This is Sonya’s photo prompt for this week’s Three Line Tales challenge.
The gorgeous photo is ©Erol Ahmed
She hung back, letting the group wander ahead behind the guide, gazing at the tempting displays of the market stalls. “Just one?” She held up a lemon, smelling of sunshine, a tuft of bright, hard leaves still clinging.
He turned, impatiently, one eye on the guide, not wanting to get left behind in the swirling foreign crowd and sighed heavily in exasperation. “What for? They have a ton of those in the bar.”
It was her turn to sigh, as she thought of lemon groves, blue sea and quiet.
I can relate to this – such a wonderful tale
Some people shouldn’t be allowed off their cruise ships 🙂
Especially if their kids are still aboard!
The kids are probably having a better time in the bouncy castle…
I can’t blame her… sounds like a stressful holiday. I hope she’ll find a lemon grove, the sea and quiet.
I love ‘a lemon, smelling of sunshine’ – makes me want to put a bowl of lemons in a sunny place for them to fill the air with their lovely scent 🙂
Thank you Sonya 🙂 I don’t see the point of this kind of holiday, but thousands do. She just hooked up with someone who enjoys following the leader.
I love this – such a lovely juxtaposition. Rooting for the sunshine smells to win out for her!
Thank you! I think she should jump ship.
Haha! YES, definitely! 😉
Great tale, as it sets the entire scene beautifully; as such, it draws me in and puts me there standing back, looking at their interaction and shaking my head 🙂
I’m glad you like it. I think people like her companion should write to put their story over. They’re unfathomable to me, but there must be a reason behind their way of looking at things.
It makes one wonder why they don’t take life by the horns and shake it up a little…
Security probably. They don’t want to have to decide for themselves what they’d like to do.
I like lemon as it is and your story reminded me why.
I’m glad 🙂 We use a lot of lemons and keep a bowl filled up with them.
Great story–I can smell those lemons!
I don’t have your disdain for tours, but he seems particularly unimaginative (and unpleasant).
I shouldn’t be so judgemental. I don’t like tours and would never want to have some one telling me what to look at and interpreting everything for me, but some people like the camaraderie I suppose.
I think for many people, it’s also a question of not being experienced travelers. I wouldn’t enjoy THAT tour though. 😉
I live near the main market and we get bus loads of tourists brought through to prod at the produce and generally get in the way. They follow a woman who holds up a stick with a big red bat thing at the end. It always makes me think of one of the religious processions we were forced into when I was little.
Haha. Now I’m picturing a scene with the woman tour guide wearing one of those cardinal’s hats (what is that called?) and robes, but carrying a big, red bat thing. 🙂
You’d be not far wrong 🙂 Except for the hat.
Maybe she’d wear it if she had it. 🙂
Depending on the tour, they might make her wear a Viking helmet with horns 🙂
Oh yes!
I wouldn’t want to be rushed through somewhere, either. I like to take my time to enjoy what I’m seeing/feeling. 🙂
I can’t see the point of just ‘looking’. You can do that leafing through a book of photos. To experience a place you have to get into it altogether. I wonder if the people on these tours feel a sense of frustration afterwards?
I hate to be rushed when I am enjoying myself. I probably would have had more to say than a sigh.
You’d have chucked the lemon at him maybe? I think I would 🙂
Dump that guy….
🙂 I’m waiting to hear from someone who thinks he should have dumped her.
I like your lines Jane they are very thoughtful. It made me think of how much better it is to get these lemons fresh, then in a bar/restaurant. Apparently, one of the dirtiest things in a bar/restaurant are the skins of the lemons and limes. So, I think it better to buy your own so you can wash them — and never put the slice of lemon/lime in your water/drink at the bar/restaurant, always squeeze the juice in and leave the skin out.
I don’t think you can ever use the zest of a lemon these days. It’s the pesticides that get you, not the hygiene. Workers in lemon orchards have to wear protective gear…
Good point Jane. I didn’t even think of that 😮
It’s a shame, but you have to peel all fruit now.
She needs to ditch the tour! I feel like my story is a little related to yours- told from the market stall holders perspective! 🙂
She needs to get a new life! I’ll read yours now 🙂
If only there was a travel agent that could arrange it..😁
No doubt she could find several who would claim to be able to. Travel agents, aren’t they rather like estate agents?
Haha yes! Anything can be arranged to madame’s liking…just hand over your credit card and sign here, here and here…haha
How cynical can we get?
Haha very it seems 🙂