Weekly markets

In the old days, markets were something special to most people. Especially here in Flanders, they lived in rural villages, where not much was going on - a church, a pub, a butcher and a baker would be what to expect. Entertainment was practically non-existent. So the weekly market was a time in the week to look out for, and everybody went there.

Dendermonde, my home town, also has such a weekly market. In fact, it's one of the biggest in the region, as the market stalls are lined up along the streets of the center.

When I was a kid, my grandmother took me to the market on Monday mornings. She bought fresh fruit and vegetables there, and also linnen for the beds, just name it. That was a time when supermarkets were few or not present in a town or village. The market was crowded, especally after ten a.m. and business was good. Also the local pubs were quite busy.

Nowadays only old people go to the weekly market, which has already been reduced in size. Years ago, the whole of Brusselse straat (the throughfare from railway station to grand place) was full of market stalls - now it's only half of it. Young people are no longer interested in markets. They buy their stuff online or in the big supermarkets. I must say I also do. It's been years since I dwelled along the markets stalls.

I guess that these markets won't exist any longer in the future.