Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

Going to the Brocante

Forest through the trees

Sunday Morning:

Woke up not so early, that is what happens when one goes to bed far too late.

That was the first strike against going to the brocante two hours away.

Second strike came when the sky was grey outside when it was suppose to be a bright blue… Well at least in my books it was suppose to be blue.

But when one has the brocante bug biting, and one knows the bug will not be satisfied because one is going away for awhile…. Getting up late and a grey sky cannot detour the desire.

 

  Trees in fog

The Drive:

Was not promising. It had the air of a disappointing brocante day.

Though the unexpected beauty of the trees casting shadows on a foggy canvas kept us driving on in awe, and wonder.

 

Carnival horse

 

The Brocante:

When we arrived, a light rain did not stop me from getting out of the car. Vendors were packing up, I hunted at record speed. And found a toile de jouy panel that made my wet wool coat feel nice and warm.

Fifteen minute fortune so very worth the long drive and lack of sleep.

I called Sophie to see how her brocante day had gone… She was at one three hours away, though closer to her home. She said, "I arrived at six in the morning to find the brocante was replaced by a circus/carnival…. school holiday's delight."

I didn't dare say I find a toile du jouey panel. Well not yet that is.

Oh the trials of the passionate brocanteurs.

How was your weekend?

 

 

Comments

45 responses to “Going to the Brocante”

  1. Karen at Pas Grand-Chose

    What haunting photographs of the trees on a grey morning – just beautiful. So glad you were rewarded for your dedication to the brocante!

    Reply
  2. Irina

    lucky girl!! the grey sky would not stop me either 😉

    Reply
  3. Kiki

    great photography… love the mist, hate the fog!!!
    My weekend was rather on the lazy side too; weather wasn’t inviting for anything ‘to do’ outside, so had a ‘matinée grasse’ on Saturday, some hanging of pictures (had the guest room repainted, amongst other work) which went surprisingly well (meaning that all the pictures are hanging STRAIGHT….), a spot of comfort cooking and enjoying it with the Love of my Life, then playing the cello with Hero Husband at the piano, reading…. and on Sunday our ‘church programme’ – all in all a lovely weekend with no stress and much joy!
    Thank you for asking – and best wishes for a beautiful week to come!

    Reply
  4. Jenna

    A carnival, did she buy a ticket? It’s fantastic to have your efforts rewarded, I am sure Sophie is delighted for you too.

    Reply
  5. Ana

    spent my weekend wishing I was somewhere else, preferably in Provence brocanting with you even on a rainy grey day! You did find the sun though in your brocant find!

    Reply
  6. Vicki

    Came home with a car load and had a wonderful time with my friends who also have the “bug”!! No toile du jouey panel but found some fabulous french books!!!

    Reply
  7. Rhonda P.

    A bit of creating, a bit of organizing and a bit of babysitting two little boys. It was wonderful.

    Reply
  8. Everton Terrace

    I usually go to a local auction on the weekends but skipped out this week. Did stop at an estate sale but am kicking myself for not picking up a pair of silver peacock S&P shakers. Seriously I’ve been obsessing over leaving them there.

    Reply
  9. Linda P.

    Friday night, we went downtown (small town of under 10,000) with friends to the local venue to hear a violinist playing and singing Celtic music. Yesterday was a migraine day, so I read the journal of a woman homesteading in Utah from 1909-1913, struggled with Bizet’s “L’Arlesienne No. 1” on my own violin once the migraine abated a little, researched hero literature as background for a novel I’m starting, and generally whined all day that I wasn’t getting enough done. I felt better when I stopped trying to get enough done and went outside and weeded as shadows lengthened, in preparation for this spring’s herb garden. I find that when I’m obsessing about not getting enough done, I’m probably trying to cram in too much. An hour spent in the sunshine, walking and talking to neighbors or weeding in the garden, is often the perfect antidote. Oh . . . and the plot complication I was trying to unravel for my synopsis solved itself while I was weeding.
    The only thing missing was time with any of my five grandchildren, but I’ll be seeing them for several weekends in a row. You can’t turn over a calendar page in March and April without it being someone’s birthday in our extended family.

    Reply
  10. Shelley@thiswhiteshed.blogspot.com

    Great dinner, lots of red wine with friends. They slept over and we had breakfast the next morning. With deadlines piercing my thoughts at every turn, it was just the diversion that was needed. LOVE your tree shot!

