FLEA MARKETING IN CHILE o CACHUREANDO EN CHILE

 flea markets in chile are the best.  you can still find real antiques at bargain prices and for every taste in the decorating spectrum.  ofcourse i have made it a habit to go every friday with my friend chichi.  tomorrow we go again.  the fun thing about flea markets is that you never know what treasures you are going to find.  like this relic i found of san benito that just speaks beauty in spite of its imperfection. 

 antique tin bread box (the anticuarian had four of these in diorerent so have to go back to buy at least one more

 sewing notions

handmade hat ornament

puchas que lo pasamos bien con la chichi.  ayer hicimos una verdadera marathon de santiago, primero lanzandonos nuevamente a grecia donde los martes y viernes se instala una feria de cachureos de las buenas.  aunque encontramos hartas cosas, prometimos despertar al alba para la proxima porque cuentan que las mejores cosas se las llevan los del persa y nosotras queremos llegar minutos antes que ellos.  cecilia tiene ojo de lince, ve cosas a un kilometro que yo puedo tener delante mio y ni pispeo.  bueno, siempre he sido medio lenta yo para mis cosas. hacia frio y amenzaba con llover asi es apuramos el paso antes que empezaran a guardar todo ambas cargadas al fin de la manana con varios tesoros que aqui comparto con ustedes. mucha costurita que ya incorpore en mi banderin que prospera lento pero seguro.

la chichi me ha despertado el amor por los fierros enlozados y un parcito encontre ayer; no de los viejos viejos, pero si coloridos y llenos de esas rosas aque a ambas nos fascinan. una tetera blanca y una olla mediana. ella ya les contara sobre sus logros aunque sospecho que anda por ahi por el bio bio en busqueda de un sillon que quiere forrar porque ayer, de pasada, tambien dimos con un outlet de generos y escogio el tapiz por adelantado.  paramos, a la rapida, muy rapida a tragar una empanida de queso y seguimos en la caminoneta al barrio rosas a ver tiendas donde estan las gangas que uno puede utilizar si es que se tiene bueno gusto y se les ve el potencial.  tambien uno que otro paquetito al brazo, incienso y palo santo.  a estas alturas ya el diente amenzaba con hacerme desfallecer asi es que subirse otra vez a la magna camioneta y subir a comerse algo al mokka del alto de las condes no sin antes parar a ver la liquidacion de la tienda de laura ashley donde yo peque como para hacer penitencia una semana entera.  es que todo todo todo, absolutamente todo, maravilloso.  ya le tomare fotosy les mostrare. por ahora las dejo solo con lo vintage que encontre.  algunas de recorridos anteriores con maria cecilia, otro que encontre en buenos aires  en la feria de san telmo.

y esta es mi complice

mi alma gemela en mujer sin lugar a dudas

,

at last plenty of time to play.  the whole week spent walking with friends in tow through the streets of santiago, observing the cultures and sub-cultures of the barrios, riding on the metro, the bus, walking some more and stopping for a thirst quencher only when on the verge of fainting.  in santiago you walk, i mean really walk, alot, which i love because you see people's faces, you feel the energies of those people, you get to perceive the many different worlds surrounding us. i have always loved walking the streets of santiago. there are still plenty of cobblestone streets and now that it is autumn, the maple trees have begun to shed their leaves and all the avenues are filled with them.  sometimes raindropped filled ones.  believe me, it's been pretty cold here, lots of rain and tons of snow up in the mountains, but we just dress in layers, wrap scarves around our necks, put gloves on and off we go, no excuses.  and how fun to actually use the umbrella, walk in the rain, smell the clean air, get you feet  wet in the puddles.  walking by day and by night under the antique street lights singing in the rain.

half way through the week i ventured into the meiggs district of santiago, hundreds of importers with anything and everything from kitsch to tacky.  ofcourse i fell for the kitsch.

it was right before chile's match in the world cup so the streets were filled with vendors selling flags and whistles, cars honking their horns in expectation.°º¤øº¤ø Chile„¸¸„ø¤º°¨Chile¸„ø¤º°¨ ¨°º¤øº¤øChile „¸¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤øº¤øChile„¸¸„ø¤º°¨Chile¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤øSiguel a ola!º¤ø„¸¸„ø¤º°°º¤øº¤ø Chile„¸¸„ø¤º°¨Chile¸„ø¤º°¨ ¨°º¤øº¤øChile „¸¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤øº¤øChile„¸¸„ø¤º°¨Chile¸„ø¤º°¨¨°º¤øSigue la ola!º¤ø„¸¸„ø¤º°, they call it la OLA, the wave. now you might understand why i love this country so much.  there are millions of mini sub-cultures at every turn of the way.
i stopped to take pictures of the carrousel at the central train station.

but the highlight was meeting cecilia 

who collects antique french enamelware

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-French-Enamelware-Coffee-Pot-Cherries-/380173960316?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588422447c

for the first time.  we had met through our mutual blogs and realized we were both chileans.  after weeks of commenting, we decided it was time to meet.  she picked the most darling tea shop near where i live called "mozart" and we ordered double cappuccinos and strudel.  outside it poured.  so romantic.  ofcourse i instantly loved her.  natural, spontaneous, and with so much "flo" as chilean youths call joie de vivre.  i'm sure she'll be showing off all her finds soon on her blog. she is one of those "aware" souls who was there or appeared when i most needed someone, never asking indiscreet questions, not asking but GIVING, GIVING, GIVING, making me so happy just being there with her ethereal essence. an angel?  that's an understatement!  Cecilia is the real deal. what i live for, what i look for in life, a transparent, pure, clean, light radiating person. i loved her unconditionally in in instant.

and both being veteran antiquers and searchers of all things vintage, we immediately set an appointment for a full day at the flea market the following sunday.  since she's lived here most of her life and i've been away for so long, she was my guide.  she knows literally all the best sellers.  the flea market is huge, specializing mostly in restored furniture but we managed to find tons and tons of knick knacks.  oh how i wish i could just fill up a container and take all that furniture home with me.  for now i had to just buy things that won't take up too much space in my suitcases when i go home to cali in july.  i did, however, buy a calypso stained chair to keep my environment happy, calypso has always been my favorite color.

my find of the day, a brass door knocker

brass findings

old tin

vintage postcards

i love what the sender wrote on this postcard

" what disgrace is darker and sadder? to see the light and embrace the flame?

or with soul, passion and life

see the sky and feel without wings?

more religious finds for my ever-growing

wall

lots of scrubbing and cleaning required

more blue bottles

&

now to pack my bags for i leave for Buenos Aires on Thursday