An amazing view as the sun goes down on the medieval town of Monforte d'Alba, in the Italian region Piedmont. This is the view from the Boutique Hotel La Ribezza, off the Piazza Umberto. A romantic an exclusive hotel, 60km from Turin, its only 30 minutes from Alba and the main truffle fair, and is our base as we explore the area and the famous Alba White Truffles. @laribezzaboutique @langheroero #whitetruffles #langheroero #truffles #italy #italian #italiantaste #exploremore #ecxtravel #travelawesome #wanderful #writetotravel #luxfood #exploringtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #mytinyatlas #natgeography #darlingescapes #letsgobeyond #TBIN #TTOT @tartufobiancoalba #tartufobiancoalba #albatruffle #accademiabocusedoritalia #creattivecities #unesco

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#Christmas2018 is definitely coming! What better time to go to @TheDorchester for #AfternoonTea than in the lead-up to Christmas when the hotel is wonderfully decorated and The Promenade where tea is served has all the feeling of a grand Victorian house. The Dorchester still retains many of its original fixtures and fittings, despite being extensively modernised between 1988 and 1990. And, this year’s Christmas decorations include Victorian fairground horses and a whole avenue of Christmas trees, together with some pretty foliage and glittering lights. For more about the #Festive #Champagne afternoon tea, check the link in my blog! #thedorchester #DCmoments #christmasiscoming #thisislondon #brunch #champagne #foodphotography #instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger #instafoodblogger #TopLondonRestaurants #LoveLondon #londonfoodies #londonfoodblog #londonfoodscene #londonisopen #eeats #londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon #prettycitylondon #ig_london #tbin #instatbn

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I do love #DimSum and I also love @YauatchaCity. Ok so this is the PetitDessert, but it just happens to be so Instagram perfect I thought it needed to be posted. It's part of the YumCha menu at #Yauatcha on Sunday Afternoon until 22nd December where for £29 you get 6 x 2 dim sum. The perfect way to while away a lazy Sunday - and eat well too! The menu includes a Wagyu bun and black truffle seafood dumpling too, so it's excellent value (some of the individual pieces are priced at over £10 on the menu!!! oh and there's champagne, cocktails (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and some delicious desserts too! the perfect pre #Christmas treat perhaps? #yauatcha #yauatchacity #city #broadgatecircle #london #thisislondon #brunch #champagne #foodphotography #instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger #instafoodblogger #TopLondonRestaurants #LoveLondon #londonfoodies #londonfoodblog #londonfoodscene #londonisopen #eeats #londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon #prettycitylondon #ig_london #tbin #instatbn

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So, as apparently everyone else in the world says - the last time I was in #CheddarGorge was when I was about 12 years old. This photo is in #GoughsCave which is also home to the skeleton of the cave's most famous body - a modern human known as Cheddar Man who was unearthed in 1903. His near-complete skeleton has been dated to around 10,000 years ago. This time I was there to learn about the @CheddarGorgeCheeseCo who use traditional methods and unpasturised milk to create wonderful #CheddarCheese which is matured for up to 26 weeks, either in their own stores or in Gough's Cave where the constant temperature and humidity helps to age the cheese perfectly. We went along to take a look. Unlike the caves in Roquefort where I went at the wrong time of year and got to see plastic cheeses, Cheddar is produced all year round - and these are real cheeses. We got to taste- deliciously salty with lovely deep flavour. Unlike many other cheeses, there's no PDO for Cheddar so it can be produced anywhere in the world, but this is the only Cheddar produced in Cheddar Gorge! #travelblogger #travelphotography #instagood #instatravel #igersfrance #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #lifestyleblogger #travelinstyle #londonblogger #tbin #ttot #bubbles #girlswhotravel #lifestyleblogger #sheisnotlost #westcountry #LoveSomerset #LoveforSomerset #WestCountry

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#CoventGarden is gearing up for #Christmas2018 - I love this #MorrisMinor - a classic British Car for the memories it brings. When I was much, much younger I played the violin and my friend and mentor was a lovely lady called Ivy Cheeson who had played the 'cello in a ladies orchestra at the #CafeRoyale in the 1930s (doubling on banjo!) I couldn't drive and she would ferry me and my friends around to rehearsals and concerts in her vintage (1950s) Morris Minor. I have to confess we did sometimes feel we were taking our lives in our own hands. But, she was a very special person in my life - and I loved hearing her stories of the war - and playing string quartets with her. I do hope when I am in my 80s I'll have as much life as her - and will bring so much joy to other people. Here's to you, Ivy - every time I see a Morris Minor I think of you with the fondest of memories and realise just how lucky I was! Do you have anyone special in your past like that? #touristinmycity #beautifulLondon #TBIN #TTOT #prettylittlelondon #londonlife #LoveLondon #LondonisOpen #londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon #visitlondon #instalondon #prettycitylondon #ilovelondon

