If you ever find yourself in the tiny medieval village of Bourbon Lancy in Bourgogne, France you have to visit the tiny candle shop down the narrow, crooked back street behind the brocante. It is in a cave like room filled with the smell of wax, cinnamon and Christmas. Lit only by candles and a fire in the enormous grate at the back of the low beamed room. The candle maker looks like a cross between Ming The Merciless and Michael Stipe and frightened the bejesus out of me when I noticed him in the shadows. It was magical and totally absorbing in there, surrounded by thousands of candles of all colours, in the soft glow it felt almost church like, quiet apart from the crackling fire. Then my kids came in. Knocking over pewter candle sticks and sending racks of candles clattering to the floor with every step. I whisper-hissed for them to be more careful. Thankfully the owner wasnt as intimidating as he looked and was very understanding when the smallest boy knocked over a tiered brass stand filled with vintage jewellery and beads in to a bucket of tiny beeswax candles. We bought 23 candles, 2 candle holders, 1 Christmas tree decoration, 4 cuckoo clock weights and 2 frying pans. All of them beautifully wrapped, first in tissue and then in brown or wax paper and finished off with ribbon. It was the most chaotic, perplexing and magical shopping trip Ive ever had.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 11:06:56 +0000
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