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Fresh markets are important all over Europe, and the Mediterranean topography and climate support fresh fruits and vegetables, and an abundance of seafood. Here is a sample of images that we became accustomed to seeing in numerous markets.

This market is in Palma, Mallorca, but we visited several markets during our stay in Spain. Markets offer a view into real life, because you see people doing ordinary chores, and you get a valid sense of what foods people eat at home. For us, as we don't have a car, it's great to visit markets to replenish fresh supplies for salads and dinners. It's easier to make frequent small trips rather than large food-shopping expeditions.

Mediterranean fish are typically not very large, but they are sold fresh and cooked immediately. Many of the fish dishes we enjoyed were stews, often with peppers, onions, and potatoes.

One day, we were in one of our favorite lunch cafes. The menu del dia (menu of the day) always offers a choice between two appetizers, a choice between two main plates, and a homemade dessert. For dessert, we always picked crema catalan, a custard indulgence that is perfect after the large midday meal.

Once, llampuga was on the menu. While we were deciding on the main course, a man at a nearby table, recognizing us as Americans, said, "You must try the llampuga. It's only available for a brief time every year, and it's the local delicacy." We did, and enjoyed both the meal and more wonderful conversation with the friendly Mallorcan gentleman.

We were surprised to see so many meats sold unrefrigerated. You might see a whole row of hams hanging near the kitchen in a local restaurant. The local Spanish sausage is sobrasada; while we were adventurous enough to order it in a sandwich, we could never bring ourselves to select from the array of sausages in the supermarket. Europeans don't need to disguise their meat products the way that we do in the US. A sausage's insides are light and dark and full of unrecognizable organs. The pig shown above wouldn't attract US shoppers, but it apparently appeals to Spaniards. Even the chickens you buy in markets like this one still have their bony feet attached.

We try to eat a local, Mediterranean diet, including lots of fresh vegetables, fish, and so much olive oil it's hard to imagine that anyone could call it healthy with a straight face. This pepper display was at a Saturday morning market at Porto Colom. At that vegetable stall, we were puzzled by a box of produce that looked almost like purple Brussels sprouts. We learned that they were higos, fresh figs, which we had never seen fresh before. The first bite (offered by the vendor) was a burst of freshness. We took a bagful back and ate them fresh, by themselves and in salads.