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14 enchanting places that look straight out of a fairy tale

<p>Step right into your favourite storybook with these stunning and completely real places throughout the world.</p> <p><strong>Colmar, France</strong></p> <p>It’s easy to see why this small town in the Alsace region of France is known as “Little Venice.”</p> <p>Lining its canal – which is just begging for a lazy boat ride – are colourful buildings and cobblestone streets.</p> <p>Break out into “Little town, it’s a quiet village,” as you stroll.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaLTF9WO28T/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CaLTF9WO28T/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Colmar - France (@colmar_tourisme)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Bibury, England</strong></p> <p>Artist William Morris deemed Bibury “the most beautiful village in England” when he visited in the 1800s, and nothing much has changed.</p> <p>The enchanting town still has the quaint homes and rustic charm that any fairy tale should start in.</p> <p>When you live in a town like this, it’s hard to be unhappy.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CclXFe_DgAz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CclXFe_DgAz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by English countrysides (@englishcountrysides)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Hohenschwangau Castle, Germany</strong></p> <p>This gorgeous German castle is basically the real-life version of a storybook palace.</p> <p>Crown Prince Maximilian – who would later become King Max II – built it to replace its decaying 12th-century predecessor.</p> <p>King Ludwig II grew up spending time in this beautiful castle, but still wanted to outdo it when he got older.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJTSYI8s98t/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJTSYI8s98t/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Castle Travellers (@castle.travellers)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany</strong></p> <div> <p>That vanity project King Ludwig II used to outshine his childhood home? This is it.</p> <p>The results were so good, in fact, that Neuschwanstein Castle was actually the inspiration for Disney’s Cinderella Castle.</p> <p>On the top of snow-covered mountains in the winter, we can imagine it as the perfect home for <em>Frozen</em>’s Queen Elsa.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJlphhkj79M/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJlphhkj79M/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by VOYAGED by 9GAG (@voyaged)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Manarola, Italy</strong></p> <p>taly’s Cinque Terre is made up of five picturesque villages, but Manarola is among the most dramatic.</p> <p>The brightly hued homes seem to be hanging precariously onto the cliffs, but they’ve managed to keep from crashing into the sea for almost 700 years. Could it be magic?</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc6VmELvywz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc6VmELvywz/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Carmen Sol (@carmensol_palmbeach)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Rakotz Bridge, Germany</strong></p> <p>Passing under Rakotz Bridge in Kromlau, Germany, you just might feel like you’re on your way to sell your soul.</p> <p>So it’s fitting that it – along with other ancient bridges – are known as “devil’s bridges.”</p> <p>When reflected in the water, the structure makes a perfect circle.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTKDcs6MjdU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CTKDcs6MjdU/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Micha (@hobbyfotografie_micha_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Tbilisi, Georgia</strong></p> <div class="slide-image" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <p>In the middle of this old town sits a surprisingly new clock tower.</p> <p>Puppeteer Rezo Gabriadze gathered pieces from abandoned and ruined buildings from Tbilisi, Georgia, to build the higgledy-piggledy landmark.</p> <p>Quirky as it is, it still tells time.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccj9nGitSjP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccj9nGitSjP/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Грузия - Georgia - Туры (@georgiaforyou)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Bojnice Castle, Slovakia</strong></p> <div> <p>If we had to pick a castle for our princess dreams, this would be it.</p> <p>The medieval castle has everything we’ve always wanted, from tall spires to a moat.</p> <p>We’ll stay here for our happily ever after, please.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5wpbVrP6C/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CY5wpbVrP6C/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by SNM - Múzeum Bojnice (@bojnicecastle)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Multnomah Falls, United States</strong></p> <div> <p>Can’t you just picture a theatrical fairy tale fight between knights on this bridge stretching dramatically over this waterfall?</p> <p>Take a road trip to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon for your own fairy tale moment.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9uUQGYBWK8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9uUQGYBWK8/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Multnomah Falls (@multnomahfalls)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Český Krumlov, Czech Republic</strong></p> <div> <p>Sprinkled with charming red brick roofs, this medieval city would make the perfect backdrop for a fairy tale.</p> <p>But the biggest draw is the castle perched on a rock by the river.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/xcCAzfE22j/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/xcCAzfE22j/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic (@cesky_krumlov)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Château de Chenonceau, France</strong></p> <div> <p>If you think Versailles is the extent of France’s palaces, you were totally off.</p> <p>This gorgeous manor stretches over the River Cher and has stunning gardens open to the public.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/COpQlQIHN8l/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/COpQlQIHN8l/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Chateau de Chenonceau Officiel (@chateau_chenonceau)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Chefchaouen, Morocco</strong></p> <p>You might assume these bright colours are just a tiny snapshot of this town, but you’ll find the same magical views throughout the twists and turns of the “blue city.”</p> <p>Beyond its walls you’ll find en epic mountains towering overhead and below, with goats grazing on its green pastures.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBF0vStnm33/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBF0vStnm33/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by 🌍Morocco Chefchaouen (@chefchaouen_city)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Pelourinho, Brazil</strong></p> <div> <p>This historic neighborhood in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, doesn’t just have stunning architecture – the bright colours of the buildings accent its beautiful stucco work.</p> <p>It was the country’s capital between 1549 and 1763, when native cultures blended with European and African ones.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcVmGWnuGGs/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcVmGWnuGGs/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Dove Viaggi (@doveviaggi)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>Ghent, Belgium</strong></p> <div> <p>In this port city, houses are nestled right next to the canal.</p> <p>It sits pretty much smack dab between Brussels and Bruges, but this slice of medieval times doesn’t come with the same droves of tourists.</p> <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcruoFVtpFl/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CcruoFVtpFl/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Lucian (@lucian_ciursa_)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article first appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.com.au/travel/destinations/14-enchanting-places-look-straight-out-fairy-tale?pages=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.</em></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

