One of the things that surprised me the most on my recent visit to York was the quality of food throughout the City. This was part of a 6 course tasting menu at Arras - Veal Sweetbreads with coco bean, kale, ceps and coco nib - which was paired with 2013 Man O War ValhallaChardonnay - Waiheke Island from New Zealand. Sweetbreads are notoriously difficult to cook - badly done they are like little lumps of rubber. Here they were tender, melting flavour bombs perfectly paired with the coco beans, kale and ceps. Actually there wasn't a single part of the menu I didn't enjoy - it was a brilliant combination of fine dining and fun, with a meat course called 'Bavette with the Lot' (steak with egg, pineapple, bacon, beetroot, onions and ricotta for instance) and a grand finale of petits fours that were just like an explosion in a sweet shop. Fabulous stuff. I'll definitely be back when I'm next in York. @arras_york #TBIN #ttot @visityork #OnlyinYork #YorkAdventure #makeitYork #travelblogger #instagood #instatravel #instagramers #girlswhotravel #sheisnotlost #instatravel #instapic #instagood #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #lifestyleblogger #travelinstyle #londonblogger #visityork #foodstagram #foodphotography #instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger #instafoodblogger

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This is Poultry Cross - a market cross in #Salisbury. It was built around 1307, though the ornate canopy and buttresses were added much later when the cross was restored between 1852-5. It's a Grade I listed structure and you'll find it on the junction of Silver Street and Minster Street. Behind Poultry Cross is the Haunch of Venison which is probably the oldest hostelry in Salisbury. What is particularly fascinating about Salisbury is that, unlike most European settlements which have evolved over centuries, often dating back to Roman times or earlier, this City was built pretty much all at the same time. Following the cathedral's relocation, a settlement grew up around it which received a city charter in 1227 as New Sarum. The Haunch of Venison is thought to have originally housed workers for the Cathedral. I was lucky enough to have a private tour from one of Salisbury's blue badge guides and it was a truly fascinating experience. So, there's more to tell - coming soon on the blog. #timeforwiltshire @visitwiltshire #wiltshire #salisbury #instatravel #igerswiltshire #instabritain #photosofbritain #TBNTravel #TBIN #ttot #travelblogger #instagood #instatravel #instagramers #sheisnotlost #instatravel #instapic #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #lifestyleblogger #travelinstyle #londonblogger #GirlsWhoExplore #GirlsWhoTravel #SheTravels #TravelGirlsGo #TravelGirls

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#SalisburyCathedral is equally stunning from outside and in. I was lucky enough to climb the 332 steps up into the spire. About a hundred steps up into the spire you are rewarded with this view into the Nave of this building, a unique Cathedral that was started in 1220 AD and in the main, completed just 38 years later. It's in the Early English Gothic style with a tall and narrow nave, with walls built from light grey Chilmark stone and columns from dark polished Purbeck marble. More to come on the blog in the next few days. @SalisburyCathedral #timeforwiltshire @visitwiltshire #wiltshire #salisbury #instatravel #igerswiltshire #instabritain #photosofbritain #TBIN #ttot #travelblogger #instagood #instatravel #instagramers #girlswhotravel #sheisnotlost #instatravel #instapic #instagood #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #lifestyleblogger #travelinstyle #londonblogger #cathedral #worship #architecture #building

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Lucy from #LondonUnattached has been on the go again. Her latest piece is coming soon. Meanwhile here's one of her stunning pics. Don't forget to follow her feed. Regrann from @lucyonthego1 - I love the beauty of arches and pillars, and what a wonderful place to enjoy them at the Prince-Bishop’s Palace in Liège #picoftheday #photooftheday #liege #wallonia #girlsontour #travelblogger #arches #archways #travelphotography #instablogger #instatravel #architecture #seetheworld #princebishoppalace #shapes @walloniabelgiumtourism @londonunattached - #regrann

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I haven't been to #Gaucho Picadilly for years. So I was really thrilled to find such excellent food and wine on offer in elegant and comfortable surroundings- this place has evolved in the best possible way. We enjoyed a delicious seafood sampler of Soft shell crab & chimi slaw, Tuna ceviche and Salmon carpaccio. Then we moved on to steak. I ordered the Churrasco de lomo, a lean cut of meat marinated in garlic, parsley and olive oil Delicious - and actually far too much for one person. But, I had a good try. Sides of skinny fries, rocket salad with parmesan and truffled baked gnocchi together with a delicious Béarnaise. The point about Gaucho is that the beef is exclusive to them and is sourced solely from the Pampas in Argentina. Naturally grass fed, sweet and beautifully tender, it's STILL a personal favourite of mine. Gaucho have their own vineyards and we enjoyed some excellent Malbec with the steak too. And, the service was impeccable - this is somewhere that every member of the team pulls together and everyone knows what they are serving. @gauchogroup #lifestyleblogger #londonblogger #foodstagram #foodphotography #instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger #instafoodblogger #TopLondonRestaurants #LoveLondon #londonfoodies #londonfoodblog #londonfoodscene #londonisopen #eeats #londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon #instalondon #prettycitylondon #ig_london #tbin #instatbn #steakhouse

