LDN 2 GVA 2 ORD: Carouge Braderie

This is what happens when you move to a new place and only sort of speak the language: we stepped out this morning to go to the fruit and veg market and bang, we were in the middle of the Carouge Braderie. We had no idea that the biggest annual event was taking place today... Once a year they have what's like a massive garage sale throughout the whole town. People spill into the streets and squares with their wares (nice play of words there) and sell whatever it is they don't need any more. Some stalls were proper professional antiques and fleemarkety type things. A lot of them were just locals who pitched up, put down a rug and laid out their stuff. There was some impressive organisational laying out of things (all dinosaurs in one bag, lego in another) or outright total mess. We picked up the most random toys for Max: a massive truck where he can store his smaller cars - a world of fun! - small cars - motorbikes etc. We had an absolute ball. Max must have thought his new home has just turned into heaven with toys splattered all over the place - he did of course not realise that we frantically went after him paying off all the sellers for whichever toy he'd just run off with... The most impressive bargain was picked up by Rick, although if he'd known what would happen I'm not sure he would have bought it. A ski helmet and goggles for next season. Max refused to take it off for ages and we had to walk through Carouge with him wearing it. I suffered another almost bout of incontinence I laughed so much. Rick tells me that this is what "disabled" children in England are wearing to prevent them from hitting their heads. No one here would have mistaken him for that as we don't do that here. But the looks and laughs were priceless.