International Travel

Dad claims tooth fairy left his daughter $600 for her first tooth

<p dir="ltr">Sydney Dad Bruno Bouchet woke up on Tuesday morning to a stunning surprise: he discovered that the tooth fairy had left his daughter a whopping $600 for her first tooth.</p> <p dir="ltr">He shared the discovery on Instagram, writing, "Far out! The going rate for the tooth fairy's skyrocketed since I was a kid. $600 for Juliette's first tooth!"</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXImU8lP0Vv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CXImU8lP0Vv/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Bruno Bouchet (@brunobbouchet)</a></p> </div> </blockquote> <p dir="ltr">2GB radio host Ben Fordham even commented, writing, “Juliette called me tonight. She bought a mobile phone mate. She’s wanting to buy a Spinaleze pillow. Keep an eye on her please.”</p> <p dir="ltr">While many commenters were shocked by the amount, pointing out that “back in the day” they received a maximum of $2 from the tooth fairy, others saw the logic, with one commenter saying, “Well with all the border restrictions tooth fairies have had their wings clipped for the past 2 years… so they’ve saved up big & are now flying around with more generosity….”</p> <p dir="ltr">Bouchet confirmed the story to<span> </span><a rel="noopener" href="https://honey.nine.com.au/parenting/dad-reveals-tooth-fairy-left-600-dollars-going-rate-skyrockets/52485e3a-01f3-4a46-8769-cf8b6e8af238" target="_blank"><em>9Honey Parenting</em></a><em>,<span> </span></em>explaining that, "I know it sounds like a lot of money but toys and tech for kids is so expensive.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We've been told by other parents that the rate is around the mid $500s - which just seems crazy but we don't want to be the pov parents in her group of friends."</p> <p dir="ltr">According to the media manager, the amount has increased in line with inflation. He said, "Yes it's an obscene amount of money, but we didn't want to be seen as the bad parents. LOL Dolls Houses cost about $400 now, not like toys when we were kids."</p> <p dir="ltr">Bouchet also told<span> </span><em>9Honey<span> </span></em>that the amount would decrease with each tooth, saying, “We were told to go out all guns blazing with the first tooth. The rate will drop to $400 for the remaining teeth."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Peter Dazeley</em></p>

Family & Pets

Royal bridesmaid reveals real truth behind Prince Frederik and Princess Mary’s “fairy-tale” meeting

<p>Princess Mary and her husband Prince Frederik shook the world when it was revealed they met by chance at a Sydney pub during the 2000 Olympics.</p> <p>However, a bridesmaid of Mary Donaldson, now the Crown Princess of Denmark, has revealed her friend’s seemingly “random” meeting with the royal isn’t quite the fairy tale we all thought it was.</p> <p>Amber Petty says Mary actually met her then-future hubby at an exclusive private dinner party with a group of royals who were in Australia for the Olympics.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.29117259552044px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837423/new-project-4.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/ed2d81a67624464ba5a05c216e300897" /></p> <p>“I’m sorry to break everybody’s hearts, but it’s not always about randomly bumping into princes in pubs,” Petty told Seven’s<em> Sunrise.</em></p> <p>“It wasn’t just a random meeting.</p> <p>“It was an organised small dinner during the Olympics and Mary happened to be invited and most of the guests happened to be royals.”</p> <p>“That’s really the truth... it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.”</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.29117259552044px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837422/new-project-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/7ca75598d75242d69269ddb542432dd4" /></p> <p><em>Mary Elizabeth Donaldson's bridesmaids, sisters Jane Alison Stephens, Patricia Anne Bailey and friend Amber Petty.</em></p> <p>Petty went on to say that Mary and Frederik were seated close together and quickly developed a “really lovely connection.”</p> <p>“I think they were sitting across from each other, which is obviously the perfect position to be talking and bonding with someone,” she said.</p> <p>“It was a very civilised, lovely dinner and it was the start of what would become a very big chapter for both of them.”</p> <p>Amber Petty is still relatively to the Princess and has just released her memoir, called<span> </span><em>This Is Not A Love Song.</em></p>

Relationships

“Anything but a fairy tale”: Duchess Meghan wants to set the record straight about life in the royal family

