Tuesday Tea Time:

One of my favorite things to do on my English day trips was to have tea, rather than lunch or dinner, at whatever fancy tea house I could find. All of the tourist towns have a special tea room: Windsor has its Crooked House Tea Rooms, Bath has the Bath Pump Rooms, etc.

After a few months back in the states, I was hankering for a proper tea, and I got it in Victoria, British Columbia. I spent a few lovely days there for Spring Break, and made a point of having tea at the Empress Hotel.

Everything was wonderful--the food, the special Empress blend tea, the attentive-but-not-overbearing service, even the soft music from a grand piano, played by a tuxedoed gentleman. I sat by a window overlooking the Inner Harbour on a magnificent sunny day. I wanted to stay forever.

I took a couple of pictures but really tried not to be too touristy with the camera.

The hotel itself is lovely.

Mom later bought me a teacup in the Empress' unique Royal Doulton pattern.

I still have one of those little jams--it's from Tiptree, in Essex. Essex, of course, is where I lived in England.