Cycling (with the lark) to the Vide Grenier

I mentioned yesterday that cycling to a Vide Grenier is always risky (what if I want to buy something bulky?) but I was determined to do it this weekend anyway! It's a challenge to buy no more than fits in a rucksack, right? Here is the rucksack in question, and this is what it weighed on my (long, hot) journey home. Shall we look at what was inside?

Firstly, a cheerful stall reminded me that I'd suggested a camp blanket badge swap to Vintage Vicki and to Josie-Mary last summer, following on from this post. Ladies, it's incredibly late, I'm sorry, but would you like to take your pick from the following if you're still interested? I've visited all these places.

Continuing the badge theme, here is quite a length of some wonderful ribbon. I want to wash and re-wind it, but I think it may end up in my blog shop...

I was in the mood to sort through stacks of crockery (I'm not, always), and when I started going through a pile of soup bowls with pink flowers on them the man on the stall asked what I was look for. 'Les roses bleues', I replied, feeling a bit stupid, because that means 'blue pinks' as well as 'blue roses'. Strangely, he seemed to know exactly what I meant, and started sorting through the stack for me:

Eeek! Totally Floss!

I nabbed these ones too, which are also quite Floss. 1€ for ten, functioning soup bowls. Into the rucksack they went (wrapped in my denim overshirt).I hadn't found any buttons this summer, so I was resolved to find some this time. No big hauls, but 50c for the cute card and 10c each for the pretty ones was a good deal - they were on two different stalls, and were both good value - it was a remarkably good value VG all round!I have a bit of trouble restraining myself from rushing at fabric covered boxes on stalls - I want to look nonchalant and it usually doesn't work. This one was in really good condition -

- they so often look like they've been holding nails in the garage for the last twenty years - and she only wanted 50c for it! Crazy! Most people want at least 2€ for the rusty, dusty ones!And now, it's just possible that, like me, you've been drawn to this cloth. It was on the stall of a professional linen dealer. These are usually Hyacinth Bucket-like ladies who are a bit precious about their over-priced goods, and I have learned to avoid their stalls for my own sanity. But something drew me back...

Oh, how well-guided I was to end the VG with this kind lady and her silent husband! No H. Bucket about her - she had her feet on the ground and was cheerful and happy to sell. 2€ for the red and white checked kitchen tablecloth (no, I'm not selling it on). 2€ for this 1940s - 50s lace and patchwork cloth (stained - will get to work on it next time the sun shines...)2€ for this bundle of fabric offcuts from the same period (in fact, from the same wardrobe, she told me...)And 2€ for this large and pristine printed tablecloth (perhaps a reproduction print, this one - I'll do some research). She had to talk me into them, but I'm really glad I did it!

In the interests of science, I'll tell you what else went into the rucksack to add to the weight. One mobile phone:One bike lock (this is not the combination, enterprising bilingual local bike thieves):One wallet that used to belong to my mum.

And why is the title 'Cycling with the lark'? It's not because I got up early - these were lunchtime bargains. It's because on the way home I chanced a shortcut down an unfinished road which seemed to lead me more directly home. (The road's unfinished because the Council and the contractors are in a row over who is going to pay for putting on the final road markings - sound familiar, anyone?) Anyway, this road did indeed run all the way to where I hoped it would, and was, of course deserted except for me, my bike, and a host of birds. A lark flew in front of me along the side of the road for a good distance.

A final opportunisitic (and wonky) shot of a happy cyclist and her finds!