The brocante hunt

 

Under heavenly blue skies at Simiane la Rotonde, we gathered, eyes darting and twitching to run in pursuit of our quarry...on the ground, on tables and stone walls, all manner of quirky items from the sublime to the ridiculous, from the long discarded and broken to the collectors' pieces. A mixture of oddments from local attics and artefacts brought by professional dealers. This is what a good vide-grenier in a village in Provence looks like. Take your time. Have a browse. Imagine that shabby chic farmhouse with outdoor dining terrace. What catches your eye? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The hunting season

 

Today is the opening of La Chasse - open season for hunting. Across the region there are wild boar, small animals and birds that don't know what's about to hit them. By the weekend, I can guarantee you, there will be at least one report of an innocent cyclist who has been shot by accident by over-enthusiastic amateurs who (literally) shoot anything that moves across the countryside.

 

Like many of you who love the French countryside, I am addicted to a gentler form of summer hunting: the brocantes and vide-greniers that provide a jumble of rich pickings. A sign on a wayside tree provides the same thrill of the chase as we sling the leather straps of bags across the body and stride out with purpose...(to be continued).