Antiquing in Aruba: what an adventure!

They say, "When in Rome, do as the Romans." Well, in Aruba, it seems that chippy, antiquated, timeworn patina is a way of life....so much so that antique stores are pretty scarce. But we found one, and it was worth the hunt. Follow along and we'll take you on a virtual tour.

Aruba is a Caribbean paradise: you're practically guaranteed 82 degrees (Fahrenheit) every day and 12 hours of sun every day, year-round. White sand and amazing blue/green water, friendly people and of course, fresh seafood. Their slogan is "One Happy Island" and the sign that everyone poses in front of is I ❤️ ARUBA.

​Aside from the wind, indeed, there is much to love. But for vintage-loving #pickerchicks, going an entire vacation without picking seems...well, kind of sad. So picking we went. We hunted down the one-and-only antique store on Aruba (and the biggest antique store in the Caribbean, according to the owner. The first Sunday of the month, they host an open air flea market, farmers market and all-around extravaganza. (Note to self: consider booking next year's vacation to coincide with this amazing-sounding market.

But even without the added fun of a full-fledged flea market (tempered by the reality of purchases having to make it home with us), we explored the many intriguing nooks and crannies of Louis the 15th Antiquities and Curiosities. Our guide and shop owner was none other than, Nancy Ninaber herself. She is the longtime proprietor along with her husband Hans. Nancy happily showed us around, and explained the provenance of her inventory. I think she would have loved to help us load up an entire container to ship home, but we decided we'd keep things light for the first visit. Ready to go on a quick tour? We snapped photos and put them into a quick slideshow for you to enjoy.

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Owner Nancy Ninaber and Terry pose in front of a beautiful handcrafted spiral staircase.

We had a blast visiting Aruba's oldest, biggest, best (and quite possibly ONLY) true antique store. The only thing that would have made it better would be to get to check out the first of the month open air market that sets up in front of and in the courtyard of this amazing place.

​Nancy is a gracious host and owner, and if you're ever on #OneHappyIsland, we strongly recommend you pay her a visit to see all her treasures!  If you want to be sure to get a first-hand glimpse into our picking adventures, be sure to follow our Instagram stories and highlights - and be sure you've signed up for our weekly emails!

Happy picking!
Terry

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