Grocery shopping

There is a farmers' market in town, but it is a little odd to me because half the people are selling little antiques (lots of old plates), about a quarter of the people sell food they did not grow (pineapples, bananas, etc.) and the remaining people sell food that they probably picked that day.  This season there are enormous cabbages, corn (not very sweet), new onions, carrots, and potatoes.

Close to our home is a little market, Spar, that has all the basics, but not much more.  A longer walk (15 minutes?) or ride (5 minutes?) away, past the sheep and up a hill is a traditional market, Super Best.   Part of the ride is on this road, which has bike lanes on the sides and planters to slow the drivers, who take turns going around them when there is traffic in both directions.

A two-way street on the way to the market (note the vimpel flag, a style that dates back to Viking days)

In the center of town (5 minute ride, 15 minute walk, but no sheep and no hill) is a pedestrian mall with a smaller version of Super Best,  Kvickly, which is half-grocery store and half-general store, Irma, which is also a traditional market, but is more American in its display of produce and its sale of non-perfumed soaps and other non-food items, and Netto, which is a lot like a 99 Cent store.  Both by the train station (a bit past the center of town) and farther east in a small indoor shopping mall is føtex, which is just like the Kvickly, but seems a little nicer (Walmart vs. Target?).  In addition to all these options, there are shops on the side streets that sell fruits and vegetables.    Almost every one of these stores has a bakery with a fairly wide selection of fresh bread and pastries.  We were surprised to learn that the gas station by our house also has very good bread.

Most stores are not open after dinner, they close early on Saturday, and are closed on Sunday.  Small stores are allowed to be open on Sundays and many stores are open on the first Sunday of the month.  You are expected to put your groceries into your own bag and to buy one of their bags costs about a dollar.  Some grocery stores have shopping carts that require a coin to be inserted into the handle to separate it from the others and then the coin is returned when the cart is replaced.

And speaking of money, I have been slow to figure out the change.  Even though I know the value of each coin (20 dkk, 10, 5, 2, 1, and 50 ore) it is difficult to get out of the US mindset of 25, 10, 5, and 1 cent coins.  The bills are 500, 200, 100, and 50, which also requires a little thought.  I am starting to understand numbers (said with the hundreds first, then the ones, and then the tens), but I tend to look at the cash register readout and then fumble with the money.