The small Spanish town where I spent most of my time over the last few years offered little choice in the local supermarkets and I have to admit that I often had a good old whinge about how predictable a food shopping expedition usually turned out to be.
Our town had the usual Dia, and Bon Area but I think any seasoned expat will agree, the shelves there are fairly basically stocked with everyday staples, rather than a 'Taste the Difference' range!
But you know my trip to any mainstream supermarket in the UK now is truly an assault on all the senses and I've come to appreciate that really, I don't want to have to choose between tomatoes that are on the vine, off the vine, cherry shaped, plum shaped, small or large.
I now fondly recall the simple choice in the shops that I had before, beefsteak or 'normal' sized tomatoes, not to mention the familiar site of of a rickety old box in a doorway full of mis shapen, but deliciously juicy offerings, with an honesty jar beside it.
And don't start me off on Oranges, they have become almost a 'designer' fruit in the UK, being marketed in all shapes and sizes, degree's of sweet/sharpness, with pips, without pips, thin skinned, thick skinned and then graded for the ease of peeling! Oh yes, and the piece de Orange resistance must be the ones with a dainty green leaf left on for added impact, at twice the price.
Yes, I miss my little man in the local market even if oranges were his only fruit!