden under big covering cloths but are now exposed again.
It is an explosion of colours and smells.

The activity at Theodora’s place is also high; early morning guests, most of them regulars, occupy tables and chairs and enjoy the cuisine.
On the plates at this time of the hour is traditional food like patsas, vrasto, koilidakia, xoirino selino, stifado and so on. It all has quite a rapid sale. Theodora is very busy but at the same time, he looks satisfied and relaxed.
Now it is time to put the carbon into the grill, get it warmed up and ready for later guests. The day has just started.

At the kafenion, To Steki, across the aisle early regulars discuss the matches played last evening. Some are red, Olympiakos, some are green, Panathinaikos and they will never come to the same conclusion about the game. Never ever!

“PIP PIP HA HA HA” is suddenly heard in a loud and clear voice.
Down the isle comes a well-known figure, “the lottery-man”, pushing one of those string carriages (right word, I am not certain) normally used by customers in the super-markets.
He is early; this must be his first round in order not to miss the early guests.

On top of the carriage in a wooden case lies a big and heavy fish, which will be the prize of today’s lottery.
You pay for the numbers you choose and then note your name and numbers in the “lottery-mans” blue book.
It seems everybody would like to have fish for dinner today.
From almost each table numbers are yelled out and the blue book is passed around.
The “lottery-man” looks satisfied as he collects his money.
He saunters the aisle and enters the kafenion on the opposite side and again the blue book is passed from table to table.

The early morning rush hours are over and Theodora has time to eat and to relax a bit.
As we did not have breakfast before we left the house, our stomachs are also beginning to make some strange noises of protest.
We look at each other and I am sure my wife is not ready for stifado yet. It is still too early and we decide to pay “Iordanis” a visit. Bougatsa, phyllo pastry with cheese, seems to be a good choice; the time is not even 8.30 yet.

When we return to Agora 40 minutes later the commerce has begun. So far, it is only Cretans, up early to avoid the crowds of tourists, making their purchases.
The tourist shops opens up but in slow tempo, siga siga. Their international customers have not arrived yet, the first ones usually show up around 9.30 -10.00.
Unfortunately, the number of these shops increases and the number of butchers and fishmongers decreases. In the last years, at least one butcher and two fishmongers have closed down.
Of course, we want the old shops to stay; they give this fantastic market place its very special atmosphere, which we love so much.
The strong smell of herbs, the colours of fruits and vegetables, the ice covered tables painted in all colours by different small and big fishes, the smell of bread from bakeries, the look of different kinds of olives and cheeses, teasing smells from places like “O Zerbos”, the precision of the butcher cutting meat and not least the old building in itself; of course we have to love this place.

Fortsättning följer.............