les soldes !

In France, like in many other European countries, there are huge sales two times a year: in January and in July. I've managed to time my travels well in the past - hitting great prices on Birkenstocks for Mom in Germany - but never have I lived the sales in France. They started just after la rentrée, and since I was worn out from my vacation, I really wasn't interested in negotiating my way through the crowded stores in Amiens. I listened to my coworkers talk about hitting les soldes, and my curiosity finally got the best of me. Yesterday afternoon, I decided to do it. Agorophobia be damned, I dove right in.

Even though it was a weekday afternoon, there were still quite a few people in the stores, but it wasn't as I'd feared. I picked up some moisturizer at L'Occitane, a book on Amiens at Martelle, and a new umbrella at Les Galeries Lafayette - none of which were on sale. And then, I hit the jackpot at C&A. I'd been looking for a brown wool coat for a while (and if you know me, you know I have a thing for coats), and I found the one at half-off. Of course, I then had to choose a scarf - okay, two - to wear with it. But they were 50% off as well! Mission accomplished - I considered myself finished. Until today. I met Virginie in town and we had a nice lunch at our favorite Turkish restaurant, then we stopped in a few stores. She was looking for boots, and I was just along for the fun. Why is it that I'm the one who bought something, then? Nothing big, just a tablecloth at Les Maisons du Monde for 75% off. Oh, and another scarf. I may not have the latest trends in shoes or jeans, but I've certainly got the accessories.