Highs and Lows in La Rochelle

A couple of weeks back it was a beautiful sunny day so we decided to visit La Rochelle for a look around an antique market near the port.

It was a small professional market but I still managed to find a handful of interesting 'trucs' for my online Etsy Shop including this sweet little oil lamp and silk covered chocolate box.

Please click this link to view

Please click this link to view

Feeling chilled out and happy I decided on the way back to the van to surprise my husband, Spike, by suggesting a go on the big wheel.  Admittedly my previous experiences involving heights have not been altogether successful but I thought I should face my fears and enjoy the ride.

Having dropped off our buys we headed back towards the wheel and I was still resolved to give it a go - how bad could it be?

I'm told the view up there was amazing but by the time we hit 9 o'clock on the wheel my eyes were firmly shut and I was clinging to the pole in the middle of our car as if my life depended on it.  It wasn't until Spike told me we were near the ground again that I dared take another peek.  

On passing the man on the controls I called out to him to ask how many more times and to my horror I had to endure another two full turns.  It seems that reason and logic wasn't enough to conquer my fears but at least Spike took some amazing photos which in the circumstances (me screaming at him not to rock the car, frozen with fear and panicking generally) I'd say he did pretty well.  

He was also kind enough not to take any photos of me as I waited for my ordeal to end...although about 20 years ago on a very similar big wheel in Lille with someone (you know who you are... Mother!!!) I cannot say the same (luckily we didn't have digital cameras then so I have hidden the evidence). 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pics over the beautiful town of La Rochelle...

As I shakily wobbled back to the van Spike suggested that I scrap 'going up in an air balloon' from my bucket list and the thought of finding myself curled up in a ball at the bottom of the basket in front of complete strangers is perhaps an experience I could live without.  My new mantra for life at the moment is 'know your limits'. 

Paris - La Deuxième Partie

As promised last week here is part two of our recent trip to Paris.  

"I want to step out down the Champs-Elysées from the Arc de Triomphe...

Me risking life and limb to get a picture
of the Arc de Triomphe in the background

to the Petit Palais - that's for me... Bonjour Paris!" 

The Petit Palais

Sorry about that - I feel much better now! Do feel free to click on the link for the original (and some may argue superior) version of this famous song from one of my favourite Audrey Hepburn films 'Funny Face'.

We were very lucky that there was a brocante being held right in the centre of Paris on the day of our 10th wedding anniversary.  It was situated in picturesque surroundings along the Seine under the Pont Alexandre III and although most of the trucs were well out of our price range it was so refreshing to see some genuinely beautiful antiques.

This obviously unimpressed lion (well he is a Parisian) begrudgingly pointed us in the right direction...

et voila! a perfect scene of a charming little brocante market in Paris complete with a stunning view the Eiffel Tower in the background.

I was determined to buy something so after sifting through the wares of numerous stalls I did eventually invest in a a little sugar sifter and berry spoon with beautiful Paris Metro style Art Nouveau detailing on them and...

as modelled by my lovely vintage mannequin (also from Paris but bought locally) - a hat (I can't resist a good hat and this one spoke to me!)

My lovely Girard of Paris mannequin

After the brocante we set off over the bridge with the intention of catching a train from Les Invalides to Notre Dame Cathedral but unfortunately the trains weren't running that day so we had to walk.

Because it was just a day trip with the need to get home to the host of animals we have in order to feed them that evening (especially our beagle Oscar who has been known to get an attack of the vapours if his dinner is late) it was more of a schlep than a gentle stroll along the Seine but eventually we reached the Latin Quarter and headed through the narrow streets to our pre-booked lunch destination opposite the Jardin du Luxenbourg. 

I was a little disappointed with the Latin Quarter because I had romantic notions of it being like a 1950's Hollywood film - home of poets and beret wearing beatniks - but it has become a bit of a cheap and nasty tourist trap full of people like me looking for the beret wearing beatniks that no longer exist (either that or they've all found an alternative bohemian quarter of Paris that's not so crowded).  

