Municipal Market of Poros

The Municipal Market of Poros (in Greek 'agora') is an old market above the coast road in an arcade on both sides of a lane that before the opening of the supermarket housed a dozen or so shops.

Sadly today only two have remained, the Olympiakos butcher owned by the sons of Evangelos Koulis and the fishmonger, Konstantinos Sofianos. It's a pity on the one hand and yet a relief that at least the market has not been completely abandoned. Of course, the truth is that as far as fish are concerned, the real market is to be found at the jetty where every morning small and medium-sized fishing boats display their catch on the dock in wooden crates. Along with prospective customers the neighborhood cats also arrive, stubbornly demanding their share.

Konstantinos Sofianos's shop in the market is not your average fishmonger. The sign above it writes 'our own produce', because the family also owns a dazzling white, 20-meter fishing caique - named Chrysoula after his mother - which is always laden with fish when it enters the port of Poros. On the shop's counters you'll find different sorts of tuna, scorpion fish, red mullet, black tail, bream, monkfish, soup fish and small fry like white bait and sardines. Farmed fish are also available as well as large fish that will be snapped up by Poros tavernas and restaurants.

While we were there, a white-haired pensioner came for a look. After close inspection of the catch, he chose two gray mullet, paid 3 euros and left with a smile on his face.

He was going to take them home for the missus to cook.