brocante tour season

If things have been a tad quiet here on the blog this past week, it is because we are in the brocante tour season.   Last week I hosted a group of lovely guests and toured them around normandy, staying in chateaux, buying brocante, and discovering this corner of France.

This week I’m with a smaller group for my new Luxury and Antiques tour, during which, as well as buying brocante treasure, we also have a lesson in floral art from top Paris florist Clarisse Beraud; we take a class in French cooking; enjoy private visit to chateau potager and antique dealers homes, and as the cherry on the cake, we take a class in jewellry design with the Van Cleef and Arpel School.

These tours are both timed to include a day at the Chatou antique fair, which will always be my favourite.  This year is no exception, a fantastic mix of  dealers and many different styles of furniture and artwork to be found.   This alcove caught my eye on the stand of Comptoir Yamaska Nord

Of course I enjoy every event included in the tours, and I love to show people the countryside, and favorite spots in Paris.  But above all perhaps, is the delight in spending time with interesting clients from different walks of life and from all around the globe, brought together by a common love of antiques and all things French.

Some people travel with a friend or partner, but for many clients it is an opportunity to travel alone and feel safe and confident that everything will go smoothly, and that the daily details and logistics of moving around are all taken care of.

These pictures are simply some of the shots that I have snapped this week and last, if you want to see more, then you can follow us on Instagram, where daily stories are published as well as a picture each day.

And if you’d like to join us next spring, take a look at our Provence tour, which will also combine chateau living with antiques and authentic French traditions and savoir faire.    The tour is selling fast, and we only have three places remaining!