Soldes Season

60% off

Things have gotten quiet on the holiday festivities front, but are getting busy with the soldes season.  It's the season of sales.  Unlike the practice in the US, sale season is carefully regulated here in France; these storewide sales are limited to twice a year: once in January and another in July.  It's big news, especially in Paris where les grands magazins (the big department stores, like Printemps and Galleries Lafayette) put up their signs and throw open their doors.  The TV stations gave the season opening lots of coverage.  A savvy shopper can snag some good deals.

Sales do not interfere with lunch!  Closed until 2:00

Not much of a shopper myself, and not really needing or wanting much, soldes season isn't THAT vital to me, but it is still fun to observe and to window shop.  Here in Carcassonne, the little boutiques in the Bastide are all sporting big Soldes signs in their windows and hosting lots of shopper traffic, especially in the afternoons.  My upstairs neighbor Susan and I hopped the bus out to Leclerc yesterday to see what kind of price discounts a big box store was offering.  

Nice children's clothing store

We both have just been through the process of disbanding a household and are trying to establish a new one in a strange land.  I did bring a few things with me:  kitchen knives, tea towels, wine stopper, and have had to furnish a few other things: spatulas, soup ladle, a glass measuring cup.  Susan is just beginning that process, so she was particularly delighted with Leclerc's promotion aisle.   While I scored on a few needed kitchen gadgets, alas, the ink cartridge for my printer was at full price. 

Another good sale

While the big box store was full of surprises, we both prefer to shop at the  boutiques in the Bastide.  It was great fun going shopping with a friend.  Of course, nothing much fits me here. As I may have mentioned before, the French, especially the women, are slightly built and petite.  I couldn't get my hands into the largest pair of red leather gloves, as much as I tried.  I have been told that the only way for me to find a pair of shoes to fit is to go to Toulouse. Nobody here has feet as big as mine. Perhaps I should go to Scandinavia to look for clothes!  I am happy to report that I found a new pair of jeans, and they are within a "normal" size range.  I also bought a new long-sleeved nightshirt, as I brought only one with me and it's getting to the point where I can almost read the paper through it.   I have lost enough weight that I will be able to find some clothes to fit me here, even if I have to be barefooted.  Lingerie might be another problem; any bra that has only two hooks is simply not going to work.  You all know why!  Fortunately, I brought about 10 with me.  

Found a sleep shirt in here

My favorite SOLDES sign. 

And hey--there's always purses and scarves.  They fit!  And are on SALE.