Treasure Hunting in Portugals Capital City - Feira da Ladra the 'Thieves Market'.

So I haven't posted for a while but I'm just back from an amazing treasure hunting trip to Portugal and thought I would share my experience.  Portugal is a beautiful place full of wonderful people and the lifestyle is something I would love to have more of in the U.K.  The local fresh food markets, the celebrated traditional craft fairs and the flea markets are just amazing.

One such flea market, hiding in the sloped streets of Lisboa, or Lisbon as us English speakers call it, is Feira da Ladra, or the 'Thieves Market"located in the Alfama District (Campo de Santa Clara).  If you head for the area between the Panteao Nacional and the Church of Sao Vicente on a Tuesday or Saturday, you will find it.  I was determined to visit this market as it sounded huge, so we set out early at 7 a.m to arrive for some bargains.

When we got there at 8 a.m, many of the stores (most simple blankets thrown onto the ground) were still setting up so we headed to a small cafe near the train station for some breakfast.  On heading back we were greeted by a true marvel, hundreds of traders and thousands of items for sale.

Most of the items seemed to start at around 5 Euros, from a rugby ball to a small painting!  There is an eclectic mix but I was struck by the quantity of quality brass ware and furniture.  If only I could have fit it into my suitcase! The sellers were friendly overall, not everyone spoke English but that is no barrier to getting a few treasures.  The traders that did speak English, which was most engaged in friendly conversation about Europe and asked what we thought about Brexit, it was nice to see how real people in Europe thought.

We easily spent 2 hours walking and rummaging through the boxes for hidden gems, you could spend all day here if you are a determined buyer.  Unfortunately I had a grumpy boyfriend with me who does not have flea markets and treasure hunting in his, "List of top 10 things to do".  He did carry my bags though so I can't complain too much, and I did buy him the rugby ball so he cant complain too much either!  I would thoroughly encourage you to take the tram over to the market if you are in Lisbon as it is full of atmosphere, in a beautiful part of the city and you might even find some treasure of your own.

Here are a few of the items I selected to bring back with me, and believe me when I say if i had a bigger suitcase there would have been much more!

Vintage Wicker Place Mats - http://etsy.me/2uD68Du

Vintage Coin Purse - http://etsy.me/2h4qKRF

Vintage Candle Box - http://etsy.me/2uyaT2u

To purchase any of my hand selected treasures from the Thieves Market head over to my Etsy store where I have hundreds of wonderful vintage items in stock from all over the world. http://etsy.me/2uYRPLO or look me up on Facebook http://bit.ly/2v0GA54

The Snow I Really Want - Big Freeze 1963 - South Wales Echo

So I LOVE snow! I hate being cold, but I love snow. Where is the logic in that eh? Well most of my favorite childhood memories are of going out, 3 pairs of socks on my hands because we didn't have gloves, and trekking miles through the snow with my father and the dog.

The last month or so we have been teased with a few falling snowflakes and none have stuck to the ground, much to my huge disappointment.  However in South Wales, back in 1963, we had this!

Holy Snowballs Batman! 

They are digging through 10 feet of snow ... now THATS what im talkin' about!  This Souvenir newspaper of the South Wales Echo was produced to contain stories and information about 'The Big Freeze'.  This included Mr. B. Waite of Rhoose who abandoned his car in Porthkerry only to have to dig it out days later from under six feet of drifting snow, "and it started first time!" the article proudly states.  Milk was in danger of rationing because farms got cut off and people were not putting their milk bottles back out for collection.  The Army and RSPCA had to trek on foot in North Monmouthshire with food for wild ponies who had, "been on a cardboard diet" and a slab of ice fell down a mine shaft in the Maesteg Valley injuring three miners and damaging the cage bringing work to a standstill.

Things have changed.  Now the slightest mention of a snowflake and people are fighting in supermarkets over the 20 pints of milk and 15 loaves of bread that they think they need, I'd be amazed to see a modern car that would start after being left in a snow drift, the mines have all but closed down, and charities like the Welsh Pony Rescue and Rehoming Charity are left to help feed the ponies even in mild weather.  The paper ends with, "...the only happy people around were the travel agents as they dealt with a telephone blizzard of inquiries from people searching for the sun"... I guess some things do stay the same.  I however, would be happy to fly out for some real snow.  I'm so busy at the moment the chance would be a fine thing.

If you are interested to learn about Welsh Pony Rescue and Rehoming Charitable Trust who I mentioned briefly here please visit their Facebook Page . I see first hand what brilliant work they do. So come on snow! I want to build an igloo!

My Love of Objects: From Lady Chatterleys Lover to Tony Robinson

My story began as a small child.  There was a path along side the local park, affectionately named "The Pig Trough" - I was searching in the undergrowth for treasure, hitting back plants with a stick like wading through an overgrown jungle. I found it.  One VHS copy of "Lady Chatterleys Lover" ... I proceeded to take this back to my house where I stopped and I knocked, like a door to door sales man, asking my father if he wanted to buy a naughty film.

My intrigue grew as I did, I wanted to find more, to discover, to learn.  My love of history connected with my love of forgotten artifacts when I went to university and qualified as an Archaeologist, here I learned not only the physical skills but the intrinsic value of objects, their meaning, their stories - the theories and links between people and things.  Archaeological theory calls this "personhood", the life of an object.  This personhood of items is what really draws me to objects.  Before anyone asks, yes I have been on Time Team and yes, Tony Robinson is lovely!

So the present day, I opened my Etsy Shop "The Vintage Archaeologist",  to continue my treasure hunting, to pass on objects to others and extend the personhood of those treasures.  Their story continues through time, through their links to people, the people that made them, the people that dis guarded them and the people that will own and love them again.  Im keping these treasures out of a future archaeological spoil heap, for as long as I can, by passing their history on to you.

I've just had a very lovely shiny new banner designed by a very talented Graphic Artist, Terry Cooper.  Highly recommended! I think it reflects this story perfectly (aside from the 18 rated video tape haha!). If you need any work doing I'd 100% send you his way.

So that's how I got to be an Etsy Store owner! I have over 300 items of treasure in my store right now and this is growing week by week.  These unique and amazing objects would just love to have their story continued by you so check it out and see if you can be part of an objects life The Vintage Archaeologist

Next Blog Post I'll update you on my latstest expedition, treasure hunting in the ancient ruins of Caerphilly!