A lovely birthday in a beautiful place

I have taken you to Collonges-la-Rouge before, but I hope you don't get tired of it. We have been there several times and never fail to enjoy it all over again through the eyes of the new visitors we invite to experience this magic little village. Collonges is a great place to visit with little children, as cars are not allowed, apart from residents' cars, and they're out at work until late in the day.

Our friends Hilary and Keith gave us a lift there and my niece Laurita arrived with her family soon afterwards. We had arranged to meet at the restaurant where we were going to have lunch before wandering around the village. Hilary took this photo:

The children, Thomas and Nina (six and three years old), were shy at first, but once we started walking in the village and I started showing them some interesting things, such as the ancient communal bread oven, they were hooked. 

Nina asked if I have an oven in my house, bless her...

Collonges is a mystical place, with many tales of witches, fairies and knights in shining armour. The local shops reflect this:

    Creperie of "The Pilgrim and the Witch"

They were fascinated with the very long walk the pilgrims took from Rocamadour to Santiago de Compostela and the hospitality shown by villagers along the route. Collonges, like our own village, was one of the many stops en route to Santiago, and the welcoming shells are still very much in evidence.

Thomas was particularly impressed with the redness of Collonges, built with the beautiful red stones peculiar to the area. The village looks like something out of a fairy tale.

We had a really lovely time and I enjoyed my birthday very much. It was also lovely to come back from such a magic place and enter another one, our very own WTIOC, to be greeted by your warm and loving wishes. Thank you, friends, you know how to make an old girl feel special!