After MONA I wondered through the Salamanca Market, I hadn't set up my trip with the intention of going to this, it just so happened that I would be there on a Saturday.

The revelation I had, walking around the market, was how passionately Tasmanian everything was.
It may seem an odd or obvious observation of things.
But at markets of a similar ilk that I've visited in Victoria, it's less...passionate.
Everything is fervently Tasmanian, made on there and very passionately so, independent. The only other place I've really seen this passion is Western Australia, and I guess the attitude stems from the same place. That sense of being isolated from the rest of the country. With Western Australia it's the distance from the eastern states, and here in Tasmania there really is a sense of isolation and separation from the mainland.
Last time I was in Tasmania that isolation seemed to translate into a little bit of hostility, "oh, you're from the mainland", but this time it seemed more like a celebration of Tasmanian-ness.

There was just so much stuff, so much produce, made, crafted and created in Tasmania. it was truly amazing the amount of stuff on display.

I ate for lunch a wallaby burger (from Bruny Island) and then bought from a different stall an apple and blackcurrant juice.

I want to say that I walked the full length of the markets. But I didn't.
I walked the length of the market, or what I think of as the proper market, with all the various producers of unique artisanal stuff. But as the market continued up the incline the stalls became less about stuff made in Tasmania and more magical crystals and infomercial-type stuff, trinkets and other things like that. Much less unique things and more just...stuff. So I turned around and did another loop of the market.

One item which I tasted as I wandered around which literally made me gasp was Redlands Apple Schnapps. Which was so unbelievably strong, I couldn't even finish the tiny amount in the tasting cup. But as I walked away I did muse that the finish, the lingering flavour at the back of the palate was tantalising.

I also visited the Bruny Island Cheese shop in the Salamanca Art Gallery, which I'd seen as existing on Gourmet Farmer, as I knew I wanted to get some Bruny Island cheese, but didn't want to have to trek over to Bruny Island, well not on this trip at least.
There I also bought some bacon, she also threw in some ham for free, which wouldn't make it back to the mainland with me as it would expire in a few days.

I also, as I was walking towards Wursthaus Kitchen (a gourmet deli shop) which I intended to visit to buy some food stuffs for my evening meal, on the way there I passed the Fat Pig Farm stall, where I bought some more bacon. Fat Pig Farm being the farm of Gourmet Farmer.

My only regret of the Salamanca Market was when I first started having a browse I'd tasted some amazing apricot jam, the flavour exploding through my taste buds with apricot, but it was one of the first stalls I'd seen and I didn't want to have to carry it around with me. I forgot to go back once I'd bought some salmon quiche and salad at Wursthaus Kitchen and began the walk back to my ute. I don't even remember the name of the jam maker only that it had a black label and didn't seem to sell any plain raspberry jam.
No matter, it was still an enjoyable experience and I left with much bacon and other products to take home with me.
I'd prepared and intended to buy some products that needed chilling and had brought with me a freezer block that I'd frozen at The Boat Shed and again in Old Beach and had a cool box so my products would remain chilled the following day and for the journey back on the Spirit of Tasmania.