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So, this could possibly be my favourite winter dessert - sticky toffee pudding as served @TheSavoyGrill @TheSavoy - on the seasonal lunch menu along with some classic autumnal dishes including pumpkin soup with cardamom and yoghurt, pork cheeks with pommes puree and pickled turnip, rare breed sirloin and roast of the day. For me a rediscovery - this is where I used to love to go for a special occasion about twenty years ago. I've avoided it for YEARS out of fear it had lost that #English integrity - but I am LOVING the perfectly cooked, perfectly served food and wine we enjoyed courtesy of @RedletterdaysUK - you could do the same for £99 for two - could this be the perfect #Christmas treat? Many congratulations to the team and to @GordonGram for making this @GordonRamsayRestaurants something that manages to fuse the tradition of the #Savoy with contemporary dining #foodphotography #instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger #instafoodblogger #TopLondonRestaurants #LoveLondon #londonfoodies #londonfoodblog #londonfoodscene #londonisopen #eeats #londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon #prettycitylondon #ig_london #tbin #instatbn #Redletterdays #SavoyLondon #SavoyGrill

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A belated photo from the range of #koreantemplefood at the @kccuk dinner the other week at the residence of the Korean Embassy. We met executive chef Ji Young Kim and tried dishes from #Michelin starred #BalwooGongyang in Seoul . This is a beautiful lotus flower; in Korean temple cuisine, they use the whole lotus to represent “blossoming” of Buddhist enlightenment and it’s also the symbol of purity and rebirth. Warm water is poured over the whole lotus flower in a large bowl so that the petals spread across the water surface and the steeped lotus flower creates a tea. The Lotus has a range of different medicinal properties and is used to treat gastritis and insomnia #koreanfood #koreancuisine #koreantemplefood #buddhist #buddhistfood #buddhism #korea #koreanambassador #ambassadorsresidence #templefood #travelblogger #instatbn #writetotravel #instapassport #postcardsfromtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #ttot #tbin #travelblog

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What was the most memorable trip you made this year? For me, it was to Rodrigues. If you happened to be looking for an affordable #island paradise with a tropical climate, stunning sandy beaches and crystal clear seas, you might do worse than consider #Rodrigues, a small island about an hour from Mauritius. Unlike #Mauritius here the luxury of a sea view is affordable and the pace of life is altogether gentler. It's also eco friendly (plastic bags are banned altogether on the island and plastic bottles will be too soon). And, those lucky enough to live here are warm and welcoming. Look out for 'table d'hote' - not what I thought (a posh meal in a hotel) the local homes open their doors on request and will cook you authentic Rodrigues dishes for around £5 a head. What you'll find is a lot of fresh fish and Creole-style food with a good dash of Chinese influence. People on Rodrigues live simply. Even the internet seems to be made out of string and tin cans - don't expect to stream videos here. But, if that's what you are looking for Rodrigues may not be for you. I have to confess until I was invited to find out more, I'd never heard of #Rodrigues - it turns out that most of the people who come on holiday here are from Mauritius! An unspoilt island paradise - what could be better? Well, everything is reasonably priced - so, once you've got here, you might not ever want to leave! #SecretRodrigues #RodriguesIsland #Rodriguestourism #ThrowbackThursday #TBT #travelblogger #instatbn #writetotravel #instapassport #postcardsfromtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #ttot #tbin #travelblog #secretplaces

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I was lucky enough to be invited to preview the #TasteofTrishna #Diwali menu last night. It's available from 5th -11th November and will include 6 courses of delicious food (there's a full veggie option too, with choices at each stage). More on the blog by the weekend, but just to give you a taste for yourself, this was my favourite of the savoury dishes - a Red Leg Partridge chukka with curry leaves, black pepper, Indian onion and parotta. It tasted every bit as it looks. Diwali is on 7th November this year (though the celebrations go on a lot longer) and is the Hindu festival of lights, which symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. It always brings with it a wealth of very special celebratory menus, so if like me you love Indian cuisine, why not make it an excuse to explore for yourself! @TrishnaLondon is a #Michelin starred restaurant in #Marylebone, London which focusses on the coastal cuisine of South India. It's their tenth birthday this year - another reason to celebrate #Trishna10thAnniversary #foodphotography #instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger #instafoodblogger #TopLondonRestaurants #LoveLondon #londonfoodies #londonfoodblog #londonfoodscene #londonisopen #eeats #londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon #prettycitylondon #ig_london #tbin #instatbn

