I am often asked how I can possibly drink hot tea in Florida in the summer.
It is a reasonable question. Florida is not exactly short on sunshine, and during the summer months the combination of heat and humidity can make the simple act of walking from the front door to the car feel like an expedition. Yet after more than 35 years in Florida, I still begin most mornings with a cuppa.
And I mean a hot cuppa.
Continue reading “Why Do We Drink Hot Tea When It’s Hot?”
For someone who is well educated, I have my moments of utter idiocy.
Most recently, I was standing in London’s Grosvenor Square awaiting my tour and tea at The Chancery Rosewood, musing that the US Embassy was located somewhere in the vicinity. I looked at all four sides of the Square, trying to identify the embassy, before finally realizing that I was looking directly at it.
And that The Chancery Rosewood was, indeed, the very same building.
Continue reading “Afternoon Tea at The Chancery Rosewood, London”
During my last trip to Ireland, I had four afternoon teas in one week. With the exception of one, which was for Mother’s Day, the other three were all billed as a “light lunch.” If you’ve ever been to Ireland, you’ve more than likely been regaled with this concept as a heaping plate of food is placed in front of you.
I’m not complaining. It’s part of what makes Irish hospitality so great, and I love the food.
Continue reading “Afternoon Tea at Aghadoe Heights, Killarney”
What is it about this quintessentially British habit?
I’ve lived in the United States for more than three decades, but I still find myself wandering absent-mindedly into the kitchen sometime between three and four in the afternoon, thinking that now would be a very good time for a cup of tea.
Friends and colleagues invariably smile and tell me it’s because I’m British.
I’ve always resisted that explanation. After all, I haven’t drunk milk in years, so I’m more likely to be reaching for a cup of ginger or herbal tea than a pot of Assam. And, thanks to my years studying nutrition, I’m not necessarily looking for the obligatory cake or biscuit to accompany it.
And yet, there I am. Tea kettle on.
Continue reading “Why Afternoon Tea?”
