Spontaneity on Sunday

Our first outing last Sunday was to the Spring Flea Market at Metz's Convention Hall. David and I have been attending the flea market on Saturdays, but this was a special one with an entry fee of 4 euros. Consequently, the market seemed a bit more upscale than usual.

We walked around the two large rooms, using our new-found knowledge of Sarreguemines pottery, Longwy enamel, and Meisenthal glass to examine the wares. We didn't find anything that knocked our socks off, but Mom found a wooden sculpture that she particularly liked - for 5 euros.

We then caught the freeway and drove northeast to Chateau Malbrouck, yet another example of how France excels in turning its historical assets into cultural tourism. The chateau, built in the 15th century by Arnold VI de Sierck, lies on a strategic position at the German border. Damaged and pillaged over time, it was classified as a historical monument in 1930, but it was in ruins by the time it was bought by the General Conseil Generale of the Moselle in 1975. The Conseil spent eight years restoring it in the 1990s, and it is now an exhibition space where we saw a wonderful exhibit of the works of French artist Nike de Saint Phalle.

We enjoyed a lunch of quiches on the patio; Tibor didn't want to see the exhibit, so he stayed and made friends.

The boy's name is Paul, and his father is an official in the German government. Tibor chatted with them in German while we were inside the chateau; the father convinced us to take a little trip up to Trier, Germany...so we did!

Here are Mom and Tibor in front of the Porta Nigra, the old Roman gate to the city of Trier.

After having a drink nearby, we took a walk down the main pedestrian street in the center of the city and drove back to Metz on the Luxembourg side. So, we visited three countries in a span of an hour!