Afternoon Tea

Often in the afternoon, Peter and I stop what we’re doing and have tea together. I boil the kettle, plop a tea bag into one mug, let it steep for a bit, and then I do the same with the used bag and the other mug. I grab 2 store-bought cookies, one each, and we sit down together for half an hour. It’s a nice break.

When our daughter and grand daughter invited me for afternoon tea as a birthday gift, I envisioned a slightly more upscale venue and maybe cups and saucers instead of mugs. Then they said we were going to the Ritz. I was taken aback – surely they