<p>The Duchess of Sussex wants the biography on her and Prince Harry’s life to be released sooner rather than later because she hopes the book would clear the air on why the couple chose to leave the royal family.</p> <p>According to an insider, the upcoming book titled<span> </span><em>Finding Freedom: Harry, Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family</em><span> </span>by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand is expected to be released around the world online on August 11, with the hard copy on sale from August 20.</p> <p>But Meghan seemingly wants an earlier release date, with a friend explaining: “If Meghan had it her way, the book would be released tomorrow instead of three months from now.</p> <p>“She said the book will finally set the record straight and show the world why they were left with no other choice than to leave the royal life.”</p> <p>Meghan wants readers to understand that despite joining the royal family, her life hasn’t been a fairy tale like many assume. </p> <p>She also wants people to see “the genuine person that she is” and hopes to “shatter this image of being a demanding diva,” added the insider.</p> <p>Meghan and Harry sent shockwaves throughout the world in January when they announced their departure from the royal family, and instead, chose to become financially independent, splitting their time between the United Kingdom and North America.</p> <p>While the pair have wealthy friends and a high-flying lifestyle, the insider revealed that Meghan “desperately wants to shatter this image of being a demanding diva who was rude to royal staffers and others on her quest for fame and power.</p> <p>“She said the book will help give her and Harry a clean slate. Meghan seems to think the readers will finally understand the monumental anguish and turmoil she had to endure with a stiff upper lip.</p> <p>“Meghan said people need to see her vulnerable side, something the book does in great detail.”</p> <p>Her friend added: “I think [Meghan] wants people to feel sorry for her, or at least have compassion for her and all she’s been through, which has been anything but a fairy tale.”</p>

Beauty & Style

Fairy tale castle

<p><em>Justine Tyerman out-stays her welcome in a medieval Swiss castle.</em></p> <p>I sat in a window seat at Chillon Castle’s great banquet hall, visualising the scene 600 years ago – dukes, duchesses and guests in their finery, tables laden with food and huge logs blazing in massive open fireplaces.</p> <p>Feasts at the medieval castle on the shore of Switzerland’s sparkling Lake Geneva were legendary events held over several days. The quantity of food prepared was astonishing. According to an account written in 1420, for every day of the banquet, 10 or so cooks prepared 100 piglets, 60 fat pigs, 200 kid goats, 200 lambs, 2000 head of poultry and 6000 eggs. Added to this was game killed while hunting - deer, hares, partridges, pheasants, and other wild birds. For non-meat-eaters, there was a variety of fish including dolphins, salmon, trout and carp.</p> <p>Chillon, built on a rocky outcrop surrounded by water, is the absolute epitome of a fairy-tale castle with a moat, drawbridge, turrets, ramparts with arrow slits, vaults, courtyards, spiral stone staircases, chambers and great halls.</p> <p>I lost track of time as I explored the entire castle, starting in the basement which resembled a Gothic cathedral with its magnificent stone arches.</p> <p>The earliest official mention of Chillon was in 1150 when the Counts of Savoy controlled the region. The Bernese took over the castle in 1536 when they conquered the Vaud region, and for the next 260 years, Chillon served as a fortress, arsenal and prison.</p> <p>In 1803, the castle became the property of the Canton of Vaud. A major restoration campaign was launched at the end of the 19th century and is ongoing today.</p> <p>Lord Byron, during his visit to the castle in 1816, was inspired to write The Prisoner of Chillon, a poem about François Bonivard, who was arrested in 1530 by the Savoyard Army and imprisoned in the basement. Byron inscribed his name in stone near where Bonivard was chained to a pillar for six years.</p> <p>Upstairs, I delved into the private chambers of the nobles.</p> <p>The Camera Domini was reserved for the Duke of Savoy. Remnants of murals on the walls showed animals and lush vegetation while lilies and crosses decorated the ceiling.</p> <p>When the duke wanted a bath, a wooden tub was placed in his chamber lined with a sheet to protect his regal rear end from splinters. A huge fireplace kept the room warm in winter.</p> <p>A spiral staircase, built around 1336, allowed the duke access to the ramparts above and his private chapel below. The 14th century paintings there were among few religious artworks to escape the Reformation.</p> <p>Another bedroom used by the Bernese rulers had running water and a stone stove fed with wood from an antechamber.</p> <p>The castle had a number of communal latrines which seemed to be a popular spot for selfies!</p> <p>The keep, the inner stronghold of the castle, dates back to the 11th century. Near the centre of the fortress, it was symbol of power and the place of last refuge when defending the castle. The keep was also used as an observation post, residence, storehouse, prison and powder-house. For safety, the door of the keep was high up and could only be reached by a ladder or drawbridge.</p> <p>To further disadvantage and slow down invaders, the keep was accessed by a right-turning, clockwise spiral staircase making it easier for right-handed defenders of the castle to wield their swords while descending and difficult for attackers approaching from below. Clever!</p> <p>The castle’s impressive weapons’ collection of swords, crossbows, muskets and pikes was on display in the keep.</p> <p>During restoration of the keep in the 20th century, stairs were added to provide access to the top of the tower where the 360-degree panorama on this pristine autumn day was breath-taking. The paddle steamer that had dropped me off at the castle jetty earlier in the day was churning across the satin lake against a backdrop of snow-capped alps.</p> <p>I drifted back in time to an era when sentries were stationed in the tower to guard the castle. The view of the lake and the alps would have been as magnificent then as it is now.</p> <p>Eventually, a staff member tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to leave. The castle was about to close for the day. As the sun began to set, I crossed the drawbridge and set off to walk along the lake-edge pathway back to Montreux. Little did I know what lay in store for me on the waterfront...</p> <p>See also Justine’s earlier stories in her series about Switzerland: <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international-travel/the-slow-coach" target="_blank">Part 1</a> | <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international-travel/in-the-company-of-mountain-gods" target="_blank">Part 2</a> | <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international-travel/a-side-trip-on-the-bear-trek">Part 3</a> | <a href="https://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international-travel/flying-by-train">Part 4</a></p> <p><em>Justine Tyerman was a guest of <span><a href="https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-nz/">Switzerland Tourism</a></span> and travelled courtesy of <span><a href="https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-nz/planning/transport-accommodation/tickets-public-transportation/">Swiss Travel Pass</a>.</span></em></p>

