There is a lot to see (and I missed much), but I will do a couple of posts on the town over the next few weeks; I will also do a couple on the porcelain industry, as there were so many exciting objects to be seen. Firstly, after parking my car and walking along the bank of the tranquil Vienne River
I made my way to the porcelain shop, as it was close to closing time. The products in stock are made nearby in Limoges, where I gather the factory is well worth a visit. The history of the porcelain industry there goes back to 1766, when very pure kaolin was found near Saint Yrieix-la-Perche, about 30 km away from Limoges.
The small windows of the shop have beautiful displays.
Then as you enter the shop (with lots of money!!!) you suddenly realise how large the place is, and how extensive is the range of pottery on show. The premises are on three levels, and I gather there are over 200 different dinner services to choose from!
The building itself has been beautifully restored and that alone is worth seeing.
In the basement, you will find whiteware and 'seconds', although I could not see any faults!
On the ground floor, the displays are arranged in groups of different colours, designs and styles; every taste is catered for.
You will also see glassware and other kitchen and dining room accessories and for the golfer in your life......
More later......
Wow! @ the Porcelain Shop - I probably wouldn't go in for fear of breaking something ...
ReplyDeleteI love trying to pronounce some of these names ... Saint Yrieix-la-Perche ... and imagine looking sophisticated in beret and cigarette holder ...
Great to see you posting again Diane and looking forward to your next posts on 'Aixe-sur-Vienne' ... did I pronounce that right?
:)
ps ... did I miss a post somewhere on the completion of that beautiful stone floor your friend were laying?
OMG, so many choices. Would be hard to decide even with a pocketful of money.
ReplyDeleteGraham - You pronounced the town names perfectly; I can hear you saying them now, with a good french accent......Ex-soor-vee-en AND sant-ee-ree-la-pearsh. Just trip off the tongue, don't they, like Buitenverwachting? The floor is still in progress, so you haven't missed a thing! Mind you , you may have missed http://lifeincharente.blogspot.com/2010/09/update-on-charentaise-floor.html. Diane
ReplyDeleteGaelyn I was lucky it was close to closing time so there was no time to spend money!!!!Diane
ReplyDeleteHi Diane, hope all is well with you. Really enjoyed reading your post and looking at your photos. I do love looking at porcelain so it was a real treat to see so many beautiful pieces. I hope you have a lovely weekend. x
ReplyDeleteThanks froggy of course the big day will be Monday when we celebrate FIL's 90th. I return to France next Friday only to have visitors all of June so I may be a bit quiet for a while! Diane
ReplyDeleteOhhhhh, now this is my kind of place. I believe if I were a hoarder, this is what I'd fill my space with! These were all such lovely pieces, and I could imagine it would really difficult to leave without putting a nice dent in the purse!
ReplyDeleteI would be a frequent visitor here, examining each and every little thing, drooling all the choices.
ReplyDeleteOh my goddness, just look at all those kitchen pottery! So beautiful. I love this kind of stuffs. Thanks for posting this.
ReplyDeleteBest regards,
Kristy
What a lovely day this must have been. Your photos are lovely. I hope the birthday celebration goes well. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary
ReplyDeleteWhat a pretty little town. I could not choose between 200 different porcelain patterns! I'm glad I don't have to avoid that place (which is what I do when things confound me)!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful area and those top pics are so... pretty and peaceful - look forward to hearing more about the porcelaine - now you've fot me saying -Ex soor vee en - it's going round and round in my head
ReplyDeleteSome of the dishes and plates are truly beautiful - I doubt I could have entered the shop without buying anything! :P
ReplyDeleteThe shop looks amazing! Great photos!
ReplyDeleteI’d love to visit such a shop, but then I might be tempted to buy something. We have too much china and rarely have guests to enjoy it. In the 80s while in London I purchased a lovely tea set – dainty with roses. I can’t remember the last time I used it – years ago I guess. I loved the roses you showed in an earlier post. While in Paris I took many pictures of roses in parks – they seems to need water just like in your garden.
ReplyDeleteso many choices, if i there, i must buy a lot of, hahaha! Diane, Have a nice weekend!
ReplyDeleteDiane,
ReplyDeleteThe china shop looks well worth a visit. Living near Stoke on Trent there used to be so many places similar to this shop in the area.
Sadly many have closed as production has been moved to cheaper areas of the world.
Diane, I love visiting porcelain shops. Oh, how I wish there are porcelain shops like that here. I know I can spend the whole day there and burn a big hole in my wallet. I love the photo of the Vienne, it is like a piece of art.
ReplyDeleteThe beautiful square plates/dishes reminds o me of Korea. I love the view of the rives, it seems to be a relaxing place to unwind.
