Chateau de Stylist.

Welcome to My Crib.

Well, grey-skied Manchester this ain't. A few weeks back, amongst the 20% off everything at PLT emails clogging up my inbox, I noticed something slightly more exciting. Booked holiday and a fair amount of repressed excitement later, I was headed off to City airport to catch a flight to Nantes along with Stylist magazine to Chateau de Stylist. Just to clarify, I wasn't invited as a blogger (lol, I barely even blog any more, no chance), I entered the competition they'd been pushing a little while and was lucky enough to be selected to head along too. As Facebook was telling me I'd spent this time last year slumming it in a tent at Glastonbury, I rocked up to a bloody chateau. I live a life of contrasts, it has to be said.

Before arrival, all we knew about Chateau de Stylist was that we'd be experiencing a taste of #ThisFrenchLife and the team would be creating an issue (out last Wednesday, pre-Bastille Day) on site. Little did I know about the five star treatment we'd be receiving. Our room suite wasn't one I was able to give up easily, and had the most amazing hamper of french pharmacie treats ever - with some Bioderma micellar water just in time to replace my kidnapped Garnier version from airport security. We were treated to Chambord cocktails on arrival, before heading upstairs to sample a little french sunset and head to dinner.

Of course, this trip was the perfect excuse to pick up another striped tee, this one courtesy of Topshop's Summer sale, and I paired it with my new love culottes and fit like a glove boots from Public Desire. Because, we were all about adding a little french je ne sais quoi to our time while we were there.

I've got another post on my second day there coming up next week, cos it was impossible to keep all that perfection to one blog post. Impossible.

What I Wore.

Topshop striped tee: £15. Alexa Chung x Marks and Spencer culottes: £39.50. Topshop fedora: £7. Public Desire Lia boots.

Where We Went.

What's On Insta.

Well, definitely didn't wake up here today 😭 #thisfrenchlife #france #chateau

A video posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 25, 2016 at 1:30am PDT

All packed for France with @stylistmagazine @chambordchannel tomorrow (a day early, despite watching the game last night. Somehow.) How's this for an invite? 🇫🇷 #thisfrenchlife #chambord #blue #theeverydayproject #thisjoyfulmoment #thehappynow

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 21, 2016 at 12:39am PDT

Actually can't deal with how perfect this is. Might need another @chambordchannel to make it seem real. #thisfrenchlife #france #chateaudestylist #chambord

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 22, 2016 at 9:03am PDT

Just chillin' at my chateau #cribs @stylistmagazine @chambordchannel #thisfrenchlife #ootd #topshop #marksandspencer #publicdesire #pdbae

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 22, 2016 at 11:33am PDT

Sorry I've been off my Instagram and blog game, I've been having a life (hard to believe, I know) #thisfrenchlife #france #🍴

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 28, 2016 at 12:48pm PDT

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Afternoon tea at Crook Hall.

Visiting Crook Hall Gardens, Durham.

After a day of getting my bearings and a night of drinking games (this girl never learns), we decided to go for a slightly more laid back approach to Sunday; you know, the whole resting thing you're meant to do. I asked if you guys had any Durham recommendations for me on Twitter, and Kelly replied saying that Crook Hall, along with a few other places, was worth a look in. As it didn't look like we were about to get pretty wet 'n' wild up in there, we meandered along the river to give it a go.

Of course, anti-histamines miiiight have been a good idea had I actually accepted that I had hayfever at this point. But, sniffles aside, Crook Hall gardens are some of the most beautiful out there. Clarity was on a bee-hunt (not all that hard, they'd definitely come out to play), and there were more peonies than a blogger could shake her Olympus Pen at. The gardens were split into different sections: from the surprisingly tricky maze that's right in front of you as you enter, to the Shakespeare garden (feat. bust of the big man himself), to the Cathedral garden with stained glass window shaped flower beds overlooking the Real Deal on the horizon, there's plenty to do here on a sunny day.

After a while, our poor little kinda hungover selves head over to Crook Hall itself where you were able to pick up a cream tea with unlimited (!!) tea for £3.60 - giving the South a great big finger, where this would cost at least twice the amount, for sure.

It wasn't long before I had to haul my bag and myself up that massive bloody hill to get the train home to Manchester, where Crook Hall seemed a lifetime away (because it was raining. Again. Of course.). Have you ever visited Durham before, or live there? I'm sure I'll end up there again before long, if not off to Newcastle, and will mentally make bookmarks of your recommendations if you've got any you'd like to share! brb, dreaming of those scones...

WHAT I WORE.

H+M striped top: £7. Fat Face denim dungarees (c/o). Adidas Superstars: £55 (I think, they're kids ones, anyway). Topshop fedora hat: £7.

WHERE WE WENT.

WHAT'S ON INSTA.

Hats off to the weekend 🕵🏻 #durham #boomerang #video #ootd #tb

A video posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jul 8, 2016 at 10:34am PDT

Promise I wasn't falling asleep, that's my plan for the train ride. 💤 #durham #crookhall #potd #picoftheday #ootd #zara #topshop #selfie #style #wiw #wiwt #fbloggers #fblogger #fbloggersuk

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 19, 2016 at 10:15am PDT

Give me five mins, and I'll find you a blogger cliché. #durham #thisjoyfulmoment #thehappynow #theeverydayproject #lovelysquares #peony #peonies

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 19, 2016 at 8:28am PDT

Always got time for a full English. Maybe not so much for the black pudding though... #durham #breakfast #brunch

A photo posted by Rebecca (@rebeccacohen_) on Jun 19, 2016 at 3:38am PDT

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Playing it cool on the set of Harry Potter.

Zara coat. & Other Stories top. Oasis jeans. Topshop hat. Tatty Devine speech bubble necklace. Adidas Superstar trainers.

Visiting Durham

Do you ever get it in your head that you're going to love a place, despite never having visited? Well, I did. I've been internally bigging up Durham for a long ol' time, and when I got wind of my pal Clarity moving there, it was only a matter of time before I'd booked myself some train tickets and was on my way up. I'm not even sure why I'd wanted to go for so long, as it's not like it's been repeatedly talked about online (yeah, you guys have massively killed any want to head to Brighton again, can you stop now?), and barely gets any mentions by my friends. I'm just going to assume that it's down to how much I like York, and just thinking it's an even further North version of that.

Thankfully, Durham lived up to my expectations, and then some.

Okay, okay, the weather's just as bad as it is in Manchester, but as my hair is now in a permanent state of frizzy, I was more than happy to wander from the train station down into town and head straight out for lunch. Clarity recommended a place called Leonard's Coffee House, and boy do they do a decent toasted sandwich. I mean, nothing will come between me and my love for Northern Soul's grilled cheese sandwiches (nothing, I swear), but this sarnie is moving its way up on my List of Sandwiches I Need to Master.

We then headed onwards and upwards to the Cathedral. Even if half of it is currently covered in scaffolding - damn you unphotogenic renovations - it's still pretty impressive, dominating the Durham skyline. Of course, I lost my shit when I recognised bits from the Harry Potter films, so got myself a cheesy lil snap "on set". Don't even try to pretend you wouldn't too.

I've got another post coming up on my second day of visiting Durham too (been storing these up for a while), so keep an eye out if you're a fan of cream teas and peonies like every single blogger out there. Hardly surprising I've been a bit absent from the internet when I've had to deal with such cliché delights, is it?

Where we went

What's on Insta

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