Hi everyone. We’re Richard and Bill, two guys who love everything about France.
Our story started in Paris in the summer of 1999, when we found a set of five antique copper saucepans in the Marché aux Puces.
After a short negotiation and the exchange of some Francs they were ours. The pans needed work, but the thrill of that first "find" sustained us. Sustained us as we carried them for the remainder of our trip, and then forced them into the overhead luggage compartment on the flight home.
Over the next twenty years, through many buying trips to Paris and the French countryside, our passion for collecting developed into a deeper appreciation … a love really … of what it means to live la vie Française: embracing not only beautiful copper but French recipes, cooking, wine, music, the language and day-to-day life.
In 2019 we launched Piggy Kitchen, an online business where others could share in our folie à deux, our kind of mad passion for antique French cookware. We continue to shop in France three to four times a year, hand selecting the best copper, kitchen items, tabletop, and glassware we can find, then restore it all to sell online and at antique shows.
It seems that many of you share our passion.
Our followers on Instagram love our stories of digging around brocantes and flea markets, getting around France, restoring a great saucepan, or cooking something up in our French kitchen.
The French Experience is here to help with your deep dive into French shopping and culture. In it, we’re sharing our experiences, travel tips, buying schedules, how-tos, restaurant and hotel recommendations … really, everything we’ve learned after 20 years, not just in Paris but in all of France. Follow along and you’ll discover:
Cities, sites, flea markets, and antique fairs we visit, and what makes them special!
How to find, shop, bargain for, and ship those treasures!
The history of some of our antique finds!
Americans, ex-pats, and other friends we travel and connect with … and their experiences in France!
Shopping, food, and culture tips … with clear travel directions .. that can make your French experience easier and more enjoyable!
After 20 years, we’re sharing it all to feed your love of une vie française too!
