Continental Market

Every once in a while, the continental market rolls into town. There are a couple of different incarnations, but they always drag in to ubiquitous soap, weaved products, baker, confectioner, cheesemonger and the suspicious sausage guy.

This time, the market placed itself on Broad Street, right outside the Disneylandish Balliol College. I realise that Balliol precedes Disneyland by some seven centuries, but when you see the ancient steeples and towering turrets, what do you automatically think of?



The suspicious sausage guy (in fact, I believe that he may be a member of the ancient and respected guild of the suspicious sausage), peddled the same porcine wares that I'd come to expect from every continental market. The dried sausages are... bland. At best.





Olives and olive-oil drenched goods. Any better than the local delicatessen, where, if I fall victim to salmonella, I could sue? Not terribly.



Sugar! Sugar in so many forms!



Churros without chocolate. From France. He wasn't terribly popular.



More sugar.



Aside from comestibles, there are also various gift or display items for sale.







Biscuit-y goodness. Hygiene? Of course leaving biscuits out in the open air all weekend is hygenic.



OK, this is one stall that I do like, although a fiver for a platefull of potatoes is a little much.



Bratwursty goodness.



Unnaturally large vegetables.



I saw a young lady drop a pair of tongs, then place them back on the table. Not back on the candied figs, thankfully, but what do you think the stallholder will immediately do, when he finds the tongs?



The baker made an unusually good custard tart. The baguettes are also quite good.



The smoked garlic is excellent, and will last months. At almost a pount per head, it's quite pricey, but does add a wonderfully smokey tone to subtle dishes.