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I am sometimes asked how easy it is to find the loot I show each week. this is a very difficult question to answer: a bit like asking “how long is a piece of string?”.
This week however I can show you exactly what can be done, if you have the sticking power and the determination, even though you’re just visiting France for a short time on holiday.
We have been thrilled to meet Tricia and Allan, a delightful and most interesting couple from Charlotte, North Carolina. They stayed in our cottage for 10 days, and came here to holiday in France and to indulge their passion for brocante.
Tricia and Allan are used to travelling, they already visited France and – with a sat nav in the hire car – they were happy to find their own way around. I shared with them my best addresses, and pointed them in the right direction for the Sunday fairs and then …. they just had fun!
They had a sure eye, and it was a joy to see the pleasure they got out of their shopping sprees.
They bought for their own home; they bought to gift to friends and they bought for Allan’s outlet in the town of Charlotte. Allan sells antiques, by appointment only, if you’re passing by you can reach him here.
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So now of course, I can hear you asking the question: “but HOW are they getting all that stuff home?!!”
Well the answer is that there is no easy answer! Some goes into their baggage, some into excess baggage (ahem!), and some goes into our flat rate postal boxes, or even into some large brown boxes.
Let’s just say that Allan and Trish got to know our post office quite well! 🙂 But that’s fine too. We all have our little pleasures while on holiday. For some it maybe fancy restaurants and champagne, others may be drawn to the casino or the racecourse, and for some it is brocante fairs. C’est la vie!
We wish them a safe journey home, and thank them for being such charming guests …… as indeed visitors to our cottage do tend to be.
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26 comments
How wonderful for them – thank you for sharing their awesome loots and that cute pic of them.
How awesome to stay with you – I would love that so much.
Looks like they had a wonderful time. They did find some really great items. You answered my question just as I thought it… how will they get all this fragile loot home? Thank you for all the information. We are so excited to find our own treasures in the fall.
Sharon you are a most gracious hostess. I can see they have a excellent eye for wonderful finds!
Love the colored seltzer bottles!
xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
That sounds like an ideal vacation for your cottage guests and wow, what a great stash they bought.
Just discovered your blog (all the way from NZ). It's gorgeous. Thank you. I shall loose myself in it often!
Tricia and Allan were indeed lucky to spend 10 days in your cottage and wander through the gorgeous villages seeking Brocante. They have some lovely things to take home.
We will be forever grateful to you for telling us about flat rate postage boxes.
Anne xx
Interesting…my father lives in Charlotte, N.C. and I grew up in Kannnapolis, N.C. which is about 30 minutes away. Wow…it's a small world after all. Looks like they had a great time with lots of loot!:)
What fun they had… and what great finds Sharon… That was some aller/retours to the post office! xv
Ooohh Tricia and Allan have had a sensational time…love the pic of the loot!
I am sure they will return for more brocante loot and your warm and charming hospitality.
I linked your lovely blog today on my post you can see it here https://carlacoulson.com/links-i-love/
Carla x
What nice pieces you have found!!! We do often come to france but i must admit that i never have enough space to thake all the silly things home, that i could buy on the markets.
Enjoy your day.
Grüess pascale
Sharon: What about using (part of) a container? Do you ever do this for people? Do you have a service you recommend??? If things are too large for boxes, what do you do? I'd love to know!
We're coming over in September…AND we're staying at the Manoir de Kerledan all thanks to you! Penny has been SO helpful and we're really looking forward to it. But I'm curious as to more shipping options!
A bientôt!
It looks like your guests had a wonderful visit!
A wonderful guest loot shoot. But I am curious . . . how did they negotiate? Does one of them speak French?
Love the loot, but what about that Gibson…..he is always so composed for the camera! Adorable.
Those lucky lucky dogs! (Trish and Allen…Gibson too!)
Fabulous!Where do I find the info on your cottage?As I too would love to come for a visit!Maybe next Fall…………
Amazing! Now, why couldn't my husband think that this is the ideal way to spend his vacation? How fun! It would be a dream to stay in your cottage and spend 10 days looking for treasure! Maybe…someday! 🙂
the bird painting!!!!! Love it all!!!
I bet you meet a lot of nice people with a story to tell! I love those blue and green antique bottles in image #5. Of course, I see a bunch of things I love! You have a wonderful eye for purchasing really nice pieces!
Really small world…I live in Northwest North Carolina in the Blue Ridge
Mountains. Charlotte is about 2-2 1/2 hours from here…on a good traffic day.
I love your blog and would love to go on one of your outings. I don't often
see anything around here like I see on your blog.
Your photo's are wonderful as well. Love your house!!!
The tray would be my pick……lovely for tea time!
Yes….small world, indeed.
Of course, we live in North Carolina (about two hours from Charlotte).
Just this morning, I met some new neighbors, a couple who moved/retired here from Charlotte. They were very nice, but confused me a bit when they kept asking me markedly detailed questions concerning Obamacare and WHAT I THOUGHT OF this-or-that provision. They asked about "the French system", and I answered as best I could. To understate the matter…this isn't really the sort of questioning folks usually subject me to.
All eventually became clear when the wife politely said "You don't have much of an accent. How long have you been here?". I told her that I'd been here two weeks. She looked oddly surprised (we were talking about different "here"s). I added that I had a very marked accent if I was around folks who also did, or my family. She said "Does your family get to come to America often?"
I told her that I not only didn't have "much of an accent", but that I didn't, in fact, have any French accent at all, anywhere (that would be a bit too affected, even by my standards), and that I wasn't the French doctor she'd heard had moved-in.
To her credit, she managed not to look too thoroughly disappointed.
Small world, indeed….
—-david terry
http://www.davidterryart.com
P.S. It just occurred to me (three hours later) that the irony of the previous posting would be disorientingly absent if your readers didn't know (as you do) that I'm just a regular fellow from the mountains of East Tennessee, whereas my partner is an internationally renowned (google him, and you get 4736 results…last time I looked)Genu-winely French epidemiologist…..and, rather obviously, this is an extremely small town in which folks trade information/(gossip) the moment one of the oldest houses has just been bought by someone they don't know.
That said?….I have no idea why anyone, even from Charlotte, would assume that I was a French epidemiologist. When I met these neighbors, my youngest terrier had escaped the fence, gone into their enormous property, and I was wearing the Harley-Davidson t-shirt (inherited from my younger brother) I wear when cleaning house and hauling brush.
Amusedly as ever, and thanks for the predictably fun posting
—-david terry
Wow…..that truly looks like heaven on earth, Sharon! lol! I never find anything THAT good at markets in the U.S! Their finds are just amazing and I can only imagine what a wonderful time they had staying with you and shopping! 🙂
xoxo laurie
Hi Sharon – I wanted to let you know that I tried your cheese souffle recipe today and it was excellent and so easy. I just wanted to let you know I shared it on my blog – I hope you don't mind. J
What fun. Looks like they found lots of goodies.
Karen