Weekend Vintage Buying Tours

Le Grand Bienvenue en Provence

Come Join Me on a Weekend Vintage Buying Tour in gorgeous south of France!

I invite you to join me in the exciting vintage treasure hunts that are so abundant over the flea market season in Provence. It is in the hidden and charming markets here that I find the treasures that I then sell to people all over the world hankering for a bit of vintage French charm.

Most weekends from April through October 2010 I will be out hunting in the cities and villages of Provence to stock my online vintage stores, and I hope you can join me in the hunt! This is my favorite part of my job and one of the best advantages of living in Provence. Naturellement, my undivided attention will be to my guests in helping to get the choicest items during your special weekend.

Relax and enjoy Provence via your passion for vintage and antiques. Spend the weekend like a “Frenchie”. This is not the regular tourist route through Provence! It is experiencing the area, comme les français, as the locals do.

You will encounter vintage shopping opportunities beyond your wildest dreams as we discover the gamut of classic French vintage sources: outdoor flea markets, village yard sales, brocantes, second hand stores, and the famous Isle sur la Sorgue.

Outside of the fleas in Paris, Isle sur la Sorgue is perhaps the most famous antique market in all of Europe and with better prices than you will find in the Paris fleas.

Find startlingly low prices at these enchanting and secret places I’ve spent years seeking out. We will be sourcing antiques at the same places antique store owners and design professionals do, saving you the margin that generally go to the industry middlemen!

I will be there to help with the language and local customs, to guide you through the maze of what these glorious markets have to offer, indicate what the pricing is for comparable items in the U.S., and to help in the bargaining to get you the best possible prices. Many of my clients have found such great bargains on these buying tours that the deals they scored paid for a good part of their trip costs.

Of course, memorable French meals, breathtaking scenery, the fairy tale villages and the friendly people of Provence will also be part of this special weekend.

And after all that hard work, a divinely relaxing Monday as a reward. Your choice of a spa treatment at the famous Thermes Sextius spa in Aix en Provence, a “re-sourcing” day by the Mediterranean (including short boat ride) at a beautiful fisherman’s village, or a cooking class in a 17th century chateau. And if you’ve already been, or are just looking for something else, I will be happy to make further suggestions for your Monday.

Itinerary

Vendredi/Friday

3:00 pm Meet in Aix en Provence for a casual tour of the city. We go to one of my best sources for buying vintage and antiques: a second hand consignment store in the middle of the old city.
Relax and freshen up before dinner in Aix (included in your tour).

Samedi/Saturday

Early morning call to get to the markets early for best selection. Today we will be shopping the outdoor markets, the village yard sales, and some brocantes.
Regional lunch in a beautiful Provençal village (included in your package).
We will shop until we drop today, so mid afternoon sustenance in the form of a glass of bubbly or a café au lait in an outdoor café will be in order.
Open nite.

Dimanche/Sunday

Isle sur la Sorgue all morning and into mid afternoon. We will have plenty of time to cover the territory.
Lunch along the river in Isle sur la Sorgue (included).
If you can be pulled away from the market town, we will visit the beautiful nearby village of Fontaine de Vaucluse.
Afternoon refreshment in a tranquil tree covered setting.
Return home for open evening.

Lundi/Monday

Your day of Provencal R&R.
Your choice of:
- a cooking class in a magnificent chateau where King Louis XIV (the sun king) was received during his travels to Provence in the 17th century. Lunch with wine, bien sur, included with your class
- a day at the seaside in beautiful Cassis. Discover a charming Mediterranean village, the surrounding natural beauty via a 45′ boat ride to the famous calanques, and gourmet cuisine over a memorable lunch
- a spa treatment at the exclusive Thermes Sextius in Aix en Provence.
(the spa and cooking class are subject to availability – best to book as far in advance as you can)
More Monday options available upon request.
850 € per person/Two person minimum
(single options available – email: Jill [at] leTrip [dot] org)

Weekend tour includes guide, ground transportation, portable market caddy, and
mentioned meals.

Does not include lodging or airfare. I will be happy to assist you in sorting out the
great lodging available in Aix en Provence.