How would you feel if your Dad bought this on a whim? The current owner of Chateau de Conde had just that experience when he was a little boy. His dad, the architect Alain Pasté de Rochefort bought it in 1983 when the owner was still a child. The property was in dire need of restoration but was quite unique because of its Watteau wall paintings, Whilst that might not have meant much at the time to a little boy, the place is a real castle and a living fairytale and growing up there must have been very special (if a little chilly in winter!). It's perhaps because of that he loves watching children visiting his 'family chateau'. He's set up special treasure hunts for them - and appears to say hello and demonstrate a bit of magic in the form of a mirror hiding a special treasure. For me, that's what makes this place so special - a real #HiddenTreasure⁣ ⁣ #aisne #picardie #hautdefrancetourisme #instafrance #hello_france #francecartepostale #bns_france #discoverglobe #unephotoparjour #topfrancephoto #shootingtheglobe #igersfrance #magnifiquefrance #aisnetourisme #picardietourisme #igerspicardie #travelblogger #instatbn #writetotravel #instapassport #postcardsfromtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #ttot #tbin #travelblog #bbctravel #secretplace

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#Ad:Gifted I jumped the queue a bit to pop along to @BernardisLondon ahead of the @marylebonefoodfestival which runs from 24th to 28th April this year. It's a chance to try all your old favourites and some new things too! There are lots of my favourite venues taking part - including #Bernardis. For the duration for the festival they are offering 20% off the food bill, up to 6 people, a la carte only. So you too can enjoy this rather delicious dish of line-caught cod with saffron, pea and samphire risotto (or any of the other dishes we tried - how about whipped ricotta with black truffle, honey and thyme for a starter?). Do check out the festival website (I'll post the link in stories) as there are lots more special offers, classes and events.⁣ ⁣ #marylebonevillage #marylebonejournal #marylebonehighstreet #londonevents #marylebonefoodfestival #marylebone #foodphotography #instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger #instafoodblogger #TopLondonRestaurants #LoveLondon #londonfoodies #londonfoodblog #londonfoodscene #londonisopen #eeats #londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon #prettycitylondon #ig_london #tbin #instatbn

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This is the Cutty Sark. Take the DLR to - you've guessed it - 'Cutty Sark' and follow the signs down to the river where you'll find the beautifully restored clipper, part of the #UNESCO World Heritage Site at Royal Museums Greenwich. Built in 1869 as a tea clipper, it's unbelievable that this stunning ship was the fastest of its time during its years as a British merchant ship. She visited sixteen countries and travelled the equivalent of two and a half voyages to the moon and back. The Cutty Sark was originally built to serve the China tea trade, carrying almost 10 millions lbs of tea between 1870 and 1877. Today, she is the world’s only surviving clipper and this year, 2019 celebrates its 150th birthday. The name 'Cutty Sark' comes from the nickname of the witch Nannie Dee in Robert Burns's 1791 poem Tam o' Shanter. The ship's figurehead which you can just see in this photo is a carving of Nannie Dee with long black hair holding a grey horse's tail in her hand. And that nick-name is a reference to Nannie Dee's short 'sark' (chemise). Open to visitors, you can board the Cutty Sark and take a look around. There's even a little theatre on board. And, once you've finished you can enjoy an afternoon tea 'underneath' the Cutty Sark (literally!). A great day out for everyone. #ExploreGreenwich ⛵️ #CuttySark @royalmuseumsgreenwich #travelblogger #instatbn #writetotravel #instapassport #postcardsfromtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #ttot #tbin #travelblog #bbctravel #secretplace #ThisIsLondon #londoncity #londontown #thisislondon #londonlife #londonblogger #londonstreets #londonisopen #londonist #londonlove #lovelondon #igerslondon #ig_london #ilovelondon #londoncalling #londonfashion

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#presstrip Despite having been to Portugal multiple times, I haven't been to Lisbon since I was 30. An unfortunate encounter with Tequila Slammers for the first time meant I really have no recollection of the city at all. So I was really pleased to have half a day to wander around and explore. This is the Praça do Comércio the large square which leads down to the Tagus river. The square is still commonly known as Terreiro do Paço, because it was the location of the Paços da Ribeira (the main palace of the Kings of Portugal) until it was destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon earthquake. Despite the lack of palace, it's still a stunning space and a great place to get a feel for Lisbon life. And the sun was shining! What better reason to #passonsomepositive⁣ ⁣ #Lisbon @VisitPortugal⁣ #tapairportugal⁣ #tapportugal ⁣ @Tapairportugal⁣ #VisitPortugal #travelblogger #instatbn #writetotravel #instapassport #postcardsfromtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #ttot #tbin #travelblog #bbctravel #secretplace

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