International Travel

How fairy tales have stood the test of time

<p>The Brothers Grimm have been dead more than 150 years, but they <a href="https://blog.calm.com/relax/lost-grimm-fairy-tale-is-first-ai-bedtime-story">recently released a new story</a> with a little help from artificial intelligence.</p> <p><em>The Princess and the Fox</em> was created after a group of writers, artists and developers used a program inspired by predictive text on phones to scan the collected stories of the Brothers Grimm to suggest words and similar phrases. Human writers then took over, to help shape the AI’s algorithmic suggestions into the latest Grimm fairy tale.</p> <p>The new tale tells the story of a talking fox who helps a lowly miller’s son rescue a beautiful princess from the fate of having to marry a horrible prince she does not love.</p> <p>But here’s the thing, the Brothers Grimm didn’t actually write their fairy tales in the first place. They collected them – from friends, servants, workers and family members. Fairy tales, of course, have always been retold. They come alive in the telling – whether that’s a child listening to an audio book in the car, watching Snow White and the Huntsman on DVD or singing along to Shrek The Musical in the theatre.</p> <p>The Grimms’ fairy stories were first published in 1812 and have never gone out of print. The Grimm Brothers were involved in the struggle for German independence. As part of the case for nationhood, they wanted to prove that Germans, as a distinct people, had their own folklore. They were political campaigners too, and among the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6ttingen_Seven">Göttingen Seven</a> who refused to take an oath of loyalty to the new King of Hanover when he rejected a more liberal constitution. They lost their jobs as a result and Jakob Grimm – like many characters in the fairy tales – had to go into exile.</p> <p>Since then Grimms’ Fairy Tales have been translated into a hundred languages and retold again and again. They have inspired thousands of other works, from Angela Carter’s <em>The Bloody Chamber</em> to The Simpsons’ <em>Treehouse of Horror</em>.</p> <p>Jakob Grimm wasn’t just a collector of folk tales either. He was also a philologist (someone who studies language) and lexicographer whose work is still influential today. As well as being a master storyteller, the ideas he developed are still being researched in universities. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimm%27s_law">Grimm’s Law</a>, named after Jakob Grimm, looks at how sounds change as they pass from one language to another – “P” tends to become “F”, while “G” becomes “W” and so on.</p> <p><strong>Happily ever after</strong></p> <p>The Grimms’ fairy stories are still passed down through generations. And even though the cast of princesses and swineherds seem a very long way away from the world most of us inhabit, the stories are still a crucial part of our cultural heritage. The stories the brothers found in Northern Germany at the beginning of the 19th-century now belong to everyone.</p> <p>As a child growing up in Oxford <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Ganz">my father</a> – a refugee from Germany and, like Jakob, a philologist – used to tell me the Grimm’s story of <em>The Frog Prince</em> on our Sunday walks in the grounds of Blenheim Palace.</p> <p>In my father’s version of the tale, the princess first met the frog by the lake – in reality built by Capability Brown for the first Duke of Marlborough – when she dropped her favourite plaything, a golden ball, into the water. When they lived happily ever after, the couple commemorated their meeting by putting golden balls on the top of Blenheim Palace. Now when I think of the story I think of Blenheim Palace, and I hear the splash of the frog in the lake, just as I thought I heard it long ago as a child.</p> <p>This is exactly what stories can do, they fold all of their tellers and places together – and therein lies their mystery and their magic – once a story exists, it changes how we experience the world. And that will be the only test of “the new Grimm’s tale”, <em>The Princess and the Fox</em> – whether it will be retold and come to life in the telling.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97042/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em>Written by <span>Adam Ganz, Reader Department of Media Arts, Royal Holloway</span>. Republished with permission of <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-fairy-tales-have-stood-the-test-of-time-97042">The Conversation</a></span>.</em></p>

