My 26th

I realised I never mentioned it was my birthday last week. It was a pretty quiet day because it was the first day of placement (boo) so I spent my day there then at home... so that was deeply thrilling. I don't really feel older because on the run up to my birthday I kept telling people I was 26 before I even was, this has been going on for at least 2 months... I think I have early onset dementia. 

Anyways, before my actual birthday I met up with a couple girls from my cohort and we went for afternoon tea (I know, I know, it's an obsession), we went to the Georgian House Hotel on St Giles in Norwich. 

It was really nice there actually, surprisingly nice. Afternoon tea cost £13.50 and you got unlimited hot drinks, four sandwiches, one cheese scone, one fruit scone (by the way, if you pronounce 'scone' as scohhhwwne instead of scon then you're pretentious AND lame!), one mini victoria sponge cake, a flapjack, a mini lemon meringue AND a super rich chocolate truffle thing.  

That is a lot for £13.50 and the staff we were so so attentive, they were really friendly. Also they wrapped up left overs for our sick friend like a swan... awww... you guys. 

So yeah that was nice and happy birthday to me, one step closer to death... I mean my thirties. Ho hum. 

Two For Tea

My dear pal Crissy is visiting from Australia to get married and have a catch up with everyone so we met up the other day, look what she brought me... chicken flavoured salt... how clement. 

As you know I love afternoon tea and we took a little trip out to Biddy's Tea Room in Norwich. 

It was really sweet in there, I loved the décor. 

Foolishly, they seated us next to the cakes. We were tempted to pick berries off of the cakes secretly but we resisted. 

I got a lavender scone with lemond curd and stilton and apple sandwiches which were so good but Crissy opted for a cheese scone and smoked salmon sandwiches. 

They were so goooooood. And it only cost £18.95 for both of us, bargain!

Last day - New York

So I flew back from New York and that meant a long old drive back to JFK to park up, not long because of distance but long because of the insane traffic. It was just gridlock almost the entire way. It was Kim's birthday too so to say sorry for making her drive to JFK and back and to wish her a happy birthday we went to a spa in New York called Aire Baths. It was all fancyyy. We walked in and got special wristbands that unlocked out lockers where we had a robe and slippers and a towel. There was this attendant there that was hovering over us trying to be helpful (which she was) but it was like having a servant, she even insisted that she squeeze out our swimsuits after and put them in little ziplock bags for us. 

I had to steal this photo of the baths cuz I didn't take my phone in there. There were all different pools, a tepid one, a hot one, two freezing cold ones, a jacuzzi one and a salt water one where you floated. There was also showers and a really big steam room, a warmed marble seating area and curtained areas for massages, candles were absolutely everywhere. We each had a massage, mine was really good and relaxing.

You got two hours in the spa which was just the right time and then we got out and got showered and dressed. All the showers had shampoo and conditioner etc and there were mirrored areas with make up wipes and hair dryers and straighteners. There were even hair brushes you could borrow (um... no.. ) and a swimsuit drainer machine with purple ziplock bags. 

So that was really cool, we both left smelling gorgeous and we walked a little way to the Crosby Bar where we had booked afternoon tea. I hadn't realised other countries never did afternoon tea, the whole bar was English themed. 

They had lovely Wedgwood china, Kim got flowering tea and I got Earl Grey. 

And we had nice pink tiered plates. It was a lot less formal than afternoon tea at the Goring in London. 

But it was still fancy, even the bathrooms looked fancy. Sorry America... rest rooms... they even had a little chair should you wish to rest (ugh... why do they call it this?). 

Then we decided to go to ground zero and see the 9/11 monument... which wasn't really that interesting. If you wanted to read any information or do anything other than look at the fountain you had to pay to go in the museum. There weren't even many places to sit there so we were only there 5 minutes.  

Then I had a lovely long delay on the plane for 4 hours before an overnight flight with a screaming baby... oh joy. 

Flowering Tea

So I was watching Marie Antoinette the other day, you know the film of her, not the real thing. And she had flowering tea - tea that had a flower in it that opened in hot water! And I thought why am I here drinking normal tea like a mug (no pun intended) when I could be drinking flowering tea like a headless French queen? I'll tell you why, it's because green tea is rank and Marie Antoinette didn't have Twining's Earl Grey. But I digress...

