Rome's Outdoor K-Mart

I set my alarm for 9PM in order to meet with a school group at 10:30AM going to a flea market called Porta Portese. Needless to say my alarm didn't go off this morning, so I ran around getting ready at 10:09 when the neighborhood dog decided to start its ferocious barking. We finally got out the door at 10:30 with my trusty "Eyewitness Travel: Italy" book (thanks, Gwert) thinking we could find it ourselves. We ended up walking in the direction of where we were supposed to meet the group and there they all were at 10:52 still at the meeting place, a testament to the randomness of the Italian schedule.

Porta Portese, is interesting to say the least. In America it would equate, as the title suggests, to a K-Mart,with a little dab of Goodwill thrown in, or a K-Market if you will. (My fellow St. Mark's Italian Exchange readers will remember this is what I dubbed a similar market in Cittadella) The tents stretch along several blocks and contain a ramshackle of varying goods from antique chandeliers, shoes, dishes, towels, plants, knick-knacks, onions wrapped in plastic (which made me more than a little suspicious as to the FDA's approval, but then I remembered that this is not America) oxford shirts that double as leotards, lingerie, books, chairs, and jewelry. You get the point, random and for the most part, useless junk. I really enjoyed walking around, clutching my purse from any would-be pick pockets, and laughing at all the merchandise. My roommates were not feeling it and once they learned there was no fresh produce wanted to leave. Then as if in answer to their prayers it started to rain and we high tailed it back to the apartment. But take comfort in the fact that it happens again every Sunday from 6:30-2PM, so maybe the weather will be nice enough next week that I may buy you all some of those onions, or maybe a fancy, but slightly used Italian circuit breaker? Or maybe the broken name plate, cookie tin, or bowl of coins on this table catch your eye...