On our first Monday visit to the Cours Salaya it dawned on me that this could be a great place to hunt for the few extra things we needed for our rental pad. I mean, why not opt for French antiquities over nouveau goods if they are right at your fingertips, right? Our beach cottage/cruise ship {as I called our flat} was comfortably furnished, but some of the things didn’t quite fit my taste, starting with the sheets. I like having all white sheets on my beds, somehow it just seems more peaceful, clean and serene to me.
At the broquante I came across some of the beautiful, old, thick, monogrammed linen sheets I’ve adored for decades. I’ve bought a few in the past, and they look gorgeous stacked in my linen closet, but, I must admit, I’ve never actually used them.
When I asked about the price, the gregarious vendor confided that he wanted to get rid of them and said I could have any in the stack of 6 for 10 euros each. After looking them over, we negotiated down to 50 euros and a kiss for all of them! I realized I was facing a pretty good deal {these sheets normally go for 40 – 100 euros each depending on the quality and the monogram} so I had nothing to loose.
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They were a little more rumpled than some of the linens at other stands, that were perfectly pressed and attractively tied, but, I knew that I would wash those perfectly pressed linens before using them anyway, so they’d all be the same when they came out of the wash.
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This sheet was a bit of a gamble, but the price was right and I loved the monogram. I was hoping that a hot wash and bath of Mediterranean sunshine could make it right.
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So I brought them all home and put them in the laundry. Our house was in Eze Bord de Mer. Between Beaulieu~sur~Mer and Monaco and below the famous perched village of Eze. We rented the bottom floor of an old mansion that has been divided into apartments. The ledge in the image below is the top of a 15 foot wall, on the other side is a rocky beach and the sea. This is the view to the east. The little tile roofed building you see is a guest room, beyond that is a small pool and an sandy outdoor lounging area and gardens.
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The laundry facilities were in another small out building with a bathroom. I must say, I have never enjoyed doing laundry so much in my life, and not just because I could do it in my swimsuit. I loved washing all of our heavy French linens and hanging them on the lines or draping them over furniture to dry in the sun.
The sun bleached out the sheets beautifully, and give them a fresh, crisp texture. The air imparted the linens with the most amazing scent of the sea, sunshine and fragrant breezes. The thick fibers held onto the scent for days, making our nightly slumbers an olfactory delight.
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| Monogramed French Linens drying in the sun |
Here is the view to the west, the sliding doors you see go to my bedroom. This area usually got an extra hour or so of sun, so I liked to drape the sheets over the loungers there, sometimes leaving them out overnight, so they could absorb even more of that fabulous scent.
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The Basse {base} Corniche is the major road that goes along the coast in this area, the name changes as it rambles along. In Nice it is the famous “Promanade des Anglais”. This is the route we would generally take home from Nice, through Mt. Baron, St. Jean ~ Cap Ferrat, Villafranche~sur~Mer, Beauileau~sur~Mer, and then to Eze~bord~de~Mer. If one were to continue on that seaside route, the next town is Cap d’Ail, then Monaco, Menton and Italy. If this scenic route is congested, or closed due to rockslides {common}, two roads run parallel to it at higher elevations. The Moyenne {middle} Corniche was built in the 20’s, and is at the same level as Eze Village. Above that is the dramatic Grande Corniche, where many a car commercial has been filmed and Grace Kelly was filmed driving in a convertible in “To Catch a Thief”. Her tragic car accident happened on a road that connects the Grande Corniche with the Moyenne Corniche just east of Eze.
anyway, back to the laundry…
All along the Basse Cornish there are multiple “pressing” shops, here laundry can be deposited to be expertly cleaned and pressed. With all of the yachts and villas in these towns, these shops stay very busy, especially in the high season. I brought some of my sheets to my local presser, but the linen was so thick he had to get them wet again to iron them, and when I picked them up, they had lost their special scent.
So, I decided that the sheets really didn’t need to be pressed, they’re so thick and heavy, in fact, when they were folded and stacked, they almost self~pressed!
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I’m wishing there was a scratch and sniff option I could use right now!
Can you believe how clean that KB sheet turned out? That is the stained sheet from the shot above, now looking {and smelling} quite fresh and crisp.
Merci Mére Nature!
Well, I've got to give you this: While most people visit the French Riviera and lounge at the beach or visit tourist sites, you buy old sheets and spend hours lovingly restoring them! Bravo! I am glad your efforts paid off. I really like your rental apartment too. It sounds like a great location. Do you need a car to go around though or do you have a bus stop nearby (Nice has such a fabulous transportation system…) Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)
Merci, Veronique. We had a car, which I used regularly. The train stopped just behind our house in Eze, so I took that to go to Italy and other French locations frequently.I need to plan a NW bloggers get together soon so we can talk in details. xo
What a beautiful apt and what a view!! Those linens make my heart sing…just gorgeous!
maf in raleigh, nc
What a wonderful post. I lived in Paris for
5 years and did not get a chance to spend much
time in the south of France. Finding old sheets
and saving the from being used for rags is
just wonderful. I think it ties in to what we should
all be doing with beautiful old things. I am
glad you were brave enough to tackle this
project and I hope you will enjoy them for
many years. I know they will evoke many memories
for you.
Emily! These are gorgeous! ..and I can imagine you back in WA allowing them to dry outside for that wonderful scent:) It's been grey and rainy here.. You villa is so pretty. Enjoy your stay (and doing laundry) there!
leslie
Absolutely gorgeous!
I am going to nice in october. do you think i can find these old linens in some of the markets?
Helene — absolutely. Go to the market in Nice on Monday morning and you will find a large selection of monogrammed linens. Enjoy!
Absolutely, head to the Cours Salaya Monday morning! Happy hunting!