Vide Grenier

This weekend our neighborhood hosted its annual Vide Grenier, which basically translates as “empty the attic,” otherwise known as “yard sale,” or for the city folks like us, “stoop sale.” Anyone could participate and hundreds did. About 4 blocks along both sides of the street and the perimeter along half of the Parc de Batignolles was filled with people selling their junk, which others of course, love to buy. Dishes, jewelry, jackets and clothes that look like they haven’t been worn in decades, baby toys, lamps, loads of books, records and magazines and the random knick-knacks such as wooden French flag posts that you know you don’t need but somehow decide are essential in the study. Normally I love going to flea markets or the country brocant, but I was a bit tired on Sunday from a long night of red wine and whiskey in the Marais. However, M loves these things so I downed my coffee and we headed out. Once you get into the jostling rhythm of bodies and get your focus, hours seem to fly by like you are at the movies. We went out for about 2 hours, broke for lunch and a run by the atm as M found an outrageous deal on a professional camera, lens and case, and then we went back in for another round. I had to back out after about 1 ½ hours but M continued for more. We came out with some great, non-essential items like my new green, resin ring, a magazine rack, 6 new glasses, a 1970s blue ceramic vase and way too many books, including one titled “So you want to change your life,” which presumably was not helpful since it was being sold for 20 cents but we’ll see what we can make of it.