Remembering England & France 2010 - London Days

On Day 7 we returned from Briare, France to Paris and then took the Chunnel back to London for the remainder of our vacation.

While waiting for our train to London, Tara treated me with a belated Birthday goodie...

Can you say yum?

In London we stayed with Tara's son Aaron, his wife Anya & grandson Riley.  Thank you guys for your tremendous hospitality!

Grandma Tara & Riley

The bus & Tube transportation systems make getting around both Paris & London easy "Mind the Gap"

 

We still did a lot of walking - easily 5 - 12 miles daily.

Here's the first half of our London visit... 

Tami & Tara ready for a boat ride in

Little Venice, London
 

Beautiful bronze horse sculpture at the 

Camden Stable Market 

At the end of our Little Venice boat ride was the Camden Stable Market.  It is a unique open air market of 700 shops and restaurants.

In Victorian days, the Camden Stable was a horse stable & hospital for work horses that pulled barges down the canals to bring merchandise into London.

 This tribute to The Women of WWII was in the middle of a busy street - that's one way to get it noticed!
 

We were walking down a sidewalk and I just happened to look up and see this building plaque - once the home of Charles Dickens

Neither the horse or man twitched a muscle - well trained

Classic photo: phone booth, double decker bus and Big Ben

Big Ben

Tara & Tami in front of Parliament and Big Ben

London Eye

We walked 'The Queen's Walk' - I am holding a snap together button I found on the sidewalk in front of The Queen's Walk statute.  The Queen gave me a button!

Tower Bridge

The Tower of London

Front gates to Buckingham Palace

Buckingham Palace

The Union Jack is flying - the Queen is home

The Button Queen 

Tara & son Aaron at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Rebuilt 1667 restaurant.  This building burnt down in the 1666 Great London fire.  It was rebuilt in 1667 and still stands today as a restaurant.  

Well are you tired yet?  These photos spanned over a couple of days... we were tired, but not willing to give into exhaustion yet.

Join us tomorrow as we remember the last leg of our London journey.

Remembering England & France 2010 - Day 6

Sorry for the confusion on trips days - we actually traveled two days/dates due to the time of travel, so Day 5 should be Day 6...

- Day 6 -

Early morning on Day 6 we took the Rail Europe train 2 hours south of Paris to Briare, France.

Briare is a quaint town on the Loire river - home of the Bapterosses Museum (Musée dela mosaïque et des émaux de Briare-le-Canal).  

 Jean-Felix Bapterosses established an extensive factory that produced millions of china buttons, mosaic tiles, and beads for 100 years, 1850-1950.  The factory has ceased making buttons and beads, but actively produces tiles.

Jane Quimby friend and fellow button collector has worked with the museum since 2005 enlightening the button world with historical documentation on china buttons. 

It was through Jane we learned of the Briare factory dump where years and years of seconds, overstock, end of the day sweepings and outdated styles of beads, buttons and tiles had been 'dumped' decades ago.

This dump - a real archeological dig, measures more than three football fields and is said to be 20' deep.  It is large enough that it can be seen in satellite images.


Tara & I knew we must find the dump!


It still amazes me that Tara & I as two non-French speaking American women traveled 4,800 miles without a map to dig in a button dump.


Our map to get to Briare was... follow a street to a path by a canal... follow the canal to a foot path... through the trees...and we found it!


The train station in Briare is a step back in time.   


It is a quaint and beautiful town with numerous waterway canals, healthy gorgeous flowers and lovely mosaic artwork on benches, buildings and bridges.

Here are some photos of Briare, France

Train station

 

 The Canal de Briare - the aqueduct of Briare

 

 Town Square and church
 

Mosaic tile art

 

 Healthy gorgeous flowers

 

The 'Dump'
Look to the far center of the photo to see two small openings in the trees, the light area in these openings shows the dump continues 
further, further and further

Over the years vegetation has grown up threw the discarded beads, buttons and tiles.  It almost resembles a gravel bar until you look closer 
  

 This close up show mainly small tiles & beads

 

 Just getting started

 

 I am standing in an hole dug by someone else 

 

 Tara begins her dig
 

 A little bit of morning drizzle 

 We dug the hole a little deeper - Tara is standing in it 

 Treasures!
Beads and two (pastel pink and yellow) self-shank china buttons!

We spent 9 hours digging and would have stayed longer, but dusk was nearing with a light drizzle of rain - it would have been unsafe to try and find our way out of the woods after dark on wet slippery china treasures.

It was an AMAZING day!
We hope to return to Briare for another dig.


Day Seven is a travel day returning to Paris and then on to London, England.

Come back tomorrow for Day Eight - Fourteen
and join us we remember London.

Remembering England & France 2010 - Day Three

Day Three.... Day Four

 (Actually this is Day Four - I forgot to count our travel day as Day One)

We met Matthew and spent a wonderful day at the 

Clignancourt Flea Market

 Tara, Matthew & Tami

This flea market is huge.  Matthew knew the areas where the button/textile dealers were, so we were able to focus our time and energy on them.   

Eye candy!!  

(I will post photos of my buckle & button goodies later)

Day Five we go on a dig!  Come follow us tomorrow.

Remembering England & France 2010 - Day 2

 Tara & Tami's 2010 European Vacation 
Day Two


It was another beautiful morning in the city of Paris.  The weather was perfect for being outdoors  - it was cool enough for light weight jackets, a bit overcast and perfect for walking.... lots & lots of walking.


When Tara & I bought our airline tickets we did not know our vacation dates would also correspond with several events in both Paris & London.  

We just happened to be in Paris this Sunday when their FIBULE (button show) was being held.  Tara & I determined our route to FIBULE and were off to visit our first Parisian button show!

The FIBULE members were delighted as there happened to be nine Americans visiting.  

(missing one American in the photo)


FIBULE is far different than the USA National Button Society Shows.  At FIBULE they do not hold button competition or offer educational workshops.  It is a small group of members from various European countries that come together to visit, sale buttons and some just to share their beautiful display of buttons.


Neither Tara nor I speak French or Italian; however, we managed to purchase several wonderful buttons and buckles.  We felt very welcomed at FIBULE.


A joy for me was to finally meet a friend that I only knew via email correspondence until FIBULE... Matthew Brown.  It is so great when you finally meet someone and that kindred spirit connection is really there... Cheers Matthew!  

We stayed at FIBULE for a couple of hours and were off to sight see Paris. 


Here are a few afternoon and evening photos of Day Two...

Tami at the Louvre

 Tara at the Louvre

 

 L'arc de triopmhe le cassouel

 Tami in front of the
L'arc de triopmhe le cassouel

 

 Tami at the Tuileries Garden

 Tara at the Tuileries Garden

 

 Looking down the Tuileries Garden towards the Arc de Triopmhe in the far distance

The reflecting pool in the Tuileries Garden

  

 Cattail lamps on the Pont Alexander III Bridge

 Tami on the Pont Alexander III bridge with the Eiffel Tower

Gorgeous lamp on the Pont Alexander III Bridge

The EIFFEL TOWER during a light show

Eiffel Tower

Tami and Tara after a long day enjoying dinner & wine at the Indiana Cafe.  

Au revoir till tomorrow Day 3.