On a recent visit to Seattle, the highlight was my morning at the 105 year old Pike Place Market, home to more than 200 year-around businesses, as many arts and crafts booths, and 100 farmers who rent table space to sell their produce and flowers. The Pike Place Fish vendors are popular not just for their abundant fresh seafood, but their comic and theatrical antics for their patrons ! The setting is on the edge of a steep hill overlooking Elliott Bay, home to the new Big Wheel, the ferry terminal, and the cruise ship docks. At the corner of Pike Place under the “Public Market Center” sign, sits Rachel, the unofficial market’s mascot. This bronze cast 550 pound piggy bank receives $6000-$9000 annually, which is used to fund the market’s social services.
Seeing Rachel reminded me of Florence’s Mercato Nuovo, a.k.a. the ‘Straw Market’ which dates back to the 11th century. Most Florentines actually call it the Mercato del Porcellino, or “Market of the Little Pig” after the bronze statue of a wild boar (very common in Tuscany).
Journeys Viaggio 