My Birthday in a Castle

Mr. Mickey gave me a royal weekend away for my birthday.

We stayed at the fabulous Graylyn Manor House in Winston Salem, North Carolina.

This is a view of the fireplace in the great dining hall.

The back view of the estate in the setting sun.

A fountain held huge koi fish.

A winding staircase led to a lower courtyard beyond the indoor pool. There was a rehearsal going on for a wedding which was held on the grounds on Saturday evening.

The hand-carved imported mantel in the sun-room embellishes one of eighteen fireplaces in the 46,000 square foot mansion.

The chess set in the grand entrance hall had splendid details.

This is another winding staircase found at the front of the building. The thick stone steps were built into the outer stone wall so that there was no support needed on the inside.

Hand-painted tiles were used in this fountain in the sunroom.

On the evening of my birthday, we dined in a private dining room with wonderful service and ambiance. My tiramisu dessert came with a candle and a serenade. 

The Mews was once the stable for horses and chickens.

On Saturday, we visited the Reynolda House, which showcases one of the world's largest American art collections. This was the home of R.J. Reynolds.

Later in the day, on Saturday, we visited nearby Old Salem, a historic district settled by a Moravian community in 1766. We had a delightful lunch at the tavern.

We also visited the hat-makers shop. 

This wood fired kiln was in one of the back yards.

Pumpkins were everywhere! Can it really be fall already?

In the afternoon, we returned for a delightful guided tour of the mansion with our Butler, Terry.

I am standing at Nathalie's writing desk.

The hand-carved wood panels in the library were brought over from France. They were carved in the 1600s and were still in perfect condition.

On our last evening, we dined at a wonderful Italian restaurant nearby the estate.

We lived like a King and Queen for the weekend!