This collection of antiques in the flea market in Athens show how varied, vibrant, and truly ancient the antiques are in Europe. If I had somewhere to put all the things I found I would have bought all of them but sadly I travel everywhere with a suitcase the size of a large shoe box. The antiques in Athens ranged everywhere from ornate candelabras and beautifully carved furniture to no longer working pocketwatches. The vintage shops in Florence have beautiful collections of clothing, brightly colored leather shoes, and worn but wearable designer purses. In Munich we accidentally found a flea market behind Springfest where we wandered, admiring ancient glass and hand-painted ceramic beer mugs, one which was dated 1490 on the bottom. If you happen to run into one of these jumbles of peoples collectibles, take the time to look around and ask the story behind things, the merchants usually tell wonderful tales of the history behind everything from a painting of a forgotten King to a doorknob.
