Tea for Two

Marina and I have attended many tea parties over the years, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to attend a formal tea at the botanic gardens. Marina was a bit nervous when she saw she was the only child in attendance, but everyone at our table was very welcoming.

The tea party was hosted by a "tea sommelier," who compared her expertise to a wine sommelier's knowledge of wines. She talked about the different types of tea and the plants and leaves that they come from. The described the difference between high tea and low tea. She also gave a brief history of the solarium we were sitting in. We were excited to hear that this beautiful structure was originally commissioned and used by Disney. One woman there said it had been used in the movie Mary Poppins.

Marina was bored by much of the introduction, but she perked up as soon as the food arrived. We were presented with trays of egg salad crostini, cucumber herb sandwiches, scones served with strawberry jam and Chantilly cream, lavender shortbread and lemon madeleines. She was a bit unsure about some of the food, but she tried and liked everything. While we ate, she chatted happily with the young ladies seated near her. She would not, however, have a cup of tea, so she drank water from her china cup.

Once the party was over, we headed out into the gardens. They were crowded and the day was very hot. We went around to parts of the Chihuly we hadn't been to before. After about an hour, we headed out.

Marina wanted to go to the children's garden, as usual. She spent quite a while in the wading stream. Then we went to the children's pond and stage. The last time we were there, the stage was being renovated. Marina was delighted that the renovations were complete. She enlisted the help of two little boys who were there and the three of them put on a play together.

Once the play was over, we were tired and very hot, so we went home. It had been a lovely day!