Books

Exploring the land of the green fairy in Switzerland

<p>I stepped off the train in the little Swiss village of Môtiers in the Val-de-Travers region of the Jura Mountains fully expecting to see a host of fairies... little green ones.</p> <p>For this picturesque part of the Swiss Jura is known as the land of the green fairy, la fée verte, the birthplace of the infamous, oft-vilified, once-banned, powerful spirit, absinthe.</p> <p>The railway station and village in the Jura Mountains where we disembarked looked as neat and typically-picturesque as any other Swiss village, but our guide Lukas assured us that we had stepped into an enchanted land, la Pays de l'Absinthe.</p> <p>I listened for the flutter of wings and peered among the trees for a glimpse of green... to no avail.</p> <p>However, Lukas said we had to first partake of the spirit before we could see the spirit. The legend goes that those who over-indulge in absinthe hallucinate and see green fairies.</p> <p>All would be revealed at la Maison de l'Absinthe, a museum dedicated to the liquor regarded by its devotees as a "sacred libation".</p> <p>The history of absinthe, a high-alcohol anise-flavoured spirit distilled from the wormwood plant, is cloaked in mystery, intrigue, romance, secrecy, rumour and scandal - factors the Val-de-Travers plays to maximum advantage.</p> <p>Through the ages as far back as the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, artemisia absinthium (wormwood) was used as a remedy for stomach, back, dental, throat and menstrual pain, as well as a panacea for hair loss, mental illness, gout, rheumatism, loss of eyesight, protection against aliens and a cure for malaria. Quite an impressive list.</p> <p align="center"><img width="600" height="NaN" src="http://static.stuff.co.nz/1435712560/208/12113208.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;" align="center"><em>Absinthe artefacts and recipes from the 19th century. Photo: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>In a small town of Couvet in the Val-de-Travers, the first recipe for making absinthe into an alcoholic drink was created in 1797 and the first distillery opened in the valley in 1798.</p> <p>It became wildly popular in the 1800s and developed a cult-like following with the art nouveau set such as Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec, Charles Baudelaire, Paul-Marie Verlaine, Arthur Rimbaud and Guy de Maupassant. Some of them even became seriously addicted to it. Today, Marilyn Manson is one of its most famous devotees.</p> <p>However, over the years, absinthe garnered a wicked reputation and was eventually banned in Switzerland in 1910 for allegedly driving people insane and causing them to commit heinous crimes.</p> <p>The lobbyists against absinthe included religious groups that regarded it as dangerously addictive, psychoactive and hallucinogenic, and also beer, schnapps and wine producers, who resented its extreme popularity.</p> <p>The distillation of absinthe continued in clandestine stills in the Val-de-Travers, where authorities largely turned a blind eye and blocked nose (the scent of anise wafted on the breeze for miles) to the practice until it was eventually legalised again in the valley in 2004, albeit with strict regulations.</p> <p>Equipment used in a still that was once concealed behind a false wall in a cottage is on display at the museum along with examples of the ingenious means used to smuggle the product into other countries – hidden in pineapple tins.</p> <p align="center"><img width="600" height="NaN" src="http://static.stuff.co.nz/1435716174/010/12114010.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Equipment used in a still that was once concealed behind a false wall is on display at the museum. Photo: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>In the laboratory, we learned all about the production process and the ingredients used in absinthe recipes, some of which - wormwood, lemon balm, anise and mint - are grown in a garden there.</p> <p>The museum displays many fascinating antiques from the Belle Epoque (1870-1914) and a replica of a typical bistro, dedicated to the "heure verte" (the green hour), a time of the day between 5pm and 7pm when fashionable people met to socialise over a glass of absinthe.</p> <p>The mystique is perpetuated in an über-chic bar where 15 local varieties of absinthe are available for tasting and purchase. The cold blue-green back lighting and the rows of bottles with exotic labels add to the atmosphere of the experience.</p> <p>The age-old ritual is strictly adhered to in the pouring process. A sugar cube is placed on a slotted silver spoon on top of a crystal absinthe glass containing a measure of the spirit. Ice cold water is dripped over the sugar cube and into the glass where the water and absinthe combine to form an opaque milky blend, due to certain ingredients in the absinthe (especially fennel) reacting with the water. Striking the right balance between bitter and sweet is crucial, our guide says.</p> <p align="center"><img width="600" height="NaN" src="http://static.stuff.co.nz/1435712212/137/12113137.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Guide Montserrat Kassamakov presents a bottle of absinthe at the bar at the Maison de l'Absinthe. Photo: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p>I enjoyed a sip or two in a seriously-diluted form and saw no fairies, green or otherwise, but I'm sure some of the more adventurous members of our group saw whole hosts of supernatural creatures flitting through the woods.</p> <p>I loved the ritual and I'm tempted to introduce the "heure verte" concept to my friends in Gisborne . . . although we will probably stick to chardonnay.</p> <p>Ironically, the Maison de l'Absinthe occupies a former district courthouse, opened in 1750, where a number of illegal absinthe distillers were once hauled before a judge, convicted and jailed.</p> <p><em>* The Maison de l'Absinthe opened its doors in July 2014 and is one of 480 museums free to visit with a Swiss Travel Pass. It's well worth a look.</em></p> <p><strong>Infobox</strong></p> <ul> <li>To learn more about Switzerland, visit <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.myswitzerland.com/" target="_blank">myswitzerland.com</a></strong></span>. Click on the transport link for information on the Swiss Travel Pass.</li> <li> Flights are available with Swiss International Air Lines. Go to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.swiss.com/" target="_blank">swiss.com</a></strong></span> for details and prices.</li> <li>To stay at L'Hôtel Alpes et Lac in Neuchâtel, visit <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.alpesetlac.ch/" target="_blank">alpesetlac.ch</a></strong></span>.</li> <li>To find out more about Maison de l'Absinthe, go to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.maison-absinthe.ch/" target="_blank">maison-absinthe.ch/</a></strong></span>.</li> </ul> <p><strong>TRAVEL TIP</strong></p> <p>For ease of travel, buy a Swiss Travel Pass, which allows you to travel on all public transport in Switzerland - trains, boats and buses including the public transport networks of 75 towns and cities across the entire country. The Swiss Travel Pass (from three to 15 days) also allows free entry to more than 480 museums and gives holders 50 per cent off most of the magnificent mountain railways.</p> <p>There are many options, including the Swiss Travel Pass for Youth, which gives travellers under 26 years a 15 per cent discount and, best of all, children under 16 accompanied by a parent with a Swiss Travel Pass travel for free.</p> <p><em>Justine Tyerman travelled courtesy of Switzerland Tourism.</em></p> <p><em>Written by Justine Tyerman. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></strong></a></em></p>

