farmers market secret no.1

i never thought this was a secret, but everyone seems surprised when i show it to them. so, just in case you didn't know....

if you've been the market, you know how difficult finding a table can be. or, if you find one, it's in a crowded, cramped area, with a zillion people looking at you and what you ate, or near the plate depository. not nice. anyway, there really are tons of tables but they're upstairs.

there are two separate eating areas upstairs in the market, both accessible by stairway. there's a small, odd space that used to house the Saddest Art Display In The World you can get to above the west patio, where the gumbo pot and tony's is, but i prefer the space above the east patio, which is bright and light, quiet, and perfect for people watching.



my favourite tables are the ones by the north-facing windows--settle yourself in one of these and you get a perfect view of the comings and goings in the parking lot, the clock tower, and the patio area around it. if it's a little chilly, you might find yourself lucky and the community room will be open and a fire roaring the fireplace. in the afternoon it's almost deserted, so you can bring up a book and a cuppa, and relax to the sound of the hubbub below and the birds singing in the trees above. ah. a moment of peace before you have to head out into the craze of conspicuous consumption and traffic again.