I am out truffling for a few days to see what I can find.
This morning was advertised as a brocante starting at 5am, so we spent last night in a hotel close to the venue as it was a few hours from home.
We had phoned the organiser to check the time and we rose quietly at 4.30 and crept out of our room into the icy morning.
Arriving at the venue there was not a car to be seen and the building was in darkness.
At 5.10 a sole figure appeared, turned on the lights and then opened the doors.
Then nothing...rien...nada..zilch. We remained in the car with the heater running and only at about 6ish did a few sellers start trickling in.
We decided it may be warmer inside so walked around aimlessly in the very empty hall as a few early sellers started to carry their boxes in.
Slowly they laid out their neatly ironed table covers and unpacked even slower. More buyers came through the doors and it was clear there were going to be more buyers than sellers.
One set of Countesses buttons with crowns in my pocket and then a long long wait.
A couple more stands slowly unravelled and a 19th century dog collar, some ticking, lace and a pair of divine trousseau sheets added to the haul.
Feeling slightly better about things I wandered over to an old lady unpacking jewellery at snail pace.
I stood along with another lady shoulder to shoulder in front of her table watching her treasures emerge from newspaper bundles. All very civilised and calm as we three ladies chatted away and as the seller unpacked, we politely looked at the wares allowing each other to reach " gently" for what caught our eye.
Suddenly a man pushed his way between myself and the other lady so roughly that he knocked the other lady aside. I am not such an easy pushover so adjusted my stance and stood rigid as he tried in vain to push me out of the way of the boxes being unpacked. I held my arms rigid and refused to be rocked as he grabbed and held the paper bundles even before the old lady had unravelled them.
He tried to grab for a jewellery casket already in my pile but I kept my arms still rigid and he couldn`t get his hands on it.
And then he made a fatal error. He had heard me talking to Mark in English and thought I did not speak French. As he tried again to push me aside again he muttered " Madam there is no need to push".
That was it, I let him have it and wiped the floor with him. A real verbal bashing in my best French and the place ( as it was so empty) fell silent. I remember harping on about him having no manners and if he has to be so cut throat he should have been a pirate!
He would not look me in the eye and simply ambled away. I glanced after him but there was no wooden leg or parrot on his shoulder.
There are enough treasures in France for everyone and if you can`t enjoy what is a wonderful trade then you should go do a 9 to five job.
Don`t mess with me when I have got up at 4 for a brocantless brocante!!
Needless to say this all caused much merriment with the friends we knew as the coffee stand finally opened and we finally got a hot drink.
Looking at the small haul I am really happy and even if there had been nothing to buy that`s the way it goes sometimes no need to get upset!!
A batch of gorgeous period jewellery, a hand written poetry book, a batch of boudoir prints, thimbles, buttons, lace, textiles and some scrumptious silk threads.
I am on the road for a few days now and have just received a text from a friend asking how the "mooching" is going!!
Mooching and truffling shall be resumed tomorrow!!
Have a great weekend mes belles
xxxx