Once we reached the Bistrot Au Petit Suisse we were back into a quarter of Paris that had some real charm.  We had decided on simple lunch because we were pushed for time and I had set my heart on trying the traditional home-made onion soup.

The Bistrot Au Petit Suisse (Spike is half Swiss so it seemed a fitting choice)

The interior of the bistrot was bijou and wonderfully authentic and the atmosphere revived me after stress of dodging through the busy streets of the Latin Quarter.  It also revived my desire to launch a one woman campaign to bring back anaglypta wallpaper (I have controversial plans to paper the ceiling of my future bistrot style kitchen with it).    

Spike and me on the mezzanine as I strive to capture the wonders of
anaglypta wallpaper in all it's bumpy glory

We had booked a little table for two on the mezzanine which was away from the bustle downstairs and charmingly intimate (although I wouldn't recommend it to anyone over 6ft).  

The onion soup didn't disappoint although any thoughts of having a light healthy meal went out of the window when I found myself digging through a large layer of melted cheese to find it (not complaining though v. yummy).

My cheese and onion soup

Continuing the theme of enjoying a low fat healthy meal I perused the dessert cabinet from my mezzanine seat and decided on...

My view of the dessert cabinet

the most enormous crème brûlée I have ever had the pleasure of eating. It was home-made and delicious but probably didn't do my waistline any good so it was fortuitous that the train wasn't running that day and we had been forced into such a long hurried walk. 

The photo doesn't really show the scale of the crème brûlée

After lunch we waddled across the road to the Jardin du Luxembourg to see the famous Medici Fountain.  A beautiful fountain that's very hard to photograph because it was so crowded with tourists (like ourselves).  We would like to go back to see it out of high season because like many beautiful destinations it has become a victim of it's own success (I don't like sharing).

My best shot of the Medici Fountain without
other camera toting visitors in it

We passed a super formal pond where children could hire little yachts with sails that depicted the flag of their country of origin. It was wonderful to see the utterly timeless scene of children running around the perimeter of the pond with sticks to push their yachts away from the edge. I'd never actually seen first hand pond yachts in action and was surprised how quick they were when the sails caught the wind.

The charming yacht pond

We then whizzed past the Palais du Luxembourg...

and the beautiful Orangerie

before heading off past the Eglise St. Sulpice to the metro that took us back to Gare Montparnasse and home. 

The Elgise St. Sulpice

Visiting Paris was a wonderful way of celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary and has made us determined to find some animal sitters next time so that we can stay overnight and avoid the clock watching we experienced because we had a train to catch (you'll be releaved to hear that we were home in time for dinner so we didn't have to break out the smelling salts to revive Oscar).  

I still have four tickets for the metro left to use (due the the cancelled train) and with any luck we will be back in the autumn for another, slightly longer and hopefully less crowded visit.  Although I was sad to say au revoir to Paris it was heavenly after such a hectic day to be back home and say rebonjour to Cognac.

The Trials of Le Chineur

Well it's that time of year when every weekend there are so many brocante markets to choose from that it can be a bit hit and miss but even so we do somehow usually manage to find a few eclectic trucs to stock my Etsy shop.

A lovely set of vintage French fairytale books took my eye recently

The brocantes are often mixed with vide greniers (a kind of car boot sale) which tend to have fairly modern bits that local people want to get rid of.  It is rare to find a treasure amongst these things but when you do they are invariably cheap.  

I paid more than I wanted to for this gorgeous enamel jug but it looks
great in my bedroom and it was an excuse to buy some pretty flowers 

Having spent a couple of years getting up at the crack of dawn to set up a brocante stall myself I can understand that the professional dealers are there to make a profit but unfortunately this often leaves too small a margin for me.  

This tactile copper ladle was a happy find from a private seller

To get around the flea markets without wasting too much time Spike and myself use the code "P.O.P." when we want to tell each other that there is nothing worth looking at on a particular stall. These initials represent the phrase 'pile of poop' which could potentially offend English speaking dealers so it's best to be cautious and to remember to always use the code.

A dealer sold this wine funnel/strainer to me with a couple of
other bits - all I need now is the vintage wine to go with it!

