With winter work in the vineyards approaching, I find myself trawling small ads and second-hand websites for any equipment that will make the job easier. Of course I never find any, it’s such difficult land that manual is the only method that works. But what never ceases to amaze me is the price local people charge for what, in the UK anyway, could only be considered worthless junk. It’s the same in the flea markets and brocantes. The prices are, frankly, eye-popping. My theory is that the French aren’t driven by the hormone that says you have to have new stuff all the time. Largely, if it works it’s fine. There’s no need to replace a cooker if it’s still working after 50 years. Consequently most interiors look like the ‘50s, and everything serviceable has a value. It’s a way of living that I hugely admire, it’s just the prices I can’t get over. If you’ve seen the Australian film, The Castle, you’ll know what the title of this blog post means.
So over the next few days I’m going to show you some adverts for second-hand stuff available right now in the local area. See what you think. The prices are on the bottom left and in Euros.
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