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Date night with Lena involves making sure she's well fed before I try to eat my own supper or I get no peace. In this case she enjoyed a sachet of Whiskers Casserole and promptly did what cats do best - and fell asleep on the sofa. Meanwhile, I enjoyed a tarragon cream chicken casserole with wild rice. The recipe and more about what *I* ate is on the blog (link in my profile) while you can buy Whiskers Casserole from good supermarkets! You'll also find more about my little diva cat Lena on the blog - she does really rule my life! #CatsofInstagram #Tiffanie #AsianCat #DateNightWithMyCat #catstagram #instacat #catoftheday #catsagram #ilovemycat #instagramcats #catlovers #lovecats #caturday #adoptdontshop #cats_of_instagram #catsofig #catsofinsta #cutecats #Spon

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Sticky Toffee Pudding is one of those desserts you should always save space for. I'm not sure that I really DID have space, but I managed to pretty much lick my plate clean. I was truly impressed with #TheRise - which is the casual dining restaurant at The Grand Hotel and Spa where I stayed in #York last week. If this is their 'second' restaurant then I definitely need another trip to try the fine dining restaurant, Hudson, also run by head chef Craig Atchinson. I wasn't sure of the origin of Sticky Toffee Pudding (I had an inkling it came from Cartmel in the Lake District). I've been checking and there are two potential 'original' recipes in the UK - but the most likely source is from a Lancashire cook, Mrs Martin, who was taught how to make it by two Canadian air force officers who had lodged at her hotel during the Second World War. It is now regarded as a modern British classic - and here at The Rise, the Sticky Toffee Pudding comes with Medjool Dates and Toffee Sauce and a side of ginger ice. Truly delicious, not too heavy and yet wonderfully sticky it was the perfect end to an excellent meal. All in, the food in York was really excellent and I will be sharing some of the fabulous dining experiences I had on the blog. Congratulations to @thegrandyork @craig_atchinson - definitely a destination restaurant! #TBIN #ttot @visityork #OnlyinYork #YorkAdventure #makeitYork #travelblogger #instagood #instatravel #instagramers #girlswhotravel #sheisnotlost #instatravel #instapic #instagood #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #lifestyleblogger #travelinstyle #londonblogger #visityork #foodstagram #foodphotography #instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger #instafoodblogger

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#BaskinRobbins is the world’s largest chain of ice-cream speciality shops, and the hot weather has given me the perfect excuse to indulge a little (or actually quite a lot) of their amazing selection. Now that the weather has cooled down just a little, I’ve had the perfect excuse to order my favourite chocolate chip with chocolate sauce ice-cream on a warm waffle. But I think I need to explore some more – there are more than 1,300 ice-cream flavours to try and goodies including cones, ice-cream cakes and crepes. What’s your favourite #BaskinRobbins ice-cream? #Ad @BaskinRobbins.UK #lifestyleblogger #londonblogger#foodstagram #foodphotography#instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger#instafoodblogger #LoveLondon#londonfoodies #londonfoodblog#londonfoodscene #londonisopen #eeats#londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon#instalondon #prettycitylondon #ig_london #tbin #instatbn

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The Shambles in York are now full of quirky boutiques, chocolate shops but in Medieval times they would have been an open-air slaughterhouse and meat market where butchers killed and dressed animals for consumption. The pavements on either side of the street are raised up, this was done to create a channel which the butchers would wash away their waste through; offal and blood would gush down Shambles twice weekly Today the Shambles in York is Europe's most visited street, attracting tourist, shoppers and business clients. It is York 's oldest street and Europe's best preserved Medieval street. It really is a very special place. You'll be sure to find a 'Harry Potter' contingent too as this was the inspiration for Diagon Alley and when they came to build the set for the #harrypotter movies, the film designers came to visit to study the real-life version of JK Rowling’s fictional thoroughfare. #TBIN #ttot @visityork #OnlyinYork #YorkAdventure #makeitYork #travelblogger #instagood #instatravel #instagramers #girlswhotravel #sheisnotlost #instatravel #instapic #instagood #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #lifestyleblogger #travelinstyle #londonblogger #visityork #theshambles #theshamblesyork

