Farmer's Market

Today I ventured outside of Norwalk to what has become my favorite town in Connecticut (of the four I have seen so far) which is Westport.  If you ever imagined Connecticut (as I did) to be filled with with 1800's buildings, pretty gardens, water front property and supporting a lifestyle only those working in New York but didn't want to be bothered by living in NYC, this is your town.  Every corner looks like a cover of the New England edition of Home and Gardens.  I would not be surprised to see a historical marker on a dog house, the way they are stamp on every things.

Downtown Westport. 

Typical Westport House

This house isn't even special it just happened to be at the intersection when I had enough time to take a picture.

Norwalk doesn't have a farmer's market so I went to Westport Farmer's Market.  It is only on Thursdays from 10 - 2, so Westport Housewives Market may be a better name for it.  But hey I'm free.

Farmer's Market

It is a decent sized market it has about 20 tents set up in a parking lot.  In addition to produce there are stalls for meat, cheese, plants, several bakeries and a few restaurants.  And as always the hippy organic specialties foods.   

Most places had free samples out and would let you try almost everything.  I got caught by a cookie guy that gave me four different samples of things such as lavender cookies, ginger basil, I think there was a lemongrass with sea salt one.  He was pairing my cookie selection to my drink.

Carrot Ginger Juice!

The cookies were awesome and I would have definitely bought some but Daniel and I are doing South Beach right now, which I told the cookie guy and told him I would be back next week when we are in the more relaxed stage of the diet.  The carrot juice was also awesome and intensely colored.

Not much left

I took a picture of it on top of my car for color saturation comparison.    

The market is a good one and I am guessing there will be more variety as the summer progresses.  I am a little spoiled to Boulder, CO Farmer's Market, that is where we spent the last three summers.  The Boulder market is huge and you could buy your entire shopping list there and is packed with people, children  and dogs.  Westport is a little subdued in comparison, but a quite farmer's market bets a supermarket any time for me.

My haul 

From left to right spinach, radishes, red leaf letuce and whipped honey.  The honey was completely an impulse buy and a touch pricey but soooooo tasty.  I can't wait to eat it up with some fresh fruit.

Since I was already in Westport I hit up the Anthropology store, I needed to exchange a dress. I was pleasantly surprised when they store credited me the difference to the current sales price.

 Anthropologie has become my favorite stores and if you don't know about it, find one and then only shop in the sales room...pricey.  I have been in quite a few ones and this might be the nicest one and coolest layout I have been in.  NYC is definitely bigger, but the set up of this one is great and it sells wallpaper and curtains.

Sales Tent

There sales room is a tent in the parking lot, yup almost wrecked the car when I saw that.

It also shares the building with a French Antiques store, talk about perfect.  At first I thought it was an Anthropology furniture store.  I went in to check it out and it was super expensive but very cool stuff.  

Actually conversation I hear in the store:  " I may get the couch, I would need to have it reupholstered.  My husband wants a couch for his father who is coming in next week.  I don't know if he will stay in the guest house or the main house."  At this moment I knew I did not belong in this store.  She was also saying this in the most casual way as if everyone had this kind of issues.  I am guessing the couch cost between $3,000 - $4,000 looking at the res of the store. 

I finished off my trip with a swing through the Trader Joe's there.  What a great grocery store and everything is so cheap!  

So I may use the Farmer's Market as my excuses but mainly my entertainment is to pretend I live in Westport.

Summery:

Cost:

None I went grocery shopping for what I needed.  Ok I did drive further so maybe 10 miles. 

             1/2 gallon gas - $4.20 a gallon = $2.10

              Ok and  the carrot juice               $6

                  (told you things are expensive in CT)

Time: 2 hour (Driving and shopping)       

Average : $4.05 /hr entertainment

Perks: 

 A enjoyable shopping experience.  And I got to pretend I was a well kept house wife for a couple of hours, not a bad way to grocery shop.