International Travel

What Call the Midwife and fairy tales have in common

<p><em><strong>Rebecca-Anne C. Do Rozario is an Adjunct Research Fellow at Monash University.</strong></em></p> <p><em>Call the Midwife</em> has returned for its seventh season, taking the BBC period drama through to London’s East End circa 1963. The series follows the lives of midwives and nuns at their headquarters, Nonnatus House. Portrayals of childbirth on screen are not unusual today, but rarely are the women who labour, especially working class ones, so candidly celebrated - and presented as the chief protagonists of the story.</p> <p>In this new season’s first episode, a frightened, unmarried woman delivers a breech baby in a dingy tenement. She is brave, midwife Trixie Franklin tells her. This plotline echoes the show’s very first episode in 2012, when Trixie tells new midwife Jenny Worth that women giving birth in appalling conditions of poverty are heroines. In turn, Jenny passes this insight on to a mother who has miscarried, along with the Epsom salts to dry up her milk.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><iframe width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fWfAD0hVPLA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>The series centres on women’s acts of bravery. The desperate teacher who aborted her baby with a wire coathanger, facing potential criminal charges while she lies in hospital recovering from the subsequent hysterectomy. The young woman who delivers what appears to be a stillborn child in a caravan in the midst of a freezing winter. A grandmother who runs through the streets to bring an unconscious baby to the doctor.</p> <p><em>Call the Midwife</em> is a ratings success. Nostalgic and sentimental it may be, but it is also frank about enemas, bleeding, and inverted nipples. Each episode’s happy ending provides consolation and hope, earned through fear and hardship.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="369" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7268667/call-the-midwife-intext_500x369.jpg" alt="Call The Midwife Intext"/></p> <p>This kind of storytelling is rooted in a much older narrative form: the fairy tale. With a reputation for being saccharine and frivolous, fairy tales nonetheless frankly discuss motherhood and the suffering that leads to a “happily ever after”. The plight of a barren woman is a constant theme. In fairy tales, a woman’s labour can result in the birth of pigs, manifesting the lurid superstitions haunting early modern procreation. Those born with malformed or monstrous bodies feature not merely as villains, but also as long-suffering heroes, whose strength of character is rewarded.</p> <p>Giambattista Basile’s <em>The Tale of Tales</em> (1634-36) was the first European publication of a full fairy-tale collection, an earthy offering with many tales recounting physical experiences of pregnancy and birth. In <em>The Myrtle</em>, a peasant’s persistent pleas to give birth, even to a myrtle branch, are literally answered. Her belly swells, the midwife indeed delivering her of a branch, which she lovingly plants in a pot. Largely set in close urban quarters, Basile’s tales cheerfully narrate all manner of bodily functions and physical transformations.</p> <p>In late 17th-century France, the term “fairy tale” was itself coined by Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy and Henriette-Julie de Murat, aristocratic women of the court of Louis XIV. They were part of a thriving fairy-tale scene dominated by women writers, recounting in subversive fashion the cooperation of women in bearing and raising children.</p> <p>In Murat’s <em>The Pig King</em>, a queen is cursed to bear a pig. Murat describes the stages of the Queen’s unfortunate pregnancy and the act of a friendly fairy, posing as midwife, who delivers the baby pig. The fairy arranges for the court be told the Queen miscarried, thus preserving her reputation, while the baby is placed in a stable.</p> <p>Fairies, more powerful and majestic than kings, often perform as midwives, fertility specialists, and child carers in the French tales. Pregnancies are visible, pregnant women active. In d’Aulnoy’s <em>The Beneficent Frog</em>, a heavily pregnant queen dresses herself as Diana and drives a chariot, determined to rejoin her husband at their besieged castle. Though her intentions go awry, she meets a fairy-midwife to see her through a difficult childbirth. Pregnancy and childbirth become not simply an aside to the action, but part of the heroic journey.</p> <p>Disability, too, is represented in the tales. D’Aulnoy’s <em>The Golden Branch</em> has two heroes born with birth defects. The prince is hunchbacked with crooked legs, the princess gets about in a bowl, her legs broken. Just as <em>Call the Midwife</em> has dealt with the effects of Thalidomide and childhood polio, d’Aulnoy grappled with prejudice and mobility issues – the princess, for instance, improvising a pulley to reach the top of a tower as she can’t manage the stairs.</p> <p>Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, discovering the market for children’s books, began to redact such descriptions of pregnancy and birth as inappropriate. Their Rapunzel in 1812 shows the signs of pregnancy after the prince’s visits to her tower, but in 1857, she has twins out of nowhere. Yet, despite this, stories are still told today in which women’s experience of motherhood is central, such as Danielle Wood’s <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22401556-mothers-grimm?from_search=true" target="_blank">Mothers Grimm</a></strong></span> and Margo Lanagan’s <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2662169-tender-morsels?from_search=true" target="_blank">Tender Morsels</a></strong></span>.</p> <p><em>Call the Midwife</em> is part of a larger narrative tradition in which heroism is rooted in women’s experience of reproductive health. In a world in which women’s reproductive rights are still debated, such storytelling is crucial.</p> <p><em>Written by Rebecca-Anne C Do Rozario. Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.theconversation.com" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Conversation</span></strong></a>.</em><img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/90460/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/></p>

