A Tale of Two Farmers' Markets

Do you like to munch on a spindly carrot fresh out of the garden? Are fresh flowers your way of detracting from the fact that you haven't cleaned your kitchen in a week? Can your tastebuds distinguish between smoked salmon and smoked trout? 

If you answered "Yes!" to these questions, then you (like me) are probably enamored by farmers' markets. Rolling out of bed to watch sunbeams dance on homemade and locally-grown goodies is bliss, in my book.

BW and I have been blessed to live near two particularly exceptional markets: The St. Paul Farmers' Market in Minnesota and Náplavka in Prague. They may be an ocean apart, but they raise the bar for what locally-grown markets should be.

How do they measure up? 

Náplavka in Prague wins points for location; it's on the vibrant Vltava riverbank, where you can sip coffee and watch boats and bicyclists glide by. We're also partial to its mix of eat-now treats like honey wine and Halušky (Slovak dumplings) and take-home gems like free-range eggs and forest mushrooms. There are plenty of places to sit, including a small barge stacked with chairs and tables, so we can stuff ourselves there for brunch and then sizzle up a wholesome dinner later with our purchases. And dogs are allowed!

Negatives? It can get very crowded, and booths tend to be small and squished together. Produce options are limited, too, thanks to the country's geography.

Our favorites are the Croatian seafood guy, dried fruits and nuts, fresh-baked pastries, and Cerny rybiz wine.

St. Paul in Minnesota is plumb full of colorful fruits and veg; its atmosphere is visually gob-smacking and the stalls all look like Monet paintings. It's open-air but has a roof so you can shop rain or shine. The variety of produce is seasonal yet vast, from kohlrabi to tomatillos to summer squash, and the bedding plants and herbs are just as abundant. Homemade products range from maple syrup to cayenne popping corn, and there are plenty of samples to be had. No dogs are allowed, but that's prudent, as people really pack in. 

Negatives? Free parking has been reduced thanks to ballpark construction. Seating is hard to come by, and, yes, it can get quite crowded, too. 

Our favorites are the beef jerky lady, floral arrangements, green beans and cinnamon-creamed honey

The details, because you should visit these places if you can:

Náplavka

Location: the Rašínovo nábřeží riverbank, under the Palackého náměstí tram stop

Open: Saturdays 8:00-14:00

Visitors: "Hundreds and thousands," according to web site

What can you buy?: Fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers according to the season. Dairy products – cow, goat, sheep, mostly cheeses. Freshwater fish – pike perch, carp and eel. Meet and sausages. Free range eggs, inland mushrooms, honey, honey brandy, pastry, spices and fresh unpasteurized milk.

Web site: http://www.farmarsketrziste.cz/en/

St. Paul

Location: Lowertown Arts District - 290 E 5th St, Saint Paul MN 55101

Open: Saturdays 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM, May 3 - November 22, 2014

Visitors: Around 8,000 each weekend

What can you buy?: Fresh, locally grown produce, bakery goods, cheese, poultry, buffalo, venison, beef, pork, lamb, maple syrup, eggs, bagel sandwiches, honey, organic plants and produce, flowers, plants, shrubs and many other items.

Web site: http://stpaulfarmersmarket.com

Thanks to our parental helpers for lending their farmers' market expertise to this post!

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Celeb-spotting

BW spotted William Fichtner near Prague Castle while out walking J-dog the other morning. More precisely, he heard William Fichtner say something to his wife and recognized his voice from the movie Armageddon, and then turned and saw him.

I liked him in "Black Hawk Down"

I told BW he'd spy celebs in Prague; it was only a matter of time before it happened. There were supposed to be some famous Czech snowboarders at a winter sports event last weekend, but we could have stepped on one's toes and wouldn't have recognized him/her. The event was cool, though; a big snow ramp was constructed on the riverbank and there were a couple kilometers-worth of merchandise and food tents.  

An assault of rain melted the snow a bit

In completely unrelated news, the daylight hours are shrinking. Noooooo!

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Hiking and fire-dancing

Prague's ornate architecture may be stunning, but the woods and countryside in the Czech Republic hold their own quite well, too. We got to see them last weekend when we took a day hike with some former colleagues near the Berounka River and a little town called Černošice, not far out of the city. It felt very Czech, as people literally empty out of metropolitan areas to get active in nature on Saturdays and Sundays.

You just never know what you'll run into in the boondocks...

We did about 12km with this view :) And J-dog walked over half of it!

Stations of the Cross scattered throughout the trees

A bottle of the local apple brew at a pit-stop somewhere in the woods. BW detested it, but it reminded me of my Grandpa R's moonshine he used to make in the basement.

A Czech wedding

Signs pointing to villages and sites along the different routes. There is an extensive network of hiking/cycling trails throughout the country that are color-coded and mapped. It's fantastic.

My lovely former colleagues. Can you guess what subjects they teach?

A boy and his (very) large zucchini, standing at the train station

The same night, another long-time friend, Mon, performed at Naplavka, an area along the river where hundreds of Czechs go every night to hang out on the cobblestones with bottles of wine to watch the sunset, listen to music, and take in the incredible castle views. Mon is the gal on the left, and she's been firedancing as a hobby since 2006. Toasty!

Pheonix-like

We were in awe of this - good thing the river was only 40 feet away!

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