Fleas and Teas

One of the things that I used to love to do in London was to have a good rummage around the many markets, especially the new ones that have sprung up in places like Hackney Wick. I was hoping that there would be similar markets in Barcelona, and I've been delighted to find out that there are. 


This past weekend saw two events taking place, both within walking distance of our flat. (To be fair, a lot of things are within walking distance, Barcelona really is the smallest big town I know).


The first event on Saturday was called Flea Market Barcelona, and really reminded me of the car boot sale that used to be held in a school car park in Swiss Cottage. This one was in the grounds of what appeared to be a civic centre in the Eixample area and was set out in the inner hall and outside in a yard that also contained a climbing wall. There was a great mixture of second hand vintage fashion,  accessories, books and knick knacks. I did spy quite a few handbags that I would happily have bought, including one really nice brown leather satchel which was a bargain at 5 Euros, but I've been banned by His Nibs from adding to my handbag stash any further. To be fair, I would have bought it anyway but the clasp was broken which put me off, as I knew I'd never get around to fixing it. 


I also had the usual frustrating experience of spotting some real bargains but in the wrong size, which is the downside of vintage shopping, but of course, when you do find something you love and it fits, it feels like such a triumph! I'll definitely be back here when they hold the next one.

On Sunday we strolled over to Raval to a market that was being held indoors at the Guru Bar on Carrer Nou de la Rambla. The market is called After Tea BCN and is slightly different to Saturday's event, as the sellers were a mixture of vintage dealers and artisans who were selling their own products. The venue itself was slightly bizarre, it's a club / bar / restaurant by night which was probably once quite glam but is looking a little bit tired now. Maybe they're hosting events like this to raise some cash for a refurb? However, I like a bit of a faded glamour vibe and it actually worked quite well with the market laid out in it. 

There were a few stand out stalls for me which included fabulous hats and fascinators from Secretos de Alcoba, handmade jewelery from Quecosa Pecosa, amazing vintage clothing from Paris Vintage, jewelery made with vintage materials from MTuent and some really cute accessories and bags from Lafulanitadetal. You can find out more about each of these sellers by clicking on their names. 


A special mention should also go to Artama, who had a stall with a selection of items from their shop which sells stock from independent designers and craftspeople. I love buying items like this because you know that it's not mass produced and it feels like the person who made it has really put a lot of thought and care into it. 


So all in all, a very fun weekend for me, even though I didn't find that one special vintage item that I just had to have. I'm very happy with the discoveries I did make as I know a lot of them will also be really good for present shopping in the future. Hopefully some of you will find these useful too.


Look out for my 'Shop of The Week' feature which will be coming soon where I'll be picking a favorite shop of mine and telling you all about it. Please let me know if you have any favorite shops here and I'll try to feature them too.


Thanks for reading and any comments you have would be most welcome.

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