Autumn is so many things: the Rentree, back-to-school, grape harvest, boat shows and regattas, mushroom hunting… and treasure hunting, with every village holding their annual Vide Grenier. Vide Grenier means ‘empty your attic‘ and these bric-a-brac free-for-alls are the French equivalent of a neighborhood garage sale, or ‘car boot sale’ in the UK. If you ascribe to the adage that one man’s trash is another’s treasure, then you might want to check out the following:
- Saturday, September 22: Saint-Laurent-du-Var, in the Old Town; also Peille
- Sunday, September 23: Cimiez! Nice’s ritziest neighborhood. 30 ave Cap-de-Croix, take bus 22, and the stop is Avenue Elisabeth. Also Levens, Menton…
- Saturday, September 29: Vieux Nice, at La Semuse up from Place Rossetti
- Sunday, October 7: Find out what treasures lie in the attics of Eze… Also Peillon, Vallauris, L’Escarene, La Colle sur Loup…
And so many more… click here for a list. Happy hunting!
I can vouch for the quality of stuff sold by the residents of Cimiez
I went to one in high summer this year, and bought quite a lot.