The Tourists Are Coming! The Tourists Are Coming!

The weather is warming up a bit, and a sure sign of it is the return of the red-coated tourists to Old Town.

Art at the Market

Art on the street makes me think of Paris, where you’ll see it for sale every day in little booths along the Seine and of course in the Place du Tertre. In Alexandria we see art on the street only on special occasions: one of them is the annual Arts Festival in September, the other is the Saturday Farmer’s Market in Market Square, which is where this photo was taken.

Catholic Charities Thrift Shop

The thrift shop is one way of raising money for the homeless shelter right next door.

Food Shopping al Fresco

The Del Ray farmer’s market sells tasty home baked goods in addition to local produce.

Comida Corrida

Here’s a conversation I’ve had more than once at various locations of this venerable establishment:

Food Service Worker: Hello, may I help you?

Me: I’ll have a number three meal with a Diet Coke to go, please.

FSW: What kinda drink you want?

Me: Diet Coke.

FSW: For here or to go?

These food service workers are almost always immigrants. They’re not panhandling for spare change at the front door like the people who were born here. They work hard at a thankless job for an ungrateful public for very little money and in a language not their own.

I will repeat myself as many times and in as many permutations as they require. And without resentment.

God bless them, every one.