So I scoured the internet for some and the other day it came in the post. 

They come in little packs and you take the bud out. 

Fill with hot water (I don't usually drink tea from a glass bowl I just thought it'd be better for flower viewing). 

And wait...

It's a flower!!

I got different varieties too. 

Very fun to play with... but sadly still green tea so you know... no. I did drink one cup and I guess it was OK but I just would really need a bit of the Earl in there to make things right. 

London - Afternoon Tea at the Goring, The Shard & The Tower of London

If you're visiting England, you've got to get afternoon tea, and we decided to go to the Goring Hotel for ours (if it's good enough for Kate Middleton then it's good enough for us). 

Feast your eyes on this tasty tower of loveliness. 

The waitresses were so attentive, as soon as I finished my cup of tea they were there pouring more. As soon as we finished one plate they were there trying to give us more (included in the price too!). We were so stuffed afterwards. The girls next to us ordered another plate of sandwiches, I don't know how they fit them in!

The next day we went to the Shard, I'm not gonna lie, I thought it was pretty expensive but if you're going to be a tourist you may as well do it properly. 

The view was good, especially on the highest viewing platform. 

Then it was off to the Tower of London.

We made a wish at traitors gate, there were lots of Yeomen (Beefeaters) about the place, and ravens. 

Kim said this guard wasn't real... I said I'm pretty sure he was... he was. 

The highlight of the trip was the crown jewels. Although they didn't allow photography... so began my sneaky photography...

This one was especially difficult to take as there was a guard right next to us.

I thought poor Henry here might be having a spot of wishful thinking in his armour... dream on. 

I did like the ravens though. 

If you'd like to see the previous part of our trip to London, click here.

Fruit Tea

I tried fruit tea today that I got free in the post. 

It wasn't great, don't be fooled by it's delicious smell; it tastes like lipgloss. Every now and then I see people drink it and think, oh Hayley, you should really try fruit tea again, give it another chance, it's healthy. 

I did not even attempt the green tea that was also in the freebie pack! 

Afternoon Tea

It's bank holiday weekend here in sunny England and although I'm working two of the three days today the boyfriend and I decided to head to the coast and walk around Cromer

There was much arcade game playing and I even won one of the games of throwing basketball hoops (you know that arcade game that releases basketballs and you play against the other person to score the most?) although the boyfriend did win the other two games but only just! 

Then we headed to my beloved Byfords of Holt for a spot of afternoon tea

Complete with tasty snacks

And the boyfriend and I both bravely tried smoked salmon in our crustless sandwiches too

We took the cakes home

It's a lovely old place to eat, if you go to Holt you have to go there, if I could I think I'd set up shop and live there in the deli section. 

Keep Cup

I made a university purchase the other day - a Keep Cup for £6

I quite liked the look of it, and it's good for the environment. 

And this way I can be a cheap little student and instead of buying a cup and some earl grey tea I can put a tea bag and sweetener in my Keep Cup and just pay 25p for hot water... score!

Tea Is For Drinking

The resident boyfriend and I have an ongoing disagreement. He thinks that your evening meal is called 'tea', where as I think that tea is a hot drink and that the evening meal is 'dinner' (which is why you dine!). And whenever someone mentions having tea or dinner we argue against each other that so and so says 'tea' so I must be right.

Now... ladies and gentlemen... I have the answer which I came across randomly whilst reading someone else's blog giving away vouchers to a tea room, I clicked on the website and read (and I believe this is verbatim!):

"Two distinct forms of tea services evolved: ‘low’ and ‘high’ tea. Low tea, enjoyed in the low or early part of the afternoon, was served in aristocratic homes and featured gourmet titbits with emphasis being on the presentation and conversation. The working class originated high tea. Not having the means of two main meals each day they combined afternoon tea with the evening meal, serving meats, breads and cakes with hot tea at the end of the day."

And so he wasn't wrong at all, he's just common and I'm clearly aristocracy! It all makes sense now. Musn't tease the peasant, bless him.

Tea

Today at work I swapped my favourite tea...

For this...



It was actually pretty nice, very lemony. Sometimes it's nice to have a change :)