A Good Day Out In All Respects

Sonata :

Yesterday Friend and I went off to Deventer , where they have a Brocante now and then during the summer . We'd both walk over burning coals if we thought there was a bit of vintage textile loveliness at the other end !

The Saturday market was in full swing with stalls , full of gorgeous fruit



but , as it wasn't supposed to be that sort of day , we only admired . Going round town with paper bags full of soft fruit , gently turning to jam in the heat , isn't a good idea ... and I had my best jacket on .

So we wandered on , through narrow streets , full of impressive buildings ,some strangely French looking



while others in their lopsidedness could only be found here



and this is a town where it pays to look up ....a lot of the old front doors have beautifully decorated windows above them



A small Brocante this time , but some very pretty stalls , with surprisingly reasonable prices , round a big old church . We were very restrained but did acquire the odd thing , telling ourselves that we'd probably never get the chance to buy anything like that again . ( Have I mentioned that Deventer only holds five of these events a year ? Plus a giant Book Fair , quilt shows and assorted Flea markets and is pleasantly full of Antique/Curiosa shops ) .
Feeling rather hungry , we found a table in the sun , which we promptly abandoned for one with a parasol in the interests of drinking our beer cold , not boiling .The Artichoke salad was said to be delicious and my Mozarella and tomato roll had all the right trimmings . Rocket , Balsamico and a smidgeon of good pesto . A lady-like lunch , bearing in mind that one was wearing one's best .
Then we strolled round the old shops , admiring all the prettiness on display . And found even more vintage buttons



Friend is such a good companion on these occasions . Like a truffle hound in haberdashery hunts and every bit as keen as me , but less greedy and less tempted to scoop all on offer into a bag and run off with it ! Careful choices were made and only these came home with me . So if you find the right antique shop near the Square in Deventer , ask to see their buttons and the owner will unearth a couple of big tins and tip the contents onto a huge tray for you .
I think we left some .....



A most satisfactory day . Home to greet husband who'd just spent 24 hours travelling back from France via bus and a train service with built-in hiccups and was in need of a meal and lo-o-ong stretch .Why does he do it that way instead of by TGV ( sort of bullet train ) ? He's beginning to wonder himself .
Now back to some sewing . But what ?