Week 5 – Reportage 3

Buying groceries in Spoleto starts with choosing a buggy.  Wire buggies are few and far between.  Plastic baskets with handles or just small baskets are the most available.  The handle has a tendency to fall back down every time one lets go to examine a possible purchase.  Eggs are kept at the end of the aisle, unrefrigerated, sold in half-dozens.  They are very large eggs with bright orange yolks and are very good boiled.  Olives come fresh, un-pickled, in a variety of sizes and containers.  The potato chips taste better for some reason; I surmise it is the lack of preservatives.  The vegetables are organic, no paying extra for healthier veggies.  Everything is fresh and local.  Name brands are sparse; the store weighs it and places their sticker on it.  The bacon is in clear plastic with the same price label.  There is a whole row of wine with some liqueurs at the end of the shelves.  When it’s checkout time, you purchase plastic bags estimating how many you will need.  Many shoppers bring canvas bags or those light weight mesh bags that can be used over and over again.   There seems to be an emphasis on recycling and reusing that is very wide spread, at least in Spoleto.