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The stunning sight of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Reims as the sun was rising. Built in the French High Gothic style between 1211—1345 and consecrated in 1275 the cathedral replaced an older church, destroyed by fire in 1211, itself built on the site of the basilica where Clovis I was baptized by Saint Remi, bishop of Reims in 496. This is a cathedral where kings of France were crowned. I didn't get a chance to look inside but was overwhelmed by the magnificence of this building (to get some idea of scale, look at the little stick person to the left of the central door...) Reims itself is the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine-growing region, and many of the champagne houses headquartered there offer tastings and cellar tours. I was visiting with the @ChampagneBureauUK the UK division of the French organisation @Champagne_Officiel that represents all the growers and Champagne Houses and just had an hour or so to wander around Reims and get a flavour for this quintessentially French city. #travelblogger #travelphotography #instagood #instatravel #igersfrance #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #lifestyleblogger #travelinstyle #londonblogger #tbin #ttot #bubbles #girlswhotravel #lifestyleblogger #sheisnotlost #CelebrateLife

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On a day like today, when winter seems to have started here in #London I'm yearning for the blue sea, sunshine and beaches of #StLucia. It's a stunning #Caribbean island with a tropical climate - lush green rainforests and beautiful beaches. Here's the hot tub at @RoyaltonStLucia where I stayed with #TravelStLucia - isn't it easy to see where the phrase #LetHerInspireYou comes from? The #Royalton is a five-star #luxuryresort, recently opened on the North tip of the island. There's Hideaway, an adults-only section and Diamond Club - with a butler service and private pool and beach bar, just to the left of this shot. All the rooms are suite size - with jacuzzi baths and walk-in showers. The resort is right on the beach, but there are also plenty of pools and even an indoor pool and hydrotherapy facility in the spa if you just need to get out of the sun! #travelblogger #instatbn #writetotravel #instapassport #postcardsfromtheworld #guardiantravelsnaps #ttot #tbin #travelblog #secretplaces #girlswhotravel #lifestyleblogger #sheisnotlost

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A tour of the crypt, which dates from the 11th century, is certainly worth doing when you visit Winchester Cathedral. As the crypt can be flooded for months at a time this is not always possible. I was glad to be able to join the crypt tour as this statue, Sound II, the work of the celebrated British sculptor Antony Gormley, is the first thing you see. The artist was so impressed by the crypt that he produced this work specifically for its location, as a donation to the cathedral. The statue is fashioned from lead out of a plaster cast of the artist’s own body. This life-sized figure seems to be looking at water held in its cupped hands. When the crypt floods, during the wetter months, the statue can be standing in water as high as its knees. Such an impressive sight! #lovewinchester @kingalfwinchester #winchestercathedral #winchester #travelblogger #travelphotography #instagood #instatravel #igersfrance #guardiantravelsnap #picoftheday #travellife #instatravelling #lifestyleblogger #travelinstyle #londonblogger #tbin #ttot #bubbles #girlswhotravel #lifestyleblogger #sheisnotlost #loveengland @visitengland

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I love oysters, so I wasn't going to miss the @BordBia #BestDressedOyster final. This was the overall winner, served in half a melon filled with ice. Judges were looking for two category winners – hot and cold – and an overall Best Dressed Irish Oyster. The winner of the hot oyster was Thomas Browne, Head Chef at Decatur London, won Best Hot for his New Orleans Chargrilled Oysters while, Conor Dalton, Sous Chef at @the5Fields, reigned supreme winning both Best Cold and Best Dressed Irish Oyster 2018. Conor’s dish, Sunshine and Iodine, had a staggering 14 different ingredients including watermelon, lemongrass, fish sauce and sea lettuce, was praised by the judges as being “refreshing”, “light” and “perfectly balanced”. Lucky guy wins a trip to Ireland to find out more about Irish Oysters. Suffice to say, I don't feel at all hard done by - having feasted on oysters and champagne all afternoon! Delicious! #londonblogger #foodstagram #foodphotography #instafoodie #foodbloguk #foodblogger #instafoodblogger #TopLondonRestaurants #LoveLondon #londonfoodies #londonfoodblog #londonfoodscene #londonisopen #eeats #londonlife #thisislondon #igerslondon #prettycitylondon #ig_london #tbin #instatbn

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