Market Square was one of the first places I spotted on Google Maps that I knew I wanted to visit,…read morewhenever I would end up finally making the trek to Victoria: an enclosed, hidden marketplace filled with all manner of shops and restaurants, stacked like layers of a cake, with a hollowed interior boasting a public plaza where live music and events are hosted, as well as pop-up vendors, and cordoned-off outdoor dining for Whistle Buoy. It looked like *the* place to visit in Victoria; at least, from a satellite's point of view. Unfortunately, the reality was a little different.
We came across Market Square the first time after nightfall on a Saturday, when just about all of the shops were closed; only the aforementioned Whistle Buoy appeared to be open (and was actually bustling, either at or near capacity, even outside in the plaza). I desperately wanted to see Market Square, even if it was just a walkthrough past shuttered windows and locked doors. We spent a few minutes taking in the sights, then headed on to our other destination.
The second time we stopped in was the following Sunday morning, after its listed opening time of 11am, only to find that, even though most of the shops were open, there still wasn't a whole lot going on here. It wasn't the packed, buzzing community hub that I had hoped it to be. Perhaps our timing was bad, or things had changed since I first discovered it, or maybe my impression was simply flawed from the beginning, but I still wanted it to be more than it appeared to be. Maybe it was, once. Maybe it still is. Maybe it will be again?
For as pontificatingly whiny as this review may sound, I still enjoyed my time at Market Square. Perhaps during our next visit, we'll be able to stick around longer, grab a bite to eat, explore the complex more thoroughly (I am *sure* that there are hidden doors and passages in there, somewhere!), and maybe we'll arrive during a special event that really shows off the magic of this magical masked market, because it deserves it.