    Reply
  11. Lyndee

    i was sick with Strep Throat and had to take meds and stay in to get well. Then we had a blizzard with ice and wind. Where is Spring? I have not been able to visit my husband since Thursday but I dare not give him any “bugs”. So I read and took baths and did laundry and puttered when I wasn’t sleeping. I cooked some lovely rice pudding and drank endless cups of tea. I am some better now but your weekend sounded better than mine. I look out and more snow is coming and the wind still howling. Grounded still.

    Reply
  12. Cheryl ~ Casual Cottage Chic

    Success at Long Beach Flea Market on Sunday ;-)But would prefer shopping with YOU in France!

    Reply
  13. Sharon Penney-Morrison

    I went to a Women’s Fair and saw the latest in fashion, jewelry, and handbags. Garden ideas were every where as well as new food ideas.
    Love your pictures. Wonder why I don’t take more pictures around here. There are beautiful things. I found a wonderful toile fabric last weekend at the antique store in Park City. I will post a picture on my blog.

    Reply
  14. Marilyn

    What a lovely adventure you had and a reward too. I stayed inside, but did have time for some creative adventures. This year I am trying to challenge myself artistically to make a representation of a house each month. For February it is a small glass house with a glass heart tucked inside. It definitely was a challenge, but I made it. Now onto March’s adventure in making a house.

    Reply
  15. Patt

    I had a wonderful quiet weekend. This morning not so good. I awoke to bad news. The passing of a young wonderful friend. Her light will shine on and on. My saddness will linger awhile before the reality of what rewards she will now reap in heaven. The reuniting of her little boy McQuaid. That Cancer is bad stuff. Rest in Peace Sweet Connie Marie. I will miss you dearly.

    Reply
  16. Amy Kortuem

    That photo of the tall trees in the fog is STUNNING, Corey! I can see art prints of that, framed simply, beautiful.
    We got more snow in Minnesota. 10″ more snow to be exact. I’m done with winter. I admit defeat. I’m tired. I’d wave a white flag of surrender, but you wouldn’t be able to see it from the snow that’s still falling.

    Reply
  17. Brother Mathew

    Is this the start of a brocante run? I just need to know.

    Reply
  18. Brother Mathew

    Cool pictures for a brocante post though.

    Reply
  19. carol

    What a beautiful photograph! I celebrated my father’s 86th birthday with my mother, father, and my children. So grateful to be with him for his birthday (which was on the 16th). We had beautiful weather and I was so happy that my daughter could go with my son and me. That’s a good weekend.

    Reply
  20. Rebecca from the pacific northwest

    Who’s the “we” who drove 2 hours to the brocante?
    My day included finally doing some garden cleanup (Amy in Minnesota, I feel so sorry for you!) after handing off a chair I’ve been painting for a charity auction. It was fun and frustrating and annoying and delightful to be creative and paint dots, spirals, and crazy Amish-like flowers all over that chair. Now it’s amazing to have time to do more normal things.
    Mathew: so what do you do, skip reading your sister’s blogs for a few days when it looks like she’s turning to brocante for a topic? but then you’d miss the fog/tree shots.

    Reply
  21. martina

    Dog walks, a tiny bit of weeding until the fingers felt frozen, some crafting. Trying to avoid the urge to eat junk food. Spent Mom’s birthday with her, drinking too much coffee and lots of conversation.
    Your photos really captured your day’s adventure. Will the panel go to your shop?

    Reply
  22. Kathie B

    Patt, I’m so sorry to read of the death of your young friend. Sad, sad, sad… Please do something kind for yourself today, as I’m sure she’d want you to.
    Amy, on the theory that misery loves company, please derive comfort from knowing that the latest snowstorm you endured is headed directly our way. In fact, on the latest hourly radio newscast it was announced that our region’s predicted snowfall for tomorrow has been increased. Oh, thanks so much for that 🙁
    So how did I spend MY weekend? Working my derrière off, assembling the PowerPoint display to accompany the talk (which I’ve yet to write) that I’ll be giving at the Paris conference this spring. Yes, my abstract proposal was accepted Depending on Corey’s busy schedule, I’m hoping that Farmboy Husband and I can take the train down to Provence to meet Corey and Yann, and see the area (as well as all the lovely scenery en route).
    This will be our first trip to France!!! Best of all, I was able to score a pair of non-stop flights each way online at the lowest airfare: I just about spit-sprayed all over my computer screen when a message appeared midway through the purchase process inviting me to upgrade to First/Business Class for (gulp!) a mere $3,935.50 apiece round-trip — hmmm, I wonder what that extra 50¢ is for 😉 Oh yeah, hold your breath waitin’ for a “Oui” on that one, Monsieur L’Ordinateur!