It may sound crazy but sometimes I feel quite low after a couple of hours or looking at other people's junk.  The amount of broken bits of plastic tat that we find piled up on an ever increasing amount of the stalls is enough to make you want to weep and shout up to the sky "WHYYYYYYYYY!" (if you must do this don't forget to flail your arms about for dramatic effect).

An English lady was packing up and moving to Spain so I picked up this
cute little Limoges coffee set just when I was about to give up and go home

It's when we have had a run of bad shopping expeditions (can you tell we've had a few lately?) that it's important to remember to treat these excursions as a pleasant trip out and to get over ourselves.

There is so much to enjoy at these flea markets aside from the buying not least the banter with the stall holders, the pretty country car trips to engaging destinations and the fact that we regularly bump into friends.

Only a couple of weeks back we enjoyed a chat with this charming old man who was sharpening knives on his fascinating vintage contraption.

To borrow a well worn phrase (or a rough estimation of it) - I must try to remember that it's not the destination that's important but the journey (but I won't lie it's always better if you can pick up a few interesting trucs on the way!)

Instruments of Torture!

Well now that I've grabbed your attention I wanted to share with you my love of beautiful vintage technical instruments especially having found a couple of super examples at a brocante in the small village of Fontenet, just down the road from us.  

I have always been impressed by the beautiful craftsmanship that went into the making of tools and vintage scientific instruments  and anyone who has frequented auctions or flea markets will no doubt have stumbled across various enigmatic objects made from lacquered brass, often housed in a precision made wooden case. 

Last Sunday I found one of the most common trucs of this sort, a barometer.  But what attracted me particularly to this example was the fact that it had been made with a chrome case the shape and size of a traditional alarm clock.  I was particularly pleased that you could clearly see all the coils and inner workings of the barometer with the added bonus of a lovely bevelled glass over the face.  I know that the case is slightly pitted but to me it adds to the vintage and slightly industrial feel of the piece.  

I love this little barometer and if you do to you can find it on my Etsy Shop

OK so it's not really an instrument of torture unless you are the unfortunate partner of someone that cannot pass a barometer without tapping the glass.

Another find that myself and Spike both loved was an old clockwork Bakelite timer that would at one time have sat on a bar to time people using the telephone. Having an old vintage phone ourselves we thought it would be fun to put them together in the hope that one day we will find an external bell to make the set complete (don't ask... or if you are curious see my post entitled 'Ring Telephone Ring').   

Known as a minuteur téléphonique in France this is a super little truc

This wonderful contraption is still in perfect working order and we have already thought of how we can use it to annoy our teenage niece and nephew when they come to stay. The obvious use of course is to time their inevitable endless telephone calls back to England but we also came up with the idea of timing their showers because they do have the habit of using up all the hot water in the house (especially my nephew).  

Luckily for me I'm almost positive that they don't read my blog as the ramblings of their middle aged Auntie is not likely to be their kind of truc.  

On the quiet though I thought I might also use it on Spike for various 'time and motion studies' as he is often to be found gazing out into the distance when on a simple quick errand (thank goodness we're moving to town where there are no scenic views of the countryside to distract him!) 

The final little find was from a market we visited a couple of months back and is a lovely little brass compass that we bought quite well and congratulated ourselves on endlessly as we smugly continued our shop.  As with all things 'all that glisters is not gold' and it turned out to be a very well made reproduction from India.  

I love this little truc in spite of it being a reproduction

We were disappointed at first but on the positive side we have not only learned something valuable (which is par for the course in my trade) but because it is so pretty we have decided to keep it as a decorative piece and as a reminder that if something seems too good to be true it usually is.  

So next time you come across an old spirit level, brass telescope or pair of binoculars please give them a second look as you will really see some excellent craftsmanship worthy of closer inspection and your admiration.

Antiquing in the Charentais Town of Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire

Last weekend there were a multitude of flea markets and antique fairs to choose from in our area.  However we've recently been stumbling across the same old stalls with the same old stock so we decided to visit a fair a little further afield for a change.