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During August, York is thronging with visitors and #YorkMinster is a popular destination. But, as the sun fades, the area quietens down while the Minster itself seems to glow bathed in the evening light. The first Minster was a wooden construction built in 627 and a stone structure was completed in 637 by Oswald, dedicated to Saint Peter. Most of what you see today dates from the 13th Century. The wide nave was constructed from the 1280s on the Norman foundations and the outer roof was completed in the 1330s, but the vaulting was not finished until 1360. Construction continued and the cathedral was declared complete and consecrated in 1472 Now it's very much a living Cathedral thronging with visitors and pilgrims and hosting events open to all. I've sung with a visiting choir here and have a special affection for the place as a result. #TBIN #ttot @visityork #OnlyinYork #YorkAdventure #makeitYork #travelblogger #instagood #instatravel #instagramers #girlswhotravel #sheisnotlost #instatravel #instapic #instagood #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #lifestyleblogger #travelinstyle #londonblogger @york_minster_official #placestovisit #york #minster #cathedral #worship #architecture #building #visityork

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It's a while since I visited York - and I've never really had time to look round. So, the last few days have been quite magical, with a chance to see this historic City. This is Clifford's Tower, which was built by William the Conqueror and is all that remains of his original castle which was one of the two motte and bailey castles he built in York in 1068-69. At one time the tower was a gaol and held some very famous people, including George Fox, the founder of the Quakers and Dick Turpin, the notorious highwayman. It was also the site of one of the worst anti-Semitic massacres of the Middle Ages. The Jewish community of York included a number of money lenders. As a number of the local Christian gentry owed considerable sums, they egged on an angry mob, such that the entire community of some 150 people took refuge inside the tower. Many of them chose to commit suicide rather than be murdered or forcibly murdered. One of the worst anti-Semitic massacres of the Middle Ages took place in York in 1190. The city’s entire Jewish community was trapped by an angry mob inside the tower of York Castle. Most members of the community chose to commit suicide rather than be murdered or forcibly baptised by the attackers. After killing their wives and children they set fire to the wooden keep and killed themselves. While I've been in York I've found a wealth of stories - some positive like the tales of the Quaker Community and their influence on society at the time - some horrific like this one of the Jewish Massacre. They are all part of history and shouldn't be forgotten. #TBIN #ttot @visityork #OnlyinYork #YorkAdventure #makeitYork #travelblogger #instagood #instatravel #instagramers #girlswhotravel #sheisnotlost #instatravel #instapic

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We are so proud of our Lucy!!! She has been taking part.along with some of the top travel and food bloggers in the UK in a photography challenge. I love her pic -it encapsulates British summer for me. Heres what she had to say... Regrann from @lucyonthego1 - Last night I went to the Herrick Gallery in Mayfair where I was proud to see my photograph on display alongside other digital influencers images. I have really enjoyed taking part in an exciting mobile photography project with Samsung and @threeuk with a S9. What a joy to be able to indulge my passion for photography! @londonunattached @traverseevents #samsungs9 #threeuk @herrickgallery #mobilephonephotography #goroam #threegallery #instablogger #picoftheday #herrickgallery #travelblogger #travelphotography #instatravel #instapic #regrann #tbin

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While I've been sitting in my back garden, Kay has been off on an action-packed summer trip. More coming soon on the blog, but for now here's what she has to say:- Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps at 4810m above sea level, looking dazzling and white against a bright blue sky, you can see why it has its name of the white mountain. Mont Blanc dominates the landscape above the town of Chamonix-Mont-Blanc in France, an area surrounded by high mountain peaks and around 121 glaciers - it's certainly a dramatic place to visit in winter or summer. I was a guest of Inghams at the Hotel la Sapiniere in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc. We went up the Aiguille du Midi cable car, which takes you up the mountain in two stages, to the highest point where viewing platforms give you the impression you are on top of the world. The view of this iconic mountain was amazing and a memory I will certainly treasure. @InghamsHolidays, @ChamonixMontBlanc #travelblogger #travelphotography #travel #instagood #instatravel #instagramers #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #girlswhotravel #lifestyleblogger #sheisnotlost #travelinstyle #londonblogger #MontBlanc #chamonix #france #mountains #montebianco #vscocam #blogueuse #hello_france #topfrancephoto #ig_france #instadaily #travelgram

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