Last week was a difficult week in Paris, as I am sure you all have seen.  We live in the suburbs of Paris and we were not directly affected by any of the violence.  It is still very difficult to see our home in so much pain.  On Friday I did head into the city for a MOPS meeting, Mothers of Preschoolers.  We meet at the American Church of Paris and when I went into the city I had to think about whether or not it was safe.  There were two security guards instead of just one outside the church itself.  The hostage situation developed on Friday, but it was on the east side of town.  The part of town I was in didn’t really look that different, but there was definitely a higher level of tension for everyone. On Saturday we had planned on going into the city so I could visit the Porte de Vanves and my family could play on a play ground.  We talked about not going in, but we decided that since all of the hostage situations had been resolved that we felt comfortable going in. The market definitely was not as busy, but there were still quite a few vendors and shoppers and it was a nice enough day.  I visited my favorite vendor first and I was well rewarded for stopping.   This whole stack of trays.  They weigh a ton and have a variety of different marks on the bottom.  I am going to have to do some research to see if I can determine their ages and origins.  The shoe forms are something I have wanted to pick up.   Then I found these coal scuttles.  Thankfully I had my rolling market bag, but they still made quite the statement as I rolled and carried them through the rest of the market.  I am so excited about this pair of square ones.  I don’t know how old they are, but they are in really good condition.     The third coal scuttle I found, another egg basket to add to my growing collection and an enamelware ladle, red of course!     I found these pink plates, there are two plates and two bowls and they have a flamingo design on them.  How fun is that?  I haven’t been able to find any information on the marks on the back yet.  The painted coffee pot is an enamelware piece that I have been looking for.  I love the hand painted design, but usually these are out of my price range.  Thankfully my patience paid off and I was able to bring these beauty home.     This plate is not my usual style, but something about the colors spoke to me.  That is what I love about markets, you never know what you are going to find and what is going to jump out at you.  When I got this home I realized I do have a growing collection in this color palette and it is fun to see these collections develop.   Another growing collection is of linens.  This large sheet has beautiful yellow embroidery along with the initials A L .  As far as I can tell it is in perfect condition.  I found this in a plastic bag sitting on a table.  The gentleman that was selling it was so engrossed in a board game his friends were playing that I had to wait several minutes to get his attention.  I love going to markets here in France and seeing how much fun they have.  Customer service is not something they worry about too much, but they still seem to do okay.     And here is the entire collection.  I was able to purchase all of this in about 2 hours of shopping.  I made one circuit through the market and all my bags were full.  My sweet husband said I could go back for more if I wanted to, but the kids were hungry and I felt satisfied with my finds for the day. The season for brocantes and markets is starting back up and I am so excited to get out there as much as possible. I am always curious what YOU would look for if you could visit a French market?   Sharing at Coastal Charm; Show and Share, The Scoop, Vintage Inspiration Party, Ivy and Elephants, Treasure Hunt Thursday, and Feathered Nest Friday.