A couple of weeks ago I spent a glorious couple of hours with my husband taking in the sights, sounds and scents of the Shola market in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The market is not the largest in Addis Ababa (the sprawling Mercato takes that honour) but is full of clay earthenware, traditional textiles and spices. We toured the market with the excellent Addis Eats and my husband even found time on the tour to play table-tennis against some of the locals! Here are some snaps from the market:

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Markets are always wonderful places to explore when travelling. Here people meet, sell, trade and gossip – a perfect place for people-watching!

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Nicknamed ‘King Solomon’ his marketplace shop sells just about everything… and a lot of coffee!

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The Shola markets is full of spices.

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Colourful crafts!

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The market is not just about food… All life happens here. Rows of football tables and plenty of competition.

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Marketplace table-tennis, and some onlookers.

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Teff is used in a lot of Ethiopian food including the staple injera (type of flat bread eaten with most meals).

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The earthenware pots are delightful and a real bargain, perfect for pouring your Ethiopian coffee from when you return back home.

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