El Mercado: Fun Grocery Shopping?

I never thought grocery shopping could be described as "fun."

...However, with the Saturday morning chorus of cheery "hola buenas," whirring meat cutters and the tinkling of exchanging coins ringing through the Central Market of Valencia, how could it not be?

Wandering down the countless rows of every fresh foodstuff imaginable, flaky chocolate croissant in hand, I was enthralled by how much there was to see; to hear; to smell; to taste.

Passing by each stand is like passing through completely separate bubbles; for a split second, the sweet smell of strawberries intermingled with the raw smell of fish until bam! I was enveloped in the more odorous fish-y realm, starting straight into the bulging eyes of the grey, scaly monstrosity with a gaping mouth. Finally, I entered the more pleasing realm of the dried fruit stand--a mouth-watering aroma of dried kiwi, pineapple and oranges infusing my nostrils.

But then, when stepping back to look at the bigger picture, each stand somehow seemed to fit in the overall grand scheme of the market; each stand, with its distinct sights, sounds, smells and tastes, just made up one cog of the great Valencian Mercado; each stand represented one piece of the harmony in the melodious choir.

And that, my friend, is how grocery shopping can be fun.