"Back to the brocante, it feels like Christmas." I beamed and French Husband rolled his eyes like only a French person can do: Which means, they don't roll their eyes but you know they are 'cause you feel their eyes giving you that look.
The bookstore was musty in a good way. You know that old, not open, dusty, lip-licking wonderful feeling sort of way that means: There is something good hiding here.
I asked the man behind the counter, sitting next to a pile of smoked cigarettes, if he had any old maps of Paris. He rubbed his stubby chin, pushed his glasses up, and pointing to the back, "Over there to the left on the bottom shelf."
I grabbed French Husband's arm like we were going on a cruise to the South Pacific. "Oh baby-baby we are gonna find gold I can feel it." He laughed, "You and your brocante, should I be jealous?"
Under a pile of books and magazines, plus a few missing pages floating around like big skinny dust bunnies I found a few maps of Paris, most were not that old, or interesting as far as graphic design goes. Until I found a thin large booklet with pages neatly folded inside. I looked up at French Husband as if to say, "Bingo!" He knelt down to get a closer look, "Looks like your found your Christmas present under a stranger's tree."
We layed it out to be sure none of the pages were missing, only to discover that it was larger than we imagined. No wall in our house is that bare or large. French Husband thought I would be disappointed. I had to remind him that I do sell antiques. I keep less than what I buy remember? He gave me that look that allowed me to stick out my tongue at him.
The center pages depict the details of Paris in 1710.
This map is not as common to find as Turgot's Map, though equally interesting.
It was reproduce in the 1900s from the original.
Good enough considering the older one would be nearly impossible to find and far more costly.
French Husband offered his two cents, "You should make copies of it, and do not glue it to the wall like you did the other map."
Good advice, I am not going to glue it to the wall.
I
The Louvre the way it was. Imagine Paris back then.
1710
Detail of Paris 1710.
The man behind the counter blew his last intake out by the side of his mouth, "Looks like you found something to take home."
"Hope so. Depends on the price." I shrugged.
"How much you want to pay?" He toyed.
I wanted to roll my eyes, but instead said, "Oh I really don't like it when the first question is that one." I sighed.
And so it began in the game of brocanting. My favorite part after finding something, hearing the story behind it, buying it, taking it home... the negotiating.
Though French Husband would say, "This is were you do what you do best, the wheeling dealing."
The truth in the matter is negotiating on one thing is never as easy as negotiating on a number of things. So I asked, "Do you have any other maps similar to this one?" And he did.
Needless to say, I bought some old maps of Paris.
Being back to the brocante feels good.
My online brocante shop is open.
