More than meets the aisle.

Day 9

There are many reasons to travel. Of all the experiential riches to be unearthed in discovering a new country, one of my weird faves would have to be grocery shopping... ahh the revelation!

Here's a few reasons why...

Calmly existing in the space between familiar and unfamiliar: products you know produced by brands you don't, in varieties that mean 'buying cereal' requires more mental exertion than explaining the fourth spatial dimension after a few wines.

• The questionable ways other cultures group different foods together so you can't find anything (seriously, what entanglement of logic places ketchup with tofu? I'm looking at you, Costa Rica).

• Pricing structures that offer insights about a culture's culinary priorities, values and locally produced commodities.

• The surprises. You mean I can sort Dark and Stormys and zebra for dinner in one stop? Thank you, France. 

• Wine selection (if there is one) because, y'know, wine selections...

• That everlasting potential that this new supermarket will be the one to randomly supply Speculoos.