Just because they were old, beautiful or both...

So, if there is anyone still out there, I have to make a huge apology for being so unbelievably slack with updating this blog! I do have an excuse though, for the final week of my trip in Spain we got caught in a boat in 45 knot gale force winds, torrential rains and some rather large seas. So, in my attempt to avoid dying and killing the rest of my crew, I have to confess that blogging did in fact take a back seat. Suffice to say that my sailing skills are a lot better now than they were before I left. If this is not a good enough excuse for some of you, then perhaps you can relate to the enormous food stupor known to arise from copious quantities of Iberico ham, cheese and wine - well I've heard it interferes with typing as well. I was hit with this affliction. (I know that the gentleman at the antique fair is shaking his head in disgust at me right now - I'm sorry I don't know your name but please forgive me!)

So... while I wasn't typing I was thinking of you so did a little photo journal of all the beautiful old things that I saw. Most of them are antique in some way and range across many different centuries. It was lucky I didn't have a crow bar with me as I think Damien would have had to hold me back from dismantling some of things I saw and packing them in my bags. More photos to follow over the next few days. Enjoy!

This is a gorgeous 19th Century English Gainsborough Armchair - for those that don't know, Gainsborough is a 18th century Georgian design and

the genuine ones are very valuable.

A very beautiful traditional English drawing room that I went into while I was over there - it was full of lovely antiques this room and every corner you looked there was something else that I wanted... How about this for a lovely pair of Irish satinwood inlaid bookcases with secretaires.

Set of 8 19th Century exterior brass and glass lanterns. I bought these thinking they would be be amazing as pairs either side of a front door, across a balcony or down a hallway.

19th Century French butchers block which are still used widely in France in the butchers shops. I think would look cute as some form of occasional or side table or in a kitchen. Sitting on top is a 19th century butter churn.

Some beautiful peeling 18th century paint - I'm weird I know...

A very old mill stone, used over many centuries for crushing grain to mill flour. Grain was fed into the stone trench, a horse was harnessed to the outer end of the axle and led around in a circle to pull the wheel and crush the grain. I couldn't fit this one in the container!

A large pair of pierced brass 19th century spoons with long handles probably used for skimming vats, barrells. Nowadays they look beautiful as decorative pieces on a wall.

17th Century Spanish Armada Chest with its original key...look inside below and you can see the beautifully decorative but very complex locking mechanism. These were used as safes and modelled on the concept of pirates treasure chests.

Locking mechanism inside the Armada Chest...

A beautifully sculpted 19th Century French Art Nouveau bronze bust, signed and stamped with the Paris Foundry mark. I had to buy this one, couldn't help myself.

Doors from the Alhambra... amazing! Looks like they were designed to keep someone out.