The French brocante offers more than old things from someone's attic and more than boxes of disheveled junk. The French brocante is not just a place to find unbeatable prices for disregarded items or the chance to find an unbelievable Picasso. It is a living museum with touch-able history where you can be the digger in the archaeological site and take your finds home.
At the brocante, French Husband and I met a dealer who collects Roman artifacts. The dealer has been collecting for years; he started selling not so long ago. His stand was full of rare, intriguing pieces, plus he freely shared his knowledge and stories. I became a sponge, soaking up every word. I must have asked two thousand questions that begun with: "What is this?"
Admittedly, I usually spend most of my time at the brocante looking for things that speak in muted colored romance, old things that have more than their fair share of age, brocante items that have little monetary value but rather tell a story, depict a feeling. I guess you could say I am a sucker for worn beauty.
Uneven certainty in worn items strikes a balance with me.
Old coins, especially Roman artifacts, the dealer at the brocante told me, are often found in domains where Roman roads traversed. He mentioned that when a field has been recently toiled, bits and pieces from the past are brought to the surface. Sometimes unscathed, often showing less their age but worn nevertheless, and more often than not fragmented, slivers, shards, and broken bits.
Driving home, I looked at the fields with new insight. Battles fought, lives lost, bits and pieces, stories, memories buried within, and crops reborn.
Maybe my new hunting ground should be in recently-toiled fields.
But, knowing me I would pick flowers instead.
The brocante offers plenty without trespassing.
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