Boulder, Colorado
Already missing and reminiscing about those doggy dog days of summer? Me too. I do love fall, but sometimes when I'm all bundled up, I think about sitting in lush green fields, sipping a coffee or juice and wandering the crowds at local summer markets.
In honor of Thursday and the notorious #tbt hashtag, (plus a bit of free time), I was finally able to go through some photos from my trip back home this summer.
Boulder. How to describe this city. I am often asked by my foreign friends here and am quite frequently, (and surprisingly), at a lost of exactly how to explain the magic of this hidden mountain gem. Boulder is located in the nature abundant, beautiful Rocky Mountain adorned, and "snow-land" stereotyped state of Colorado. My home town is a beautiful, unique, quaint and a special place; filled with nature, organic food stores, fantastic dining, a numerous amount of outdoor activities and one of the most beautiful college campuses. I could go on, but for now let's focus on one of my favorite pastimes there during those easy summers of my youth (who am I kidding, I am still a kid [at heart]!) - the beautiful Farmer's markets.
These markets typically were every Saturday morning, sometimes Wednesdays, and yielded some of the best access to the freshest, natural, homemade, homegrown, organic food.
Take a look below at some of the snapshots and get a little lost for a few moments in those lovely sunshine, dewey days.
Even the kids enjoyed eating their veggies! Soo fresh mmh.
Homemade honeys, chilled ginger lemonades, veggies so good- I'm talking you could eat them sliced raw and love it (they had samples- totally did it!), and fresh kombucha! I understand that people have a love/hate relationship with this "hippie" drink, but I find it fantastic, plus the fermentation makes for a nice little buzz ;) . Trying it fresh made, (not out of my usual store bought bottle), in pineapple and strawberry, was just the refresher the twinnie and I needed.
Onions for daysss, but look at how vibrant and beautiful those colors are. Remember that when corporate America is trying to sneak sugar, chemicals and pesticides into all your food! (Not trying to preach here, okay maybe there is still some Boulder hippie left in me, but seriously!) Look at how fantastic those vegetables look. The colors are memorizing.
Fluffy, crispy fresh gluten free bread loafs and colorful boxes of pasta galore!
The markets are a fun, laid back activity; people bring their dogs, friends, kids, whoever, and enjoy a stroll in the sunshine and usually some kind of live music from whatever summer concert set up is going on that day.
If you're a foodie like me, these markets are quite the "natural" heaven. Even if you aren't on board the "granola, dreadlock, gluten free, vegan hippie train," the market does still provide some beautiful eye candy.
A peek at that lush green grass I'm sure we're all missing now; and those beautiful Rocky Flatiron Mountains I sure know I am missing.
Ahh. Nothing like those lazy days of summer, when all you have to worry about is what book you want to read next.
After getting our fix, we headed a few blocks over into the center of downtown Boulder.
The beautiful, historic and multifarious-boutique, restaurant and coffee house adorned streets of downtown.
Downtown Boulder - Pearl Street Mall, is well known for having some pretty entertaining performers; and with the intensely loyal bond between them and us locals, many of these street performers have been on Pearl Street for almost (or more than) 20 years! Rasta, yoga, box man anyone? (Any local Boulderites will who I'm talking about).
Lunch and a show! ;)
A nice memory of what the perfect, lazy summer day should be.
Until next, bundle up and keep daydreaming ... ciao ciao!
xx,
~Nis