I have always enjoyed local markets. It’s a great way to see into the local life, produce, and delicacies. Its also a great reason to head to a particular town or city at a set day and time.
Checking out the regional Ligurian markets was therefore a definite must. When I looked online, there seemed to be a long list of local markets spread across the different towns in the region. I was delighted and couldn’t wait to start visiting. Varigotti: wednesday mornings; Noli: thursday mornings; Finale Ligure: monday morning; Spotorno: Tuesday morning; and the list goes on.
Aside from general curiosity about what would be on show, I couldn’t wait to see what seafood would be available and any tips and tricks on how to cook it. Eager to begin the discovery, the plan was to start with Varigotti and Noli the next day.
Driving down to Varigotti and easily finding a parking spot, my first thought was that this might not be the busiest market in the area. I also hadn’t even thought about the parking rules until I was asked by another passer by if I knew where to pay for the parking and how much it would be. In Italy it seems that they mostly all use this mobile app to pay for parking. In the end, he checked and let me know that there was no cost for the Varigotti parking. I guess this is another perk of the winter months. (This doesn’t apply to Finale Ligure though – we are already one parking ticket down after the first week in).
Heading to the seaside promenade for the market revealed no activity at all. So I thought maybe it would be hidden in the colorful, pedestrian alleyways of old town Varigotti. But, alas, no activity there either. Now, Varigotti is pretty small, which means there were no other options of where to look. My first local market visit was a no-go. Laughing at myself, I guessed that what I’d read about Wednesday morning Varigotti markets must be for the warmer months of the year instead.
Fast forward to the next day, I was a bit reticent to head down to Noli thinking that it may also be more of a Summer market place. But with no way of knowing unless I tried, I thought I may as well go down and check. It was also an opportunity to see if the fisherman stalls that line the seaside promenade of this town would be open.
The parking was also easily available in Noli and I wondered if I had made the same error as yesterday. Luckily for me, the local market was alive and well. It lined the Noli seaside promenade just after the fisherman stalls and boats. I can’t say that it was the biggest or the most varied market I have seen in Italy. It started with a few clothing trucks. You know, the ones with lots of socks, underwear and ties lined up outside. A few jackets and sweaters were also on display. After this, the very hard not to buy something trucks: cheeses and meats all out on display. With fish still in my mind, I somehow managed to pass without purchasing even more cheese and cold cuts for the house. The final couple of trucks revealed a variety of fresh veggies and fruits. So, not one seafood store was there and not one fisherman was out.
It seems that the beautiful Varigotti is more market catered for the Summer months. Noli, however, is a year round place. Maybe its scaled down from its summer buzz but it’s definitely open in Winter.
I’m learning that Ligurian markets are seasonal — and so is the fishing. Next stop: finding the best way to catch the day’s fresh seafood, no matter the month.
