It’s too hot to go to the market
At 37 degrees, people prefer to go where there is shade. This was felt by the feeders of the pyramid market. Many of the traders did not even come to the market square on Saturday because of the heat.
Photo: Jörg Doneker
A gaping void in the market. Only a few stands are presented on Saturday at the pyramid market and only a few customers stand in front of it to buy something. Water games, where children and adults cool off at 36 degrees, are really intense.
You look for shadows in vain. The sun mercilessly burns the square. About five market vendors, who are usually found in the market square, did not even want to do this and are not represented this Saturday.
“They’re not as tough as we are,” Egon Wirsch says and laughs. He splashes fresh water on lettuce and radishes at his fruit and vegetable stand. Unlike his colleagues who aren’t there that day, he doesn’t have delicate goods that need to be carried home quickly after purchase, he explains.
Heat is not a problem for fruit, leafy vegetables such as radishes need to be watered. However, Egon Wirsch is unsure if he will stay until the market officially closes at 6pm. Due to the heat, there are significantly fewer customers on the market.
A few trees here wouldn’t hurt.
Egon, Wirsz, fruit and vegetable dealer
“A few trees here wouldn’t hurt,” he says. On such days, there is not even a breeze in the market square. In this regard, he preferred his former place on Gutenbergplatz, where he stood for 40 years. He has been at the Pyramid Market since April 1st and is still a bit skeptical that the focus here will be on shopping and gastronomy rather than visiting the market.
Photo: Judith Midinet-Horst
“Today is a disaster,” says Thomas Kaliski. He is in the pyramid market with his food truck “It Eats”. “But who goes to the city voluntarily today,” he understands. If he hadn’t prepared for Saturday, he probably wouldn’t have come today either.
A mixed record for the pyramid market
He will also pack his things earlier. “I prefer to go in the water,” he says. He describes his presence in the pyramid market as “mixed” so far. “Until enough information came in,” he says.
This Saturday, The Fan Brewery kept their booth small and ditched the standing tables where customers could sample the range on less hot days.
Photo: Judith Midinet-Horst
“You make the best of it,” says intern Alicia Dorrer. There are regular customers here, freshly chilled lemonade sells well. “But you notice the temperature, there’s a build-up of heat,” she says.
Food for thought: Pyramid Market as an evening market
Along with her market colleagues, she would like to offer some food for thought about the pyramid market: in the summer, some market hours would be better between 6pm and 10pm, a time of day when temperatures become bearable again.
A customer stands at the “Le sorelle” stand and buys an arancino, a fried and stuffed rice ball. The woman got lost in the city only because she had to go to work. “You can tell it’s hot today,” says Sandra, who drives the van with her sister. She started training two days ago, so canceling was out of the question for her.
Photo: Judith Midinet-Horst
Instead of two fryers, she has only one working that day. Otherwise, she’s excited about the Pyramid Market: “I like going to the market and I’m happy to be here,” she says.
“We die,” says Sami Madani and laughs, “but ducks feel comfortable by the water.” In front of the water features, the Friends of Round Table 46 Karlsruhe is selling tickets for the 15th Karlsruhe Duck Race on July 24 on the Alba between Europabad and Kühler Krug. If the temperatures are anything like this weekend, we can only hope that, unlike the market square in Alba, there will be at least a light breeze.