lunaria’s retro secrets really make me question life choices
i never really planned to write this post but here we are now. the sun is out but it's not even that hot had to double-check on my phone i just checked and it's...there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. zale's vintage emporium was the thing, honestly. you know those shops where dust buns fall from the rafters and the air smells like mothballs and memories? that's zale's. and i bought a jacket with a pocket full of pocket squares because why not.
i overheard this from a guy who looked like he'd been living in a recycling bin for a week: 'the locals here don't trust tourists who smell like department store laundry. and they're not wrong.' maybe true. maybe not. but then i met someone at a café called café luna (yelp.com/zale-cafe-luna) who told me if you get bored, the old bookstore downtown is just a short drive away. it's like a time capsule but with broken staircases.
here's the map where i parked my bike and immediately forgot how to get back.
okay but also don't trust this. sometimes the GPS eats your soul.
i found this jacket at unsplash.com/vintage-jacket-9873 - image of a dusty cobblestone street with a cat in the background. and these other ones. one's a dog wearing sunglasses, another's a market filled with hanging fabrics. i couldn't tell which was which but it didn't matter.
i also saw this weird thing in the market. someone was selling a used typewriter with a note: 'works if you whisper to it.' i didn't whisper. didn't need to.
had a weird conversation with a neighbor who kept saying [lunaria] is just a short drive from the dead zone. didn't ask for specifics. i’m not sure if they meant a literal desert or just areas where old people live. either way, it's a vibe.
something else. i heard that the internet café on 3rd street has free wifi if you bring your own vintage notebook. is that even a thing? probably not. but i tried it anyway. brought an old leather one from zale's. worked? barely. but the barista pretended to like it.
yelp.com/lunaria-market-tips says you should haggle with vendors. i didn't. took their word for it. then bought a bag of dried mangoes that tasted like regret. maybe that's the local flavor?
done. but here's the thing: the weather here feels like it's stuck in a loop. 26.38°C all day, every day. i don't know if that's a bad thing or a good thing. the humidity? 27%. makes my vintage scarf stick to my neck like glue.
i'll leave you with this. if you like chaos and clothes that refuse to breathe, maybe come here. or don't. it's your life. the streets have names but they're all in french. probably. i didn't learn any.
here's a photo of me looking lost in the market:
and this one of the street sign that says 'zale's' in cursive:
You might also be interested in:
- https://votoris.com/post/adana-where-my-student-wallet-didnt-cry-much
- https://votoris.com/post/takamatsu-for-broke-students-its-actually-kinda-awesome
- https://votoris.com/post/san-franciscos-weather-woes-and-wanderlust
- https://votoris.com/post/portland-rain-really-weird-vibes-4
- https://votoris.com/post/athens-a-hot-mess-of-history-and-heat