5 ms·

The author does a lot to romanticise the old traditions of a town that seeminly hasn't kept up with modern times. Truth is, there's 2 types of people that go t

The author does a lot to romanticise the old traditions of a town that seeminly hasn't kept up with modern times. Truth is, there's 2 types of people that go to the central market, old people and tourists. Everyone else drives to Mercadona, a supermarket like any other, in their Mercedes. You can also buy fantastic veges and fruits there but without dealing with 5-6 merchants to get what you need.

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bwb 5y ago
That isn't true, i lived in the old city and my neighbors and i go to the central market (plus plenty of markets for other neighborhoods). I get grocery delivery for some items but we go to central once or twice a week.
franciscop 5y ago
Absolutely no one "drives to Mercadona in their Mercedes??" that's like not even a thing (I'm from Valencia). Yes people go to Mercadona, but you walk there since there's one in every other corner. Interestingly Mercadona has also started making prepared meals, which is a nice keep-up-with-the-times upgrade IMHO, nowadays that young people cook less and less.
- aunty_helen 5y ago
  Funny, I lived next door to the mercadona on Carrera de Ciscar and often had to wait for people pulling out of the parking building. Soooo given they have a car park for mercadona... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.4650072,-0.3648888,3a,75y,12.74h,79.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1siUnF7Zxt3ltHi1MGQN7j1Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@39.4650072,-0.3648888,3a,75y,12...
  - franciscop 5y ago
    So I walked that street _everyday_ when I was in elementary/middle/high school! My family lives within 3 blocks from there. The one you refer to specifically is a really walkable neighborhood one, I'd guesstimate 95-99% of the people who buy there go/leave walking. Spanish people living in cities/towns don't take the car for grocery shopping, in fact we do make fun of US that need to take the car for that! Only if you live in the outskirts of the city/town/countryside you'd take the car for shopping. Note: given the area of that one, I'd also guesstimate the vast majority of the people parking in that Mercadona were JUST using it as a random short-term parking, not as the supermarket parking! Like if you go to the area you park there, then do your business/visit your friend/whatever, then maybe buy a couple of things in Mercadona so the parking is free (and you probably needed those things for the week anyway). At least that's how locals would use that parking, because: if you live within 3-4 blocks you'd walk, if you live further than 4 blocks you'd go to another Mercadona that is within 3 blocks of your home, and if you live very far away you'd drive to a larger supermarket on the outskirts, not to this small one in the city center (except, as I said, if you have other business to attend there and then you use the parking as a convenience, and buy something for free parking).
    - vinay427 5y ago
      > we do make fun of US that need to take the car for that! Only if you live in the outskirts of the city/town/countryside you'd take the car for shopping. This seems similar to the situation in the US, with the major difference that far more people in Spain live in a central area rather than in the outskirts. The distinction to make fun of is not how people in cities in either country live, but the large numbers that live in the outskirts/suburbs in the US.
      - franciscop 5y ago
        When I've been to the US, a very very large part of the population would live in what I'd call "outskirts" in Spain/Europe, meaning low-density residential areas where it's not feasible to have a supermarket every other block. Not only most of entire cities like L.A., but this would include most of San Francisco like the whole west area (Richmond+Sunset?) and many others (Japan town, the piers, etc). Like the middle class, USA cities also seem to be missing "middle buildings", the bulk of which constitute European cities. 4-10 floors building blocks are what make most of Valencia, Barcelona, Madrid, etc.

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bwb 5y ago

That isn't true, i lived in the old city and my neighbors and i go to the central market (plus plenty of markets for other neighborhoods). I get grocery delivery for some items but we go to central once or twice a week.

franciscop 5y ago

Absolutely no one "drives to Mercadona in their Mercedes??" that's like not even a thing (I'm from Valencia). Yes people go to Mercadona, but you walk there since there's one in every other corner. Interestingly Mercadona has also started making prepared meals, which is a nice keep-up-with-the-times upgrade IMHO, nowadays that young people cook less and less.

aunty_helen 5y ago
Funny, I lived next door to the mercadona on Carrera de Ciscar and often had to wait for people pulling out of the parking building. Soooo given they have a car park for mercadona... https://www.google.com/maps/@39.4650072,-0.3648888,3a,75y,12.74h,79.03t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1siUnF7Zxt3ltHi1MGQN7j1Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192 https://www.google.com/maps/@39.4650072,-0.3648888,3a,75y,12...
- franciscop 5y ago
  So I walked that street _everyday_ when I was in elementary/middle/high school! My family lives within 3 blocks from there. The one you refer to specifically is a really walkable neighborhood one, I'd guesstimate 95-99% of the people who buy there go/leave walking. Spanish people living in cities/towns don't take the car for grocery shopping, in fact we do make fun of US that need to take the car for that! Only if you live in the outskirts of the city/town/countryside you'd take the car for shopping. Note: given the area of that one, I'd also guesstimate the vast majority of the people parking in that Mercadona were JUST using it as a random short-term parking, not as the supermarket parking! Like if you go to the area you park there, then do your business/visit your friend/whatever, then maybe buy a couple of things in Mercadona so the parking is free (and you probably needed those things for the week anyway). At least that's how locals would use that parking, because: if you live within 3-4 blocks you'd walk, if you live further than 4 blocks you'd go to another Mercadona that is within 3 blocks of your home, and if you live very far away you'd drive to a larger supermarket on the outskirts, not to this small one in the city center (except, as I said, if you have other business to attend there and then you use the parking as a convenience, and buy something for free parking).
  - vinay427 5y ago
    > we do make fun of US that need to take the car for that! Only if you live in the outskirts of the city/town/countryside you'd take the car for shopping. This seems similar to the situation in the US, with the major difference that far more people in Spain live in a central area rather than in the outskirts. The distinction to make fun of is not how people in cities in either country live, but the large numbers that live in the outskirts/suburbs in the US.
    - franciscop 5y ago
      When I've been to the US, a very very large part of the population would live in what I'd call "outskirts" in Spain/Europe, meaning low-density residential areas where it's not feasible to have a supermarket every other block. Not only most of entire cities like L.A., but this would include most of San Francisco like the whole west area (Richmond+Sunset?) and many others (Japan town, the piers, etc). Like the middle class, USA cities also seem to be missing "middle buildings", the bulk of which constitute European cities. 4-10 floors building blocks are what make most of Valencia, Barcelona, Madrid, etc.