Chateau Fenelon

We visited Chateau Fenelon, which was also in the movie, Ever After. In the scene, Prince Henri is playing tennis with the Marquis De Limogue.

Unlike Castle Puymartin, there was no French speaking guide. We were given a pamphlet, written in English, which told about each room. Chelsea designated herself our tour guide for the day and as we toured each room, she read aloud, in her very silly professional manner, the information we had been given.

We were alone in the castle and so we took our time enjoying the castle and surrounding grounds.

We had pasta for dinner and watched Ever After again, this time with Chelsea.

Domme, Lovely Domme

The antique show was held just outside Domme, a small town that overlooks the magnificent Dordogne valley. The view was so perfect that it resembled a scale model.

The Dordogne River winds through a valley of meticulously manicured farms, groves and vineyards, splattered with barns, red roofed stone houses and winding country roads.

There were the prettiest rustic gardens around every corner.

Words cannot accurately convey the beauty of this place. We had planned to celebrate my 50th birthday on the French Riviera, however, I can't imagine a more beautiful place I would rather spend my birthday than here. Before we left, we made reservations for dinner on the terrace.

Salon Antique Brocante

Ever since we'd arrived, we had seen signs posted here and there advertising a "Salon Antique Brocante". Finally, the weekend arrived and we were very excited to go to this huge event. Following the signs, we arrived at a parking lot. No brocante in sight. We drove around some more and still saw no signs of a sale so we went back to the parking lot and waited for people to arrive. A couple of cars parked and people got out and started walking but it just didn't feel like we were at the right place. Eventually, we decided to follow the next people to arrive but they walked into a small unmarked building. Surely this wasn't the Salon Antique Brocante. It was. Just one room. We were very surprised and a little disappointed. But we each went our own direction in the room, taking our time to browse leisurely through the booths.

A handwritten letter from WWII

Kurt's goal was to find old maps and postcards and he purchases several. Chelsea purchases some jewelry and discovered that she liked 1800's style dresses.

I bought a few pieces, some old pictures, religious charms, some linen napkins and towels, old door knobs, postcards and the piece de resistance... a beautiful 1800's linen curtain with embroidered flowers and butterflies. It is a real treasure and I can't wait to hang it in my large bedroom window and let the light shine through the ornate details of it.

The Salon Antiques Brocante Sale ran through the holiday weekend. We decided that before it was over, we would be back for one more look.