Tea Time

 Bread and water can so easily be toast and tea.  ~ Anonymous

Vintage tea set at the Jane Austen Centre, complete with tea caddy

One of the classic things about England that I love is tea.  Now, I need to clarify because the word "tea" actually has different meanings here in the UK.....and I think it may sometimes be used as a verb!  Tea can mean dinner, as in, "I made himself sausages for tea last night".  There's also afternoon tea, high tea and a quick "cuppa".

The tea I am referring to is the formal afternoon tea, served with delicate cucumber sandwiches, scones and clotted cream, and assorted cakes.  It is a beautiful, and delicious, tradition!  We've been fortunate enough to enjoy the full formal tea twice in our year here.  Our first tea was at the historic Betty's in York.

Tea in the Belmont Room at Betty's in York

The Belmont room at Betty's was inspired by the art deco elegance of the Queen Mary. The servers are dressed in vintage pinstripe aprons over crisp white shirts and long skirts.  The tea is served in silver pots alongside elegant tiered plates full of scrumptious treats.  It was October and we relaxed in the warmth and beauty of this historic tea room for most of the afternoon.

"There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea." ~ Bernard-Paul Heroux

A gracious welcome to the Jane Austen Centre in Bath

This weekend we enjoyed afternoon tea at the Regency Tea Room at the Jane Austen Centre in Bath.  Here the waitresses were dressed in empire waist,  Elizabeth Bennett style dresses.  Entitled "Tea with Mr. Darcy", our menu included champagne; a fitting addition since we were celebrating Abbie's 17th birthday.

"Champagne is like a giggle in a bottle" - The Nana  

Tea with Mr. Darcy

Bath is a wonderful city, a great place to walk.  We had spent most of the morning exploring, spending time along the Avon, Queen's Square, the Royal Crescent, the Circus, The Abbey and, of course, the Roman baths.  So it was lovely to rest and spend time talking over a very special cup of tea.

European Bakery will have to wait for next year!

The Nana

The Cafe Java Queen enjoys a formal cup of tea

There is a great deal of poetry and fine sentiment in a chest of tea.  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A well-deserved honor