Columbus, Ohio

Almost exactly two years and two weeks ago we were on a road trip which aimed to get us around West Virginia's mountains and hollows. As it happens Google Maps drove us through quite a lot of Ohio and we ended up in Columbus buying interesting food. It turns out the drive from Michigan to Therese's place in Pensacola can take an ardent van driver through Columbus and that is reason enough to make anther stop at the North Market.

Before we can undertake an expedition there is one job that has to be done first and Rusty was quite up to the task of being walked.

The Greek Orthodox Church took up a fair bit of his attention with its extensive hedgerows filling in for battlements around the church.

It was a gray blusterous day with rain squalls sweeping through though it wasn't so cold I wanted long pants.

I felt like there was so much to see in the downtown, so many quirky little details and I had time to see none of them.

Then with Rusty snug in the van with the roof fan on high and him sleeping in his bed we got down to business. 

Masks required and most people were very aware of distance and limited customers one each space so the shopping was relatively easy in these difficult times.

The market was as fun as we remembered it with a wild variety of foods. With the van parked outside we had a small fridge and a small freezer at our disposal plus the means to cook almost anything which make it possible to set aside some mushroom ravioli for dinner and save some more flavors for the freezer for later.

It was oo bad we had stocked up, or overstocked on cheese in Ann Arbor.

The outside world and its problems penetrated ours for a brief while.

Beauty in meat.

Love is the cure...

As usual the van fits in a. car space. Columbus charges a whole dollar per hour for metered parking as opposed to Key West's four dollars an hour.

Nepali pork dumplings for lunch tasted pretty Chinese on the whole, the sort you can buy anywhere but the sauce was exceptional, peppery and citrusy all at once. Lots of them for two of us for nine bucks. 

Rusty aspirated his treats and took a nap  right there on the sidewalk. A nice midwestern lady  knocked peremptorily on my window as I ate my lunch at my desk and asked in the manner of a drill sergeant if "that dog" was mine. I gawped at her with a dumpling half way to my mouth, while my wife quicker witted than I assured her that Rusty was alive and lived with us.  Layne thought she was being nice while I thought she was being a bit odd. He likes napping outdoors, what's wrong with that? I like my nonconformist dog.

Christopher Columbus!

We decided my wife and I to limit our northernmost point on this trip so instead of Cleveland as originally planned we decided to change direction in Columbus which it turns out is north of Cincinnati. So our journey on Monday was a mere 120 Miles across rolling fields of corn and soy. Postponing laundry till later we went into town to explore the North Market. 

This is a hip neighborhood in the state capital with restoration and twee shopping opportunities. Suitable for black and white Art. 

When Trader Joe’s first came to Santa Cruz, California, decades ago, my best friend and dock neighbor in the marina kept showing up with weird beers and delicious sauces. He warned me off his shopping addiction “It’s packed with crap you just don’t need -and it’s all so cheap!” Rick said. 

You can’t say that about North Market in Columbus. Cheap I mean not least because the food on sale is first rate with all the right ingredients to satisfy a millennial foodie. 

Locally sourced of course with preference to Ohio farmers. 

And stuff from around the world. 

My wife found oils she’s not see before, a ginger infusion as I recall and vinegar flavored with berries and stuff. Lots of banter and chatting while I wandered off. 

You expect Polish in this part of the world but Hubert never expected us to have been to Poland. I think talking about hiking the Tatras made his day. His cheese ball things made ours later, for dinner. 

Mind you, give the chance to eat weird who would say no. Nepalese dumplings anyone? 

I haven’t got over my cold yet so alcohol was off but this place is civilized, give them that. 

Rusty was in the car (with the air) so we hurried back with our loot. Time for a walk where I found evidence of the abundance of the market: 

Can’t dilly dally...

...locating solitary scooters and walking the park...

But laundry doesn’t wash itself. 

Not quite done with Ohio but West Virginia is the target now east of here, not north.  My wife says there is the world’s largest gavel, world’s largest cuckoo clock and the world’s largest teapot in our future. Now would I joke about that?