Berkeley Wandering Pt. 2

Today I decided to walk to Monterey Market, a produce grocery store only .6 miles away. It was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon and walking outside reminded why the west coast is truly the best coast (also the bus wasn't coming for another 56 minutes and I was getting tired of waiting).

Monterey Market itself was amazing--full aisles dedicated to different types of produce. A whole aisle for root vegetables, and aisle for mushrooms (my favorite!), an aisle for avocados and tomatoes, you name it. Each aisle contained at least one item that I had never heard of or never seen anywhere else--pretty excited to find some recipes for these odd whatchamacallits. There was also a fresh juice machine in the front and I was very tempted to buy some fresh apple juice and make spiced/mulled hard apple cider (is that a thing? It should be a thing).

Working the juicer. If only I wasn't allergic to fruits...

How do you eat this??

Mushroom aisle. I die.

Creepily taking photos of other people shopping. Check out all the weird root veggies. 

There's something soothing about exploring aisles in a grocery store. Or maybe that's the procrastinating-law-school-work side of me talking.

After Monterey Market I got sucked into two more shops on the walk back--a butcher shop and a coffee cheese store. The people running the cheese shop were extremely nice and gave me all sorts of free cheese samples. While they told me what to pair with my cheese and I nibbled on sample after sample I couldn't help but think that this was what a neighborhood should feel like. The lady who came after me was greeted by name and received a free chunk of cheese that the guy behind the counter had been "saving for her." I need to go back.

And they had cute Japanese cups in their window display!

On the walk back I saw an old couple side by side on their canes walking in my direction. They stopped to confer about something and the overhang of a blossoming tree between them and I framed them perfectly. Unfortunately there was a guy walking behind me and I was too embarrassed to look like a creep taking photos of an old adorable couple--such a shame.

Instead I got a picture of the side of this weird toy shop

And a doll house! That framed emboss up top, wow.

All in all a successful afternoon of wandering around Berkeley. The residential areas are very nice, especially as it seems spring is around the corner. Which also means allergy season is coming up soon. Next time, Berkeley Wandering on Allergy Medication. Promises to be interesting.

Gonna make some harvest roast chicken with grapes, olives, and rosemary tonight.