Sunny day shopping & rainy day relaxing
‘Sunny Day Shopping’ and ‘Rainy Day Relaxing at Home’ inAmstelveen were thrilling. As John Keats described, ‘A Thing of Beauty is Joy Forever,’ we can choose to see the beauty in the simplest and common things around us, and this beauty becomes a source of unending joy for us. When we had been to ‘Sligro Mal and Vibrant Friday Market’ in Amstelveen and enjoyed the ‘Incessant Drizzle and Rain’ sitting in my son Aditya’s house, especially looking through glass doors the front and backyards, we recollected John Keats.
‘Sligro Mal in Amsterdam’ is a part of the larger ‘Sligro Food Group’ a prominent Dutch Company specialized in food retail and wholesale products. It caters primarily to business customers such as restaurants, hotels, catering companies, and small food enterprises as a wholesale store, offering a vast selection of products, from fresh produce and meats to beverages, kitchen supplies, and non-food items like cleaning materials.
It is a one-stop shop for food industry professionals, aiming to meet the diverse needs of the hospitality sector. The store layout is designed to facilitate efficient bulk shopping, with dedicated sections for various food categories and specialized departments for high-demand items. We went round ‘Shopping’ and ‘Window Shopping’ and purchased an ‘Old-Fashioned Small Grinder’ (What in the olden days, Indians used as the small stone slab called ‘ROLU’ to make small amounts of pickles, by way of stirring with a smooth grinding stone called ‘KALAM RAAYI’) and few more specialized items. It was a wonderful experience.
We also had the pleasure of exploring the ‘Vibrant and Captivating Friday Market in Amstelveen’ by seeing which we were ‘Spellbound’ for a while. As we walked and went around in the market, it depicted as a ‘Hub of Energy’ where local sellers and buyers were ‘Brought Together’ in a bustling yet, extraordinarily, and simply superbly, ‘Well-Organized Environment.’ From fresh produce to unique (local) products, it offers a delightful blend of culture, quality, and perhaps affordability and thus serving, as a vital hub for local commerce, with variety of goods obviously at one convenient location, fostering community interactions and supporting small businesses as well as catering to the diverse population of Amstelveen and nearby areas.
The Friday Market is situated at ‘Stadshart Amstelveen’, the central square and main shopping area of the city, making it easily accessible. It began as a local initiative to bring farmers and small-scale producers closer to consumers. Over time, it has evolved into a multicultural marketplace offering wide range of goods including varieties of food items, fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, textiles, garments, bags, belts, needles and thread for tailoring, warm clothing, household items etc. The list is incomplete. Its growth reflects the increasing demand for ‘Organic and Local Products’ as well as the international demographic of the area.
Through the ‘Friday Market’ sellers obviously gain direct access to a wide customer base, enabling them to sell their products without intermediaries, thereby improving their profit margins. And Purchasers, looked like enjoying competitive prices, fresh products, and a wide variety of goods, including international and local items. The market contributes to local revenue through permits, boosts local economy, and promotes sustainable trade practices by supporting local producers. We all had ‘Tastiest Breakfast, there, before we left the place after a two hour.
The ‘Tradition of Weekly Open-Air Markets’ including ‘Friday Market’ deeply rooted in ‘Dutch Culture.’ These markets are often organized by municipalities to create spaces for local sellers, including farmers, craftsmen, and small businesses, to offer fresh produce, textiles, and other goods. In Amsterdam, there are over 20 such weekly markets operating in different neighborhoods, on different days. Among others, these include the Albert Cuyp Market, the Dapper Markt, the Noorder Markt, and the Ten Kate Market, each with its own distinct charm.
Vendors transport goods using small trucks or vans. Fully equipped vehicles, some with goods to be marketed by vendors, some empty, and some even using them as shopping platform, are seen. Fresh produce and perishable items are transported in refrigerated vehicles, ensuring quality. Goods come from local farms, nearby wholesalers, and international suppliers through road networks.
The Friday Market opens around 8.30 am and probably closes by around 4.30 pm. When market is not there, it functions as a lively ‘Public Square’ of multifunctionality, making it a dynamic community space, where residents and visitors gather for leisure, outdoor seating, social interactions, to host variety of cultural events, concerts, exhibitions, and seasonal markets etc.
This market has become a key social and commercial event in the local community, providing a unique shopping experience and supporting the local economy. Such markets not only foster a strong sense of community but also boost the local economy by supporting small-scale producers. The efficient transport system and the well-utilized central space, which serves as a bustling marketplace on Fridays and transforms into a lively public square for events and gatherings on other days, show how multifunctional urban spaces can be.
India, as well as Telangana, with rich tradition of local markets, could benefit immensely from establishing similar well-organized markets, perhaps even on a larger and improved scale. These markets would enhance the livelihood of farmers and small businesses, including hereditary skilled professionals and craft persons, offering consumers fresh, affordable products while promoting sustainable trade. This ‘Astounding, Enthralling, and Utility Amstelveen Friday Market’ clubbed with an ‘Improved Model for India’ may be given a thought. ‘One Should Not Miss Visiting Friday market’ as and when one tours Amsterdam.
Experiencing ‘Incessant Drizzle and Rain’ from midnight and throughout the next day, really makes a fantastic chill in the physique, particularly to see the rain through the glass doors and windows, as in our case, but not before a stay of about 45 days in Amstelveen (Amsterdam) in my son Aditya’s house. In ‘Amstelveen’ obviously influenced by its proximity to the North Sea, over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies with four seasons broadly, the Winter Spring, Summer, and Autumn (September to November). For visitors like us, late spring, the whole of Summer, and early Autumn (June-September) before it gets cool and wet are ideal to stay.
The scene that unfolded before us, while sitting in the living room of my son’s house in Amstelveen and watching through glasses, and viewed the ‘Drizzle and Rain’ steadily drape the lovely backyard, its droplets tapping rhythmically against the rainproof dining table and chairs, and the lawn, freshly soaked, sparkling with a lush vibrancy, speaks of both tranquility and transformation. Beyond the backyard, the front road, at times quiet and still, is occasionally animated by the passing of cars. The sky gave a look like a cloudy canvas.
The weather, typical of Amsterdam's fickle climate, hinted at the arrival of autumn. Each passing hour brought subtle shifts, the rain alternating between a steady drizzle and brief pauses, as well as on and off sunshine, while the breeze grew cooler. In fact, just a day before, on the threshold of autumn, the gardener, with careful precision, trimmed the overgrown branches of the trees, perhaps knowing that this act of cutting was not an end but a renewal. Each trim encourages fresh growth, allowing the trees to thrive once again. The fallen branches signaled the promise of rebirth, a cycle of life deeply tied to nature's rhythm.
The ‘Rain whispered secrets of growth after the gardener pruned, with each fallen branch making a silent promise of tomorrow's bloom.’ In this quietness and amidst the peaceful scene, a craving stirred within us, a longing for a particular dish (What we call in India, the Hot ‘Mirchi Bajji’ over a Hot Cup of Tea (Chai) or Coffee or any other Hot Drink! And instantly my wife served them.