I enjoy a bit of retail therapy from time to time, there’s no doubt, with shoes holding a particular fascination, but spending hours aimlessly ambling around a big, brightly lit and noisy shopping centre, trying to find the elusive something that I don’t even want or need, holds no appeal at all. Conversely though, I absolutely love poking about looking for something with a bit of history to it and, luckily for me, the French are absolutely top notch when it comes to recycling. Browsing in small, dusty second hand shops, brocantes or markets has become a bit of an obsession, particularly with the incentive of a little French house now to decorate! I’ve mentioned before that we’ve visited the Depot Vente in nearby Lussac, with great success and this holiday we’ve taken a quick trip there again…’just for a little look’ 😊 (jette un coup d’œil)

Of course I found something, that was always a given, but as the prices are so cheap, our bank balance was hardly effected. We now have some lovely blue and white side plates, (6 for €1!!!), 2 stools to use as side tables in our 2nd bedroom (€6 each), 3 pictures for the walls (€5 each) a copper urn (€6) and a heavy copper pot (€10) for our kindling. Total spend = €38 ($60AUD), now that’s what I call a great day out!

Some months ago, I happened upon on buy/sell French marketplace on Facebook and periodically checked in to see what was on offer. The prices are fabulous, but I didn’t think it would be something I would use, not until I spied a lovely woollen floor rug, then another, a vintage chest of drawers, and a chandelier. And yes, I did buy everything and they look fab in our little house, it now feels much more homely. But the best result for me, has been meeting Tracey and Jonathon, the sellers of the above mentioned items, who are originally from England, but have now been living in France for 18months in a little hamlet, only 30 minutes from Montmorillon. They decided to take the plunge to leave their secure jobs in England, to buy a small holding in an absolutely beautiful setting. The marketplace business is growing, but their main priority is for the care of abused and/or abandoned animals. They love where they are and what they do and it is infectious. On a frosty, but sunny morning, we drove through stunning countryside to have a coffee with them.  We met Daisy and Dolly ( donkeys) who were saved from a trip to the abattoir, plus numerous dogs and cats, each with their own story and quirky personality.  One little dog had been so badly treated in the past that, while he did say a quick hello, he then spent the rest of the time on the couch, with his nose buried under a cushion. It was his ‘safe’ space, a security blanket, if you will. It’s a testament to the care that Tracey and Jonathon have given him, that he allowed us to pat him at all. We’d taken a huge bag of carrots to feed the donkeys and they were most appreciative, munching loudly and often, but we quickly realised that carrots were the food of choice for several of the dogs as well. It was first in, best dressed!

We were introduced to Kevin, one of Tracey and Jonathon’s neighbour’s, who is a sheep farmer. We had a lovely chat with him ( in French of course) and then he took us into his ‘mangeoire du moutons’, where he keeps his sheep during the winter (with heat lamps, no less!), to show us his lambs, which were only 2 weeks old. They were absolutely gorgeous. At just 21 years old, Kevin is running the farm himself, employing others to help when necessary, but is totally responsible for the care of his flock, along with the business side of the farm. That’s a big task on young shoulders, but he seemed totally unfazed by what is required, he just gets on with it. It would be difficult to find a nicer, more down to earth person.

We also met Sébastien, another neighbour in the cluster of houses in their hamlet, who was absolutely delightful, very friendly and with a great sense of humour. Someone who can put his hand to most things, we’re hoping that he will help us with a few improvements at our little house.

On the same Facebook marketplace site, I found a gorgeous console table, which I though would be just perfect for our ‘entrée’. The seller this time was Claudia, who lives approximately 1.5 hrs from us, near the little town of Moncontour. She too is just lovely, inviting us in to have a coffee with her, in their stunning ‘maison de maitre’ and we chatted for ages,  sitting in front of her fire. As a result, we’re now invited for dinner under the stars in her gorgeous garden, when we’re back in May. It’ll be fabulous and we can’t wait. And yes, the console table was exactly what our entrée required!

We’ve since been given a tip about another depot vente in Queaux, which is not far from Montmorillon at all, so we’ve definitely added that to our ‘to do’ list when we return in May, along with the numerous brocantes, which occur during the warmer weather.

New friends AND successful shopping, how lucky are we?

À bientôt