Went back for the last day of the Brocante Salon, hoping
that the piece I’d found and wanted on Friday was still there. It was!
I have no idea how I will get it home, but in my home, it will be. It is a Louis XVI style tapestry frame. The tapestry is now gone, the frame is
stripped down to bear wood, and it is just calling for a magnetic
chalkboard. A lovely find, indeed. I purchased a few more gifts, more linens, a chandelier
and a bracelet. Chelsea had taken a
liking to all the old silver on Saturday, but some of the sets were $800 for just
the tiny spoons, so when I saw a pretty silver plated fancy fork and spoon set
for $10 Euros, I swiped it up for her.
I bought from several of the dealers, but a lot from one
couple in particular. I had purchased a
few things from them on Saturday, and they had the tapestry frame I
wanted. They were kind and friendly and
so helpful. Her husband, who speaks a little English, was no where
around when I arrived. Speaking no
English at all, she just smiled, took my hand, and lead me to the opposite end
of the hall, to a lady who could translate for us. Kurt and Chelsea had dropped me off for the
day to do their thing, so I had packed a backpack full of supplies, prepared to
sit on a hillside and paint the lovely view from Domme. I asked, through the interpreter, if I could
leave my backpack under her table while
I shopped. Of course, she agreed. From
then on, when she’d seen me purchase something from another vendor, she’d walk
over, take it from me and put it under the table in her booth. So sweet.
Lots of “Merci’s”.
After going through each booth with a fine tooth comb, I was
back at their booth to complete my shopping.
I was down to my last $100 bill that I had taken with me that day. Her husband would quote me on each piece that
I inquired about which added up to over double what I had left. I even showed him my empty purse and said “No
more money” He asked me which pieces I wanted, to which I replied, “Hmmm, I don’t
know. I want all of them!” To my great
surprise, he thought for a second, smiled and said, “D’accord”, which means “OK”,
I said, “really?” and he said “really, Madame!”. Oh, how I love these wonderful kind French
people.
I left my things there, strapped on my backpack and hiked up
the hill to Domme. Spent the rest of the
morning browsing the little shops and with the coins I had left, I was able to
buy a coca and a croissant for lunch. I
didn’t care. Who could be anything but at peace, sitting in the perfect
weather, gently breeze blowing, having my snack and watching the vacationing
families, speaking their lovely language, going about their day. It was so crowded there that I decided not to
try to paint, so I just sat there, counted my ever mounting blessings and
thanked God for this once in a lifetime, if you’re lucky, experience. Thank you, God, thank you.
.
My favorite dealer. You can see my frame on the lower right.
One of the many views from Domme
Back at home, the three of us laid out on blankets,
listening to quiet music, soaking up the sun. The air really is different here, even
without the smell of flowers, it smells sweet and clean. Then we made a quick trip to the grocery to
pick up some needed items for dinner. It
just so happens that it is right beside McDonalds. Kurt said that sounded good and Chelsea had
really been wanting to try the McBaguette.
She chickened out at the last minute.
We sat there, like the Americans we are, eating our fast food and
fiddling with our I-phones. (they had weefee).
We even had ice cream for dessert, which I tried to pay for by swiping
my drivers license. I must be losing
it. More laughs at Mom’s expense. Came home to watch Coco before Chanel, not
realizing there were no English subtitles, so we watched Sherlock Holmes again,
instead, then turned in for the night.
Kurt and Chelsea are out and about for the day, leaving me a
day of quiet to sit outside and write or paint.
No comments:
Post a Comment