I love a good rummage around an antiques market. I dream of living in a village with a brocante. But I’m just not very good at bartering and securing a bargain. The last time we were in Ljubljana, the Sunday Market was on, along the river. I think this was my most successful bartering exercise ever, as I managed to buy two old zinc planters and negotiated a whole 10€ off the price he gave me initially. What I paid was probably he wanted anyway, but I still felt like I’d secured the bargain of the century. But, as I say I’m not a seasoned bargain hunter – and we don’t really have places here, where I can hone my skills. Or, so I thought until recently. Maybe I’ve just been walking around with my eyes closed, but this summer, we did discover some very rich pickings, and so maybe I can practice and become a better bargain hunter.
In Istria, it seems that there are two accessories which are mandatory in any outdoor space – big glass demijohns and greek style urns. Every self respecting garden and outdoor space, has a least one of these, if not multiple versions. And, this summer I finally found out where these Istrian must-haves can be found.
Right on our doorstep…
That’s right, within a few kilometres of the house, we have discovered a couple of real treasure troves. These will most likely be known to everyone in these parts, but as we’ve not found them before, I feel that I have uncovered a secret. A secret full of antiques…
This is typical of Istria. These beautiful urns, and demijohns and industrial vintage light shades, are all just stacked up outside the antique seller’s property. They’re not taken in and kept under lock and key, because there’s no need. Because no-one would ever think to just grab a few and drive off. Because honesty is held above all else out here. It’s one of the things we absolutely love about where we live.
The urns are absolutely stunning and I am still mulling these over – as beautiful as they are, they are also expensive, so I think I have to be absolutely sure that our garden really, really needs one. Or, two…
But the demijohns are much more affordable, and so we do have three of these. Because I couldn’t decide on the shade of green I wanted, I decided that a mix of shades would work. And now, they are sitting prettily on our little balcony, out of the way of the winter winds, so we can see them from the living room. I love them so much, that I may be tempted to add to the collection, come the spring.
