A Brief Interlude

It was not the best time to be leaving the country, I had a few things happening at the house, my Palo Alto house was in contract with minor complications, and my daughter's horse, Zoe, would suddenly take a turn for the worse.  But this trip had been planned for months, and when is a good time?

I learned about this Brocante (vintage & antiques) Tour from the one blog I follow: My French Country Home.  Sharon Santoni takes gorgeous photographs and writes a refreshingly unpretentious blog.  She writes modestly of her life and observations, uses flowers from her garden to create beautiful arrangements, and shares recipes she makes for her family.  She exposes her followers to an authentic French lifestyle, lesser known places in France, and local artisans.  I should add, she's written two books, publishes a bi-monthly magazine, and curates quarterly boxes of French goods, crafts and antiques.  I don't know how she finds time to also host several tours a year--but I'm glad she does!

I began my stay at La Reserve in Giverny, an hour and a half north of Paris.  As you can see, it was lovely and comfortable for my first night.  I got a tour of the cozy, well-used kitchen.

The next day I joined my tour group for coffee at Sharon's home in Normandy.  (It was a group of eight, and we ended up being extremely compatible.  Sharon is as gracious and down-to-earth as I'd imagined.)  From there we drove to Domaine des Evis in le Perche--a 15th century fortified farm converted into a manor house--which we would call home for three nights.  We had wonderful meals, daily excursions to small towns for sightseeing, antiquing, and visited an artist's home and studio.  Before dinners in, we had flower arranging and cooking demonstrations.

Artist Pierre-Yves Bonnot

On the way to Paris we had an delicious lunch at a converted abbey and ruins.  (I love the way the back-lit leaves look like stained glass.)  Later that afternoon we visited an elegant tabletop boutique in Paris for a fascinating lesson in French dining etiquette--they take their meals very seriously!  Our final three tour days were spent in Paris at hotels of our choosing, in the 6th arrondissement.  I found a great hotel, in the bustling Saint-Germaine.  

Now for the event we'd all been waiting for--a 10 day brocante faire held twice a year just outside Paris--Fiore de Chatou.  It was as charming as I'd hoped, and not as overwhelming as I'd imagined.  It was mostly cash, but I found a few merchants who took credit cards and even shipped.  And there was enough English spoken to do my bargaining!  I had an additional day in Paris by myself, and returned to the fair to see the few stalls I'd missed.

I started my purchases on this trip with an Alsatian ceramic mold that proved to be heavy and awkward.  I switched gears and began looking mainly at paintings.  I bought several oils, had the heavy gold frames taken off most, and packed, carried and shipped them all home.  My other "find" was a pair of antique lanterns.  I'll have them rewired, possibly add glass, and use them in my entry. 

  

A wonderful trip.  Now, back to reality!