Marketplace

There isn’t much going on at the Market Square; we wander around a bit, have a look about and don’t buy anything. To buy something, you need money, and if we need something, we look for the cheapest option. Bargaining isn’t usually an option; the market is a place that has been thriving for a long time, long before there were shops, let alone supermarkets.

At the marketplace, the guilder is no longer worth a daalder; often the market is even more expensive than the supermarket. So why go to the market? The only reason is often still the fried fish; at some markets, chips are still sold, or you can sample a bit of cheese, fruit or other snacks here and there.

The market is no longer a meeting place; there aren’t many people we know, so there’s no exchange of gossip or news; often, people don’t even say hello anymore.

Market traders always being cheerful and greeting everyone is gering rare; those radiating energy; most stand quietly behind their stalls; this used to be different; back then, they would shout at the top of their voices to attract attention.

Perhaps at very large markets sellers still shout: ‘Who’ll take it off my hands!’
This means: ‘Who’ll buy the very last of my stock?’, meaning the market trader won’t have to take it all back home. Unfortunately, very unfortunately, there is rarely something left behind at the market after they left, whether it’s overly ripe or rotten fruit or something else. This was often taken by those who have absolutely nothing to spend. Those who have nothing to spend have nowhere to turn, not even the food bank, because of the long waiting lists and not everyone is exepted. A daily round of all the free give away cabinets, or even twice a day, preferably when no one is watching, yields more.

_{Prompt: see title
4-5-2026}