ReplyDeleteDeb from WhatsInMyAttic, thankgoodness I arrived at nearly closing time and they said I could take photos but they did not want me to buy anything. I may have made them late for lunch!! Diane
ReplyDeleterosaria, a very easy place to spend money :-))) Diane
ReplyDeleteKristy thre is so much there it is almost impossible to choose what is your favourite! Diane
ReplyDeleteFernando Santos. Obrigado por sua visita e comentários. Cumprimentos, Diane
ReplyDeleteThanks Mary, the celebrations are tomorrow so I hope all goes well. Take care Diane
ReplyDeleteMarjie I was also glad that I did not have the time to think about buying anything. There was just enough time to only race around and take the photos!! Diane
ReplyDeleteDianne the shop is amazing but one really needs lots of money and a big house to put everything in that you buy :-)) Diane
ReplyDeleteKenny the only reason I did not spend money there was because they were so close to closing and I did not have time :-)) Diane
ReplyDeleteMaria thanks for your comments, it is a beautiful shop, but just too much to choose from!! Diane
ReplyDeleteVagabonde I also have a lovely tea set with roses on it that used to belong to my mother. We never use anything other than mugs nowadays it seems such a shame!! I think most of France is short of water, food is going to be expensive next year the way things are going!! Diane
ReplyDeleteSonia there are too many choices, it is impossible to make up your mind what you want!! Diane
ReplyDeleteGaynor B it is sad so many high quality places have closed in the UK, but if people do not buy I guess there is only one answer in the end. The shop in Aixe-sur-Vienne is well worth a visit, some time I must try and fit in the factory. Diane
ReplyDeleteQuay Po Cooks, a very easy place to spend money. Yes the Vienne is a lovely spot to sit and relax. There were several fisherman around doing just that! I suppose they do catch something but I never saw them bringing anything in! Diane
ReplyDeletechubskulit, I love those square plates but I have no room to buy any more crockery which is just as well!! The river is beautiful. Diane
ReplyDeleteGreat post Diane!
ReplyDeleteYou always come up with something unusual! :)
Keep well!
A bientôt!!
Thanks Noushka, it was a fun post for me and there is still lots to come! Diane xx
ReplyDeleteOh my I would really love to spend some time in that China shop Diane.
ReplyDeleteLinda if you spend time in there I guarantee you will come out much poorer!! I was delighted that they told me they were about to close and I could only take photos :-) Diane x
ReplyDeleteI would go absolutely crazy in a pottery store like this one-oh my! Love it.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing this post.
Velva
Look at all those dishes! I could spend hours in there.
ReplyDeleteYou see, I don't know this part of France but, post after post, you are tempting me more and more ... I'd love to visit this china factory ! ;o)
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day
Hélène
Wow! I would have a ball in that porcelain shop! What gorgeous little things they have. I look forward to reading more of your posts about this town.
ReplyDeleteBonne semaine,
Brittanuy
I love the porcelain shop Diane. Some of the modern pieces are really vibrant aren't they? That yellow tea pot is great! Excellent.
ReplyDeleteVelva, a very easy place to go crazy in....... :-) Diane
ReplyDeletePam, it can take 1/2 a day just to walk around and look at everything, so simple to spend hours in there!! Diane
ReplyDeleteHélène it is time you travelled North and did some visiting, we have some beautiful places that I can show you :-) Diane
ReplyDeleteBrittany if only I had the money and more places to store things I would also have a ball in there :-) Bonne semaine Diane
ReplyDeletej'aurai adoré visiter ce magasin de vaisselle.
ReplyDeleteMagnifique!
See soon.
I would love to have this yellow teapot! this is a place which you could enter only when you have: 1) a lot of many 2) a lot of empty cupboards at home and finally 3) you are strong enough to resist buying:)
ReplyDeleteWow! I would like to be there.:-) Hugs Stina
ReplyDeleteLovely and peaceful water shots and great coverage on the pottery too, Diane.
ReplyDeleteNadji, La boutique est extraordinaire ! A bientôt. Diane
ReplyDeleteOla the best time to visit is like I did, just about to close and no time to buy :-)) Diane
ReplyDeleteStina, I am sure you would love it, Diane
ReplyDeleteThanks JM, the river was particularly peaceful the day I was there, I was sorry I did not have the time to sit, relax and appreciate! Diane
ReplyDeleteCraig there are so many choices there that it is difficult to make up your mind if you want anything. As you say the colours are very vibrant. Diane
ReplyDeleteWow they have some fantastic collections. My wife will be like a Bull in a China store. Love the beautiful river pictures too.
ReplyDeleteI have been on vacation in my parents place in a jungle village in Kerala and could not visit any of my favorite blogs.
Sailor I envy you having a spell in a jungle village, I love getting away from it all!
ReplyDeleteI can just imagine you wife would have a ball in that shop it is hard not to appreciate all the china there. Of course you would love the river as a sailor :-) Diane
What a lot of porcelain! I could have spent the entire day in that shop.
ReplyDeleteAll Our Fingers in the Pie, Ha ha, very easy to do..... Diane
ReplyDeleteI love to play a game in pottery and porcelain shops - what would I buy if...
ReplyDeleteFantastic post!
WOW.. thats so much of porcelain.. thanks for the tour.. :)
ReplyDeleteOh! Diane, this is a wonderful china shop! Thank you for taking us on your shopping spree and tour on the side. It's so much fun following you to all these beautiful and quaint places where we can gather great ideas and scoop! Fantastic posts indeed!!!
ReplyDeletemichelangelo there is more to come from the pottery shop - watch this space....... Diane
ReplyDeleteI DO have to say-- Now THIS, is MY kind of shop!!! LOVE it!!! I would and could spend ALLLLL day in this shop!! I went with Anne to Anthropology in London (it's an American store) and just oggled over everything in there!! Ahhhh... thanks for posting these lovely pics!!
ReplyDeleteHave a GREAT weekend...
Leesa
Leesa a very easy shop to spend a lot of time in and a lot of money!!! You have a great weekend as well. Diane
ReplyDeletewow, that porcelain shop really has a HUGE varieties, i think i cld just probably spend 2 hrs there just looking at them before selecting and i really like that 3 tier serving stand on the floor.
ReplyDeleteLena in 2 hours you would barely get to see everything :-)) Diane
ReplyDelete