Now it has been 11 days. Hard to believe we have been here 11 days. I have seen so much and yet I feel I don’t have enough time to see everything. This morning there was another market on the streets of  Reggio Emilia. The first on was Friday morning and now another one this Tuesday morning. I walk out onto the balcony and the streets are crowded with people and the Piazza Prampolini is vendor tents back to back.

The first time to this market I was wondering how it would compare to the market we visited in Florence. Will it be the same size? Will it still have mostly food? Will there be other items sold there? I walk out the door and into the crowd. As I am walking by the tents I see so many different things. Clothes for all, purses, fabric, shoes, kitchen products, undergarments, and food.

As I was walking I thought back to the market in Florence. The first noticeable difference is that it was much  more crowded. The second was that there were a lot more clothes/item stands than there were food stands. In fact I maybe saw three the entire time. By the end of the first line I discovered that the market extended into Piazza S. Prospero. This square was packed with tents and Piazza Martiri  was also packed with tents selling various items.  This market was at least twice the size of the one in Florence.

Everyone on the streets was a part of the market. They all were digging into the piles and debating on what they wanted. You were constantly close to other people. That’s unusual in America. Americans like their own personal space away from others also known as “personal bubble”. That doesn’t exist here in Italy. People are bumping into each other walking down the street and close to you when your at a vendor in the market. Bikes and cars fly right by inches away from you and each other. Maybe it is to due to the small streets that have fostered the indifference to the lack of personal space? Maybe it is due to their culture and that is just how they are easier? Is it because they all live in apartments in the city and share and outdoor space which brings them closer?  I did see many stop to greet each other and talk. Do they appreciate others more?