One sees many signs & advertisements for businesses both large & small. There are of course the realestate adverts which one finds regularly on buildings & in windows.
Then there are all the shop windows, the pâtissières & the boulangeries & all of the many others local enterprises. I do love shop windows but even more I love the petits commerçants or the small businesses one finds right in French homes.
For example I love the stone in this window holding the affichés or flyers advertising a chambre de hôte within.
Or this tiny sign painted in a window in beautiful traditional French script. The meaning is a play on words for the French phrase méli-mélo which means hodgepodge or jumble. On certain days of the week the owner opens her door & welcomes visitors to her small shop in the front room of her home. And you guessed it, she offers her customers a hodgepodge of merchandise, some antiques & some gently used items as well as a wonderful mismatched collection of old linens & lace.
There is also this window where a gentleman sells chickens, rabbits & ducks as well as the occasional bouquet of flowers from his home.
You might wonder about the photo below since there is no sign to indicate a bussness. This is where I went with my French friend on Saturday to buy eggs. No there is no sign, you simply need to know the farmer. You unlatch the door & enter with your recycled egg cartons & there on an old enamel table are eggs for the taking. You get the number that you need & leave your payment in a cash drawer in the table.
We didn't see anyone but the beautifully plumed chickens roaming about & the sound of a rooster crowing in the background. That for me was the most magical way to go shopping for eggs.
If this seems like a dream to you head over to Paulita's
to see what other Francophiles have to say.
What a wonderful sense of place you get with these photos. So much detail that so many of us would miss. I especially like the story about buying eggs.
ReplyDeleteTruly magical and I wish I could buy my eggs the same way:) Kisses
ReplyDeleteSally, I agree that your pictures are magical. Like you're taking pictures in a fairy tale. Thanks for sharing. And thanks for playing along with Dreaming of France. Here’s my Dreaming of France meme
ReplyDeleteGorgeous!! xoxo
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ReplyDeleteLove these beautiful advertisements. Oh my. In France, they even do ads in a gently magical way.
ReplyDeleteHere's my Dreaming of France post.
Wow -- these spots are beautiful. I love how you can visit and get your eggs and leave payment behind and how people have small businesses in the home with simple alerts on the window. Lovely, Sally.
ReplyDeleteYou've captured that special something as usual! I will feel positively cheated the next time I pick up a dozen eggs, even if they are free range from Whole Foods. It just ain't the same!
ReplyDeleteThose photos you have captured are like something in fairy tales. So charming! Especially the third one and the last one are my favorite (*^_^*)！
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