Flea market around the world // Jeu de Balle

Text and pictures by Chantal Garduno [Mexico] // 19.06.10

Since I moved to Brussels i found myself living in the paradise of the flea markets, in most of the cities you have to impatiently wait for the week-end if you want to take a walk and buy cheap stuff. This doesn’t happen in Brussels and there fore it is heaven for any person who would love to be able to go to a market every day of the week. The market at Place du Jeu de Balle its the most famous one in Brussels and it takes place every day of the week, they don’t stop neither with rain, snow or cold weather, you will always find it there.

The first time that i went there i was totally amused to see boxes and boxes filled with sooo many nice objects, ceramics, books, stamps, old lighters, discs, and shoes all sharing a box where you can get any thing for one or two euros, and the best thing is that at the end of the market if you’re lucky enough the merchants start yelling “cadeau” (that means present in french) and all the people will start running around collecting as many things as they can, so you better be ready to fight for that nice chair that you saw at the beginning or some one else will get it!

In between the week the prices are much lower that in the week-end when the market changes totally, and more than a flea market it looks like an antic market, but its totally worth to see it, not only because there is a great mood but also because in al the surroundings its filled with lovely cafes, antique dealers and second hand shops.

The picture below is what my boyfriend bought in two hours for 15 euros.

The Flea Marktet

(Le Vieux Marché)
Place du Jeu de Balle
1000 Brussels
Belgium