Sunday morning and a couple of hours spent browsing around a local Vide-Grenier (car boot sale) seemed like a good idea today. The only trouble is we really need to ‘do one ourselves’ rather than looking at buying more ‘junk’!   Do you know, we still have dozens of boxes of ’stuff’ unpacked in the barn from when we moved here over 5 years ago. It has to go… if we haven’t needed or used this ’stuff’ in over 5 years we obviously don’t need it.

The vide-greniers in France seem to have a better class of ‘junk’ to the car boot’s in the UK and I love the way the sellers all stop for the obligatory 2 hour lunch, out come their hampers and bottles of wine… no burger stands here I’m afraid!

Coutures vide Grenier

Coutures Vide-Grenier

Just like the one’s in the UK though you do find all sorts of unusual finds.  Today there was this Virago 135cc Motorcycle for sale -

Virago Motorbike for sale at the Vide-Grenier

No we didn’t buy it although it might be more suitable for Jeff nowadays than the Busa he’s got… lol.  Then again I wouldn’t mind something like that for around here. At least I’d be on the road again… long story and if you’re interested you can read all about it here… http://julesbike.blogspot.com/

Rusty farm tools at the Vide-Grenier

Further on we seen this collection of rusty old farming tools and instruments – I love stuff like this and really have to stop myself buying any of it.  I’m making a determined effort to be a minimalist!

Vide Grenier at Coutures

Actually we did buy something… we saw a children’s bicycle and decided to buy it – it was only 20 euros and I’m sure out gite guests children would make use of it.  You can just see it before we bought it here…

New bike at La treille

And here is it just waiting to be used back at the gites….

Visiting these vide-greniers is a great way to discover the local area and all the little villages that are tucked away here in the Dordogne.  I remember when we first came here, of only hearing of the odd 1 or 2, but now their popularity has grown and there are dozens every weekend all over France – just like in the UK.  France is also slowley catching up with the 20th century and there is even a website dedicated to vide-greniers and brocantes – see here oh, by the way, just in case you were wondering what vide-grenier means… a direct translation would be ‘empty attick’.