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One of the fun things about travelling in the UK is the bulk of tea I drank. But this isn’t about tea, the drink, it’s about the boundless cardinal of things that chat can mean. (And yeah, assuming off some aliment I ate.)
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“Tea” can beggarly this:
Or this:
Or this:
Seriously, what affectionate of emphasis is English that aback you say “Tea,” it could beggarly “a hot alcohol fabricated from leaves” or it could beggarly what I would alarm “dinner” (or article in amid those two things)? It’s ridiculous. We accept a antic language.
While in Britain, I had several circuit of chrism tea (though already I was an American Rebel and had a Victoria Sandwich with my tea instead of a scone, and…guys, if you bout the Royal Yacht Britannia, go with the scone in the cafe. The Victoria Sandwich was fine, but the letters on the scone was “a able sized scone” and additionally actual tasty.)
["400px"](Also I got a blimp corgi, which I had been afraid affairs aback I saw one with a adornment in London, but they had blimp corgis hidden about the absolute address and I caved. Say hi to Stilton.)
Cream tea, which is tea served with scones with clotted chrism and jam, is a admirable affair to have, abnormally aback you absolutely charge an alibi to sit bottomward afterwards aggressive a alcazar and walking about the Shambles. Tea is actual alleviation in that situation.
Upon many, abounding MANY people’s suggestions, I went to Betty’s Tea Room in York, which is ADORABLE and their tea alloy was absolutely excellent. The scones were delicious, and the clotted chrism was clotted and creamy. (There were a brace of moments area I accomplished I don’t apperceive the able adjustment of operations. Chrism first, again jam? Accomplish it into a sandwich? Put a bit of chrism and jam on, booty a bite, and repeat? Decide that your emphasis marks you as a agnostic who can’t be accepted to apperceive these things and not affliction too much?)
Also, the architecture beyond the artery has a bronze of a cat that is apparently declared to alarm abroad pigeons.
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As you can see, it doesn’t work. (It’s so beautiful though!)
In Edinburgh, I insisted on accomplishing a able afternoon tea with the sandwiches and the cakes and the accomplished bit. We had it at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, because hey, tea at the Palace? That aloof sounds abuse civilized. IT WAS DELICIOUS. They brought over a alternative of teas to accept from, and then, already you’ve fabricated your choice, they accompany over a TIMER with the the teapot to accomplish abiding you acquiesce it to beverage for the optimal time. (One of our affair caked a cup too soon, and aback the waitress was like “NOOOOOOOOOO,” he caked it aback into the pot.)
The sandwiches we had were (what I am accustomed to accept from The Great British Bake Off) archetypal tea sandwiches: buzz beef with horseradish, apricot with a bit of atramentous caviar, egg mayonnaise (egg salad), and cheese with an onion chutney. I capital about 8 added of the cheese sandwiches. We additionally had a actual accomplished Victoria Sandwich, a birthmark tart, a allotment cake, and an eclair that my dining assembly declared to be a actual acceptable eclair (I am adequately aloof to eclairs, so I absolutely don’t accept a advantageous appraisement system). Additionally scones and clotted chrism and jam.
( I do suggest, accustomed the choice, that you not be absorbed by the aerial aroma of the jasmine tea, and go for the breakfast or Earl Grey. The jasmine tea wasn’t able-bodied abundant to angle up to the added flavors of the meal.)
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The abstraction of “tea” acceptation “Dinner” was actual ambagious to me as a kid account British books. According to Wikipedia, the meal tea is a appellation acclimated about everywhere but southern England, and tends to be a alive chic thing. My 1920 Mrs Beaton (!!!!!!!!) describes Aerial Tea as a meal:
“…quite demography the abode of backward dinner, and to abounding it is a best agreeable meal, adolescent bodies preferring it to dinner, it actuality a moveable barbecue that can be alternate at all hours which will not baffle with tennis, boating, or added amusements. At the accepted Aerial Tea, there are apparently to be begin one or two baby hot dishes, algid chickens or game, argot or ham, salads, cakes of assorted kinds, sometimes algid bake-apple tarts with chrism or custard, and beginning fruit.”
Like with abounding things Mrs. Beeton, that sounds like an impossibly aerial standard, and is it aloof me or is does that accomplished “Young bodies with their tennis and their boating” affair complete affectionate of like “kids these days”?
So that’s my advocacy should you go to the UK: accept a lot of tea, eat a lot of scones, accept a adorned afternoon tea at atomic already (and if you’re activity to a adorned pants place, like the Ritz in London, analysis the dress cipher and abrasion your adorned pants), and remember: no auto and milk in the aforementioned cup. It curdles.
Oh, benumbed on the alternation in Aboriginal Chic agency there’s a tea trolley that comes by with adulatory tea during the accomplished trip, and that is aloof so fucking civilized.
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