Florianopolis City Market
I don't go to town much, but when I do I am always so impressed by the City Centre's mix of old and new.

I have mentioned the old colonial market before. It is such a stimulating place.

This time I needed a pair of cheap trainers for our trip to Pantanal next week - evidently we need a pair of shoes that can get ruined! I was amazed at the number of shoe shops in the market area. There must have been 50 at least. I was wondering how on earth they all competed with each other, when I realised (through the experience of buying shoes) that they weren't shops at all, but stalls and that each 'shop' had a number of stalls - so when they didn't have your size at one stall, they would rush down the market and fetch the right pair from another stall.

Eventually, I managed to buy a reaonsable (if not particulary fashionable) pair of trainers - which I don't mind getting covered in mud - for £9! What's more the service was amazingly helpful and friendly and I was called 'minha flor' again (see previous blog)!