Fall Brocanting Tour To France: Part 2

The girls and I had so much fun on the 2014 Fall Brocanting Tour to France: From Paris to Normandy from September 26 – October 3.  We extended our stay in Paris at the end of the tour until October 6…why not stay longer?  You can read about the first part of the tour HERE.

Here is an overview of the last 5 days we were in France.

Day 6:  It was an early start for us today as we traveled to Caen to shop my favorite warehouses for French furniture and accessories.  I could stay in these places forever!  I think our tour host had to literally drag us out of here!

This is French antique heaven for me!

After we shopped ‘til we dropped, a casual delicious dinner helped finish our evening.

Day 7:  Another busy day of brocanting with lots of stops and getting to visit a French linen mill with to-die-for authentic French linen fabric.

A highlight of the trip was a visit to Cat’s home, Rabbit Hill.  She has done an amazing job of decorating and it’s truly a study in French Country décor.  She cooked dinner for us which was delicious slow-cooked duck and we ended the meal with a fantastic homemade pear tart as we ate by candlelight.

Day 8:  As we came to an end to the actual tour, it was a road trip back into Paris for the Marche aux Puces at St Ouen.  We added a couple more “bodies” to our stash!

We had a wonderful apartment in the St. Germain area on the Left Bank with a view of a beautiful cathedral right across the street.

Day 9:  I always look forward to the Porte de Vanves flea market and this  one didn’t disappoint.

The brocante only lasts until 1:00 so we headed to the right bank to check out the très chic store, Merci.

Day 10:  It’s always fun to find a brocante you’ve never been to and that’s exactly what we did on our last day.  It was an interesting mix of items set out on a long street in the 13th arrondissment.

Our last evening was spent strolling the cobblestone streets of St. Andre des Arts and Rue de Buci.  There was a magical glow in Paris this evening as dusk settled in and the business and street lights began to burn.

It’s always hard to say good-bye but we headed home very early the next morning.  The last 2 posts have been a general overview of our tour.  I’ll be posting more in-depth about the places we visited and the wonderful pieces we bought.

Au Revoir,

Kim

Fall Brocanting Tour To France: Part 1

The 2014 Fall Brocanting Tour to France: Paris to Normandy was a huge success.  The weather was unseasonably warm and we had abundant sunshine for most of the time.  The ladies and I had lots of fun shopping and we enjoyed our time with tour hosts, Cat and Alain from Sunday Brocantes.

Here is an overview of the first 5 days of the trip. 

Day 1:  We arrived in Paris and had a lovely driving tour of the city before stopping to eat at a quaint café near the Jardin du Luxembourg.

In the afternoon, on our way to Normandie, we were lucky enough to stop at Bord de Scène,  home and shop to the charming Christelle.

See some beautiful photos of her place in this article:

http://www.e-magdeco.com/2012/04/bord-de-scene.html

 

Day 2:  We enjoyed a beautiful morning at the brocante and market in Deauville then on to the picturesque town of Honfleur for an afternoon of shopping.

Three American gals living in Paris joined us for this fun-filled day.

Day 3:  An exciting morning was spent at an outdoor “vide grenier” in a neighboring town.  It basically ran through the whole town!  There were lots of hidden treasures here.

We spent the afternoon at a French auction house and participated in the exciting auction of some awesome French antiques.  It was a privilege indeed!

Day 4:  After the excitement of the previous days, this was our “free day” to do some relaxing.  A leisurely stroll through Honfleur was the perfect choice.

We pampered ourselves by ending the day in the spa at the manior!

Day 5:  Halfway through the tour we had a very informative day of sightseeing at a grand chateau where we studied French furniture styles and periods.

We ended every evening at our lovely home away from home….a majestic Norman manior overlooking the port at Le Havre.

Stay tuned for an overview of our last 5 days of the Fall Brocanting Tour to France!

Au Revoir,

Kim