I am about three days too late on this post, but I followed up Saturday with such a wonderful Sunday that I thought it might be okay to fall back a day or two. Who doesn’t want to hop back to the weekend? Unless of course it is Friday, then you just want time to fast forward…
The lonesome wandering I did around the city on Saturday was so refreshing that I put off all of my chores to do it again on Sunday. The weather was perfect and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. How could I possibly stay indoors all day doing laundry? While yes, it desperately needed doing, sometimes you just have to put some things aside and enjoy the moment. Who needs clean clothes when there’s a beautiful day inviting you to explore it?
The SoWa Open Market is something that i’d seen advertisements for weekly on the Boston Globe’s event calendar. I’ve clicked the link once or twice, but have never thought much about making a visit. I thought it was simply a crafts market, something that i’d seen many a times growing up in the south, AKA the land of craft fairs. But, having nothing better to do (besides folding laundry), I decided to give it a whirl. If anything, it’d give me an excuse to head outside.
So, I packed up my camera, grabbed a few books, whipped up a smoothie, and headed out the door. Off to explore another unknown part of town.
The South End, where the market is held, may very well be my new favorite area of the city. One great thing about Boston is that everything is old. Everywhere you look you are looking at some sort of historical landmark. As great as this is, it also makes it really hard to find a place that isn’t always swarming with tourists. You really have to dig to find those quiet hidden gems. The South End being one of them. Originally considered dangerous and remote, the South End is now one of the most desirable areas in the city. It’s not hard to see why: street after tree-lined street of redbrick townhouses dating to the 1800s, along with some of Boston’s best restaurants, art studios, and boutiques, makes this the perfect place to spend a sunny afternoon.
Deciding to drive was a curse and a blessing. A curse because it took me half an hour to find a parking spot; a blessing because in that half hour I really got to get a good look at this district. Finally finding a spot a mile away, I took my time on my walk there, enjoying the scenery.
The market, much more than a craft fair, far exceeded my expectations. With booth upon booth of gourmet food items, organic produce straight from the farm, fresh cut flowers, handcrafted woodworks, jewelry, furniture, crafts, and so much more, I felt as I had hit the jackpot. This was the Fayetteville’s Farmer’s Market, one of my favorite places in the world, times 10! I’ve made it to a few farmer’s markets in Boston, but always felt a bit of disappointed after each one, feeling as i’d never find one quite as wonderful as the one I grew up visiting every Saturday morning. I am happy to say that I finally found one to fill my void. Although not strictly a farmer’s market, I found the SoWa Market to be a wonderful place to explore. Not only did this market offer food and home goods, but inside of an immense warehouse dividing the market in two, stood hundreds of antique trinkets, vintage clothing, and one of kind furniture pieces; a thrifter’s paradise.
After an hour or two of exploring, I snapped a few photos, bought some blueberry pesto (which I later used to make a chicken, blueberry pesto, goat cheese, and arugula panini- yum!), and headed to the food trucks for a bite to eat. After changing my mind about five times as to which line to wait in, I finally decided on Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese, where I ordered a cheddar, sweet potato, cinnamon apple and raisin, rosemary maple grilled cheese, and a blueberry lemonade to wash it all down.
I finished off my sandwich, peaked into some art studios, and headed back to my car. It was time for the hubs to come home, and I figured I should maybe at least clean the kitchen before he got there.
Now, if only I could defeat this pile of laundry…
The Daily Doss 