Joan Collins to be fairy godmother of a cruise

<p>Even cruise ships need fairy godmothers it seems.</p> <p>Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection has just named legendary actress Dame Joan Collins as the godmother of its newest "Super Ship", the S.S Joie de Vivre, with a spokesperson explaining that she will lend her personality to the vessel and bestow good fortune on all who sail upon it.</p> <p>Los Angeles-based Uniworld's parent company, The Travel Corporation, wasn't entirely sure they'd proceed with building the S.S Joie de Vivre after the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015.</p> <p>But after more than seven decades of transporting travellers to the City of Light, the company decided it was more important than ever to show its continued support to the city and its citizens.</p> <p>"It seemed fitting to invite Dame Joan Collins to be godmother of Uniworld's French-based S.S Joie de Vivre knowing she also is a great supporter of the majestic city of Paris where the ship will regularly sail from," the spokesperson said.</p> <p>Collins, who has dozens of film, television and theatrical credits and is also a best-selling author, has close ties to France, rarely missing a summer in the Riviera, where she has a house, or missing Paris Fashion Week.</p> <p>"A renowned bon vivant, the English actress also embodies the 'joy of living' philosophy that is reflected in every bold detail and gentle touch of our newest Super Ship," Uniworld CEO Ellen Bettridge said.</p> <p>The S.S Joie de Vivre will sail Uniworld's Paris & Normandy route, its slightly smaller size in comparison with similar cruise ships allowing it to dock in the hear of Paris.</p> <p>Able to accommodate 128 passengers, the vessel will feature two royal suites, eight junior suites and 54 staterooms, all with marble-lined bathrooms.</p> <p>And guests won't have to wait to get to Paris to embrace the French appetite for good food and wine with the ship's focus on farm-to-table cuisine and local varietals.</p> <p>The French-inspire furnishings, art and antiques have also met Collins' taste test.</p> <p>“I hold France and its City of Light close to my heart, and now, thanks to Uniworld, my ties to the beautiful country are even closer," the former Dynasty actress said. "I am honoured to be the godmother of the S.S. Joie de Vivre and welcome guests from all over the world to fall in love with Paris just as I have."</p> <p><em>Written by Lorna Thornber. First appeared on <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></strong></a></em></p>

Cruising

Video captures moment tooth fairy collects boy’s tooth

<p>Five-year-old James Hashimoto knows the tooth fairy exists – he’s got the video proof!</p> <p>Although it helps that James’ dad Daniel is a computer-generated imagery (CGI) expert and has helped bring James imaginations to life. James is the star of his dad’s YouTube videos Action Movie Kid.</p> <p>When James lost his tooth, he wanted to see the tooth fairy in action. So Daniel set up a surveillance camera around the his son’s bedroom to catch the fairy on camera. The above video is a “real” account of what happened that night.</p> <p>Have you ever helped bring your children or grandkids fantasies to life? Share with in the comments below. </p> <p><strong>Related links: </strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/infographic-explains-cat-behaviour/"><em>Infographic explains cat behaviour</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/09/15-pet-faces-too-cute-to-stay-mad-at/"><em>15 pet faces too cute to stay mad at</em></a></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/lifestyle/family-pets/2016/08/why-you-shouldnt-kiss-your-dog/"><em>Why you shouldn't kiss your dog</em></a></strong></span></p>