    Reply
  23. momof5

    Dinner with friends and dogs…
    Lovely jazz brunch with husband…
    Morning walk with the dogs and breakfast with dear friend…
    3 inches of new snow and ice I didn’t see…
    Now I’m reading your blog and icing a sprained shoulder and elbow.

    Reply
  24. Franca Bollo

    I think you need to introduce us to Stinky Cat.

    Reply
  25. Merisi, Vienna

    I studied. 😉
    Have you read WC Sebald? He is one of my favorite writers.
    I just read this on Gavin Plumley’s blog:
    “This summer, at the Festival d’Aix en Provence, W.G. Sebald’s Austerlitz, a novel-cum-biography of an imagined friend, will form the basis of a music theatre piece by Jérôme Combier and Pierre” Nouvel.
    http://entartetemusik.blogspot.com/2011/02/austerlitz-opera.html
    I would love to see that!

    Reply
  26. ChicagoSheila

    Picked up my husband from the airport and ate pizza at 2:00 am listening to his work in Haiti…Corey, were you trying to set a record for how many times you can use the word “brocante” in one post? Happy hunting!

    Reply
  27. JudyO

    Spent my weekend babysitting my grandson’s ages 3 and 1. Our son and daughter in law had a getaway weekend for the first time in 2 years!!! Pure bliss and total exhaustion. Now getting ready for a vacation in warmer climate away from all this snow and cold:) Corey, I know you will miss the brocante in China but there are some fantastic markets with all sorts of things. And bartering the prices is fun!

    Reply
  28. Brother Mathew

    naw, I just brace for brocante hell. I still read just with much less intrest. I always check out the pictures…even the boring floral Louie the-what-ever arm chairs and such.

    Reply
  29. Brother Mathew

    I agree. I wanna see the cat.

    Reply
  30. Alan

    When they are packing up is the best time. They don’t want to haul that stuff back.

    Reply
  31. Irina

    me too!! he’s a part of this blog now
    🙂

    Reply
  32. Kathie B

    I agree. And if you get him neutered, he won’t “stink up the joint so bad” any more, which will make all of you happier (even the cat, because he won’t get yelled at so much)!

    Reply
  33. Jane Ann

    I’m so sorry for your loss of Connie Marie. I agree that cancer is a vicious disease. We have also lost loved ones to it and others are also fighting the fight. The promise of heaven and her joy at being in peace will help the sadness. Blessings to you and her family.

    Reply
  34. Jane Ann

    I spent the time visiting my folks in Phoenix, AZ. I rained and I wore a coat everyday. It won’t be so hard to head back to the NW after all

    Reply
  35. Tongue in Cheek

    Dear Patt,
    I am sorry to hear about the death of your friend Connie Marie. My prayers are with you and her family. May you find comfort in your faith, and your memories of Connie.
    C

    Reply
  36. Tongue in Cheek

    Hi Brother Mathew,
    Yes a good fixin!
    C

    Reply
  37. Tongue in Cheek

    Happy Birthday Carol’s Dad!!

    Reply
  38. Tongue in Cheek

    lol!!!

    Reply
  39. Tongue in Cheek

    Hi Kathie
    May looks to be the month that the world comes to France!
    Three cousins of mine are planning to visit. They have planned their trips for months. I will keep you posted as where we will be.
    C

    Reply
  40. Tongue in Cheek

    I agree!
    Now to have my camera ready.
    I think I need to sleep with it, as often I see him at our bedroom window.
    C

    Reply
  41. Tongue in Cheek

    lol!!

    Reply
  42. Walker

    I worked Sunday and Monday at a Collector’s Mall.I have a small booth in the mall. I only work five days a month. I like working selling mine and others treasures large and tiny. I like the people who come into the store. Every time I work I learn so much about antiques/collectablies and people who want to buy them.

    Reply
  43. Brenda, Kindred Hearts Antiques and Gifts

    First of all, God Bless Patt! Sorry for your loss!
    Second of all, Corey! I have been waiting for another brocante trip posted here! I want to see the cat and the panel!
    Thirdly, I spent the weekend working in my shop! This is one of my favorite things, connecting with others who love antiques, but on Saturday the Mardis Gras Parade was in front of us on the highway, making it impossible for some customers to get to the shop! Oh well, we have beads!

    Reply
  44. Jean

    Do you ever sell your photos? Love the two foggy tree ones and am interested in having one that could be enlarged for framing. Jean

    Reply
  45. Sue Morris

    Patt, so very sorry to read of the passing of your dear Friend Connie Marie – hopefully her spirit is now flying free and she is at peace with no more pain.
    A hug and prayers from Western Australia.

    Reply

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