The sun was shining so we thought we would make a day of it and visit the large brocante at Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire then wander around the town itself to see if we could find somewhere for lunch (hooray!)

We arrived at the fair at around 11 o'clock and quickly realised that it would be a shopping trip of two halves.  The sun was relentlessly scorching, the brocante was big and we immediately knew that we had stumbled across a gem.  It was so refreshing to see some real antique stalls mixed in with the more affordable stalls set up by locals clearing their attics (vide greniers).  This meant that there was an eclectic mix of trucs in all price ranges.

A hot sunny day for the brocante at Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire

After about an hour or so of schlepping around in the heat we rushed back to the car with the first haul of goodies (sugar tongs, cheese dome, among other things) and then set off for centre ville to find a restaurant. We eventually found somewhere and I chose a lovely fresh salad followed by delicious îles flottantes (for those of you unfortunate enough to have never experienced this iconic French dessert it is basically Italian meringues floating on runny custard... heaven!)

Unfortunately my dessert completely wiped out my slimming salad so it seemed a good idea to have a brisk walk around the town.  Being a Sunday it was very quiet but it's faded elegance made the experience charming all the same.  

L'église St. Mathias at Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire

A traditional French department store with lovely old writing on the exterior

After our lunchtime stroll we headed back to the brocante for some more trucs.  As usual we couldn't resist buying something for ourselves and picked up a foo dog chop seal (also known as fu dogs or fo dogs... lets call the whole thing off!) This cheeky little fella has now found a permanent home on my desk (at the moment he is guarding a lottery ticket so fingers crossed with that one!)

My lovely dog of foo chop seal - who could resist that winning smile!

Just in case my little foo dog doesn't work his magic here are some other things I picked up at the market that can now be found on my Etsy shop.

A lovely vintage cloche and plate - click to see on Etsy

An elegant absinthe spoon - click to see on Etsy

A cute little posy holder - click to see on Etsy

A stunning biscuit barrel by Christofle - click to see on Etsy

A charming little hot chocolate pot - click to see on Etsy

A lovely Art Deco trivet - click to see on Etsy

Lion paw sugar tongs - click to see on Etsy

All in all a hot, tiring day but enjoyable and very successful.  I have discovered it's definitely worth going a little further afield to find those special trucs that I will thoroughly enjoy owning - at least for a little while.  

My Rocking Chair

Sometimes things in your life just don't have a place anymore and it was with a heavy heart that last Sunday I sold my childhood rocking chair.  To many people this 1980's pine chair probably doesn't have much value but I did my best with a couple of coats of 'Pale Powder' Farrow and Ball paint to give it the face lift it deserved before sending it out into the world without me (sniff sniff).

Our slightly full car with my rocking chair strapped to the roof 

The brocante market was in our nearest town with commerce, Matha, and because we no longer have a van we decided to risk strapping the chair to the roof of the car (must buy a roof-rack) for the 3km journey.  Our old Volvo was so full by the time we had finished packing that Spike had to take his motorbike as there was no room for him on the passenger seat.

The market was set in and around the ancient feudal castle (or what's left of it) in Matha and being a local brocante it was pleasant catching up with lots of people we know.  

The ancient feudal château in Matha

Some of the stock we managed to squeeze into our poor old Volvo

As the morning passed it became clear that it wasn't going to be the most lucrative day we've ever had but when a lovely couple showed an interest in the rocking chair I was over there quick as a flash armed with my somewhat dodgy French sales patter "C'est confortable, n'est-ce pas?" or something along those lines. 

After the usual bartering we settled on a mutually agreeable price and the wife then turned to her husband and whispered to him confidentially in English "That's exactly what I wanted to pay".  

Having realised that we were all English we continued the conversation in our native tongue and I was thrilled to learn that they were going to put it in their young son's bedroom.  She absolutely loved the colour of the chair (recognising it as Farrow and Ball immediately - a woman after my own heart) and promised she would look after it.

My rocking chair... please don't look at the weedy gravel!

As I watched my chair disappearing into the crowd I did feel a bit sad but also incredibly relieved that I didn't have to drive home with it balancing precariously on the roof of the car!