It's Tea Time!

Now, I know some of you are thinking, and possibly hoping, that I'm about to spill some more tea - but I've said all I need to say on that subject. If that's what you're here for, you should probably go find something more meaningful to do with your life. This post is about the tea you drink. 

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten season and when I officially give up coffee for 40 days. I've lost count as to what number year this is, but it's been at least 25 consecutive years of coffee-free Lent...most likely closer to 30 years though. To compensate for the loss of caffeine, I take up tea from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday. Thankfully, last year we decided to do London before Florence, arriving in Florence on Holy Saturday night - I would've enjoyed my favorite city less if I couldn't have my daily Florentine cappuccino.     

While I will continue my consumption of tea in the absence of coffee, what's different this year is that the tea will exclusively be British tea brought back from London. I've made (too) many trips to London these past 9 months and one thing I've learned is that British tea is far superior to what we have on this side of the Pond. I'm not just talking about American tea vs British tea. I'm also talking about the British tea sold in the States vs the British tea sold in England. It's different. Same company (Twinings, anyone?), same "type" (e.g., Early Grey, Lady Grey, English Breakfast), but different taste. 

The same is true for other types of drinks, which anyone whose been anywhere else in the world knows. For example, Diet Coke tastes different in different countries (plug for The World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta where you can try different Coke drinks from across the world in the huge tasting room). But, I digress.

If you ever find yourself in London, make your way to the flagship Twinings store on The Strand. It's practically across the street from St. Paul's Cathedral and can be reached by tube or bus (or put on those trainers and get walking). This Twinings store is centuries old - probably over 300 years old - and has a small tasting bar in the back. They will make any type of tea for you to taste. I picked up a lovely spiced apple and vanilla tea when I was there in November. So good. 

I already set up my own little tea bar for the next 40 days. I think I'll kick it off with a cuppa of Assam with a splash of cream and some sugar (I am an American, after all).

Cheers! 

Bonus fun fact: London used to be a coffee city - until mass importing of tea became possible in the early 18th Century (that's early 1700s for those who are century challenged)

We are a theatre family - patrons, not talent (although my mom does love to be on stage). Unlike NYC's Broadway, London's West End theatres are spread throughout Central London, which happens to be West of the City of London - hence the name "West End."  Whenever we're in London, we try to see multiple shows and this year was no exception. 

In April we saw The Lion King, Guys & Dolls, and Mamma Mia. My brother and his family also saw The Mousetrap while my parents and I went to Royal Albert Hall to see The Music of Bond. 

In November we saw Backstairs Billy (twice), Tina The Musical, and Crazy for You. 

Incidentally, we also take advantage of Broadway and saw Sweeney Todd, New York, New York, and Gutenberg, The Musical this year. 

It is such a privilege to enjoy the arts; I wish it were more accessible to more people. Also, music and art programs should be kept in schools so that all students have access to them.

If you're able to get to London at Christmastime, DO IT!   Most of the Christmas lights go up in early November and are so beautiful. I highly recommend a Christmas Lights Tour. Starting mid-November, there are many to choose from. We opted for the 3-hour tour from Black Taxi Tour London, which was given by Stella. This tour suited our needs, as we preferred a private tour and wanted to get out to walk around. I'm not aware of any Christmas lights bus tours that give the option to walk around. Also, London streets tend to be quite narrow; the taxi is able to go down streets that buses might not be able to.

I was so excited to visit the Christmas Markets, but they were woefully underwhelming. I was expecting much larger markets with more merchandise. Instead, the markets are a bit small and offer mostly hot foods. Regardless, they were beautifully decorated and nice to walk around.