News

France’s Alsace is like something from a fairy-tale

<p>There are countless reasons to visit France, but when push comes to shove few people venture outside the major sights. But if you’re willing to venture a little further out than Paris and Versailles, you have the chance to discover something truly beautiful.</p> <p>Alsace, a fairy tale-like region sitting on the border of Germany and Switzerland might not as get as much attention from the guidebooks, but as you can probably imagine when scrolling through evocative photos in the gallery above, it’s well worth a visit.</p> <p>These photographs were taken by Sandra Rugina, who visited the beautiful region last summer as part of an extensive road trip through the French countryside.</p> <p>Rugina told <a href="http://www.boredpanda.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Bored Panda</span></strong></a> while she expected the area to be beautiful, “I was not expecting what I found… the little villages with medieval houses, wine chateau’s (sic) everywhere, flowers all over the streets and walls and very good food.”</p> <p>“Some of them [towns] are already famous, like Colmar, also known as little Venice because of the water canals crossing the old town. But personally, it was Riquewihr that stole my heart.”</p> <p>To see some of the beautiful imagery, scroll through the gallery above.</p> <p>Have you ever been to France? What was your favourite part?</p> <p>Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!</p> <p><em>Image credit: Bored Panda / Sandra Rugina</em></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/07/10-pedestrian-bridges-that-will-take-your-breath-away/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>10 pedestrian bridges that will take your breath away</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/entertainment/art/2016/06/female-and-male-models-used-for-mona-lisa/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Female and male models used for Mona Lisa</strong></em></span></a></p> <p><a href="/travel/international/2016/06/impossible-waterfall-installed-at-palace-of-versailles/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>“Impossible” waterfall installed at Palace of Versailles</strong></em></span></a></p>

International Travel

Mother creates fairy tale artworks with her iPhone

<p>At first glance at Ali Jardine’s artwork, it’s easy to make the mistake that the fairy tale photographs are from famous fantasy movies. But this creative mum doesn’t have a team of animators, or even a professional camera.</p> <p>Jardine takes these beautiful images of her daughter Pippin using only her iPhone camera and apps. For her, it’s a creative outlet that allows her to step into the world of fantasy through the lens.</p> <p>“I have always been a dreamer and having children of my own only increased my love of fairy tales and magic,” she says. “I created these images thinking of the stories we all grew up with, with the idea to take the viewer back to a simpler time of childhood.”</p> <p>Jardine’s imagination and talent has taken daughter Pippin on some amazing adventures. Through art, she’s stepped into the blue dress of Alice in Wonderland to explore a mythical pink garden and channelled Snow White in an enchanted forest. <br />These artworks have to be seen to be believed. Take a look at Ali Jardine’s beautiful photographs in the gallery above.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/12/ice-sculptures-around-the-world/">Ice sculptures around the world</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/entertainment/art/2015/12/artist-combines-everyday-objects-with-food/">Artist uses everyday objects to create food art</a></strong></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="/travel/travel-tips/2015/12/11-weirdest-museums-in-the-world/">11 weirdest museums in the world</a></strong></span></em></p>

Art

Little girl’s angry note upon discovering the tooth fairy isn’t real

<p>When nine-year-old Lexi discovered the tooth fairy wasn’t real, she didn’t cry or throw a fit. No, she did what most girls her age would not and wrote her parents a matter-of-fact note, frankly explaining that the jig is up: she knows the tooth fairy isn’t real.</p> <p>“Dear ‘Tooth Fairy,’ I don’t believe in the tooth fairy anymore,” she begins, and closes the note with a resonant “Ps. Daddy, I knew it was you last Easter hiding my Easter eggs.”</p> <p>Nothing gets passed this kid. See the full note below.</p> <p><img width="499" height="665" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/10224/1445528386-syn-ghk-1445440966-found-this-on-my-daughters-pillow-imgur_499x665.jpg" alt="1445528386-syn -ghk -1445440966-found -this -on -my -daughters -pillow -imgur"/></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/funny-things-grandkids-say-part-4/">The funniest things grandkids kids say</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/11/interspecies-animal-friendships/">15 unlikely friendships that will melt your heart</a></em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/lifestyle/family-pets/2015/12/life-lessons-from-grandparents/">Top 10 life lessons kids learn from grandparents</a></em></strong></span></p>

News

You won’t believe this this fairy tale-like Dutch town is real

<p>Imagine a little town where the concrete roads are replaced with a flowing river. A place were quaint cottages have thatched roofs and ivy-covered wooden bridges connect neighbours. This might sound like a description of a fairy tale land but this town actually exists.</p> <p>Giethoorn is a small town in Northern Holland. With a population of only 2600 people, it sees very few tourists and maintains a small-town vibe. The postman delivers mail by boat and flocks of ducks float along the river surface.</p> <p>Take a look at these magical pictures of Giethoorn and make a note to add this fairy tale town to your bucket list.</p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2015/12/air-new-zealand-named-airline-of-the-year/">Kiwi airline named “Best Airline of the Year”!</a></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2015/12/best-countries-to-visit-in-2016/">Top 10 countries to visit in 2016</a></em></strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/international/2015/11/places-to-visit-us-south/">6 must-visit destinations in American South</a></em></strong></p>

International Travel

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France’s Alsace is like something from a fairy-tale

Mother creates fairy tale artworks with her iPhone

Little girl’s angry note upon discovering the tooth fairy isn’t real

You won’t believe this this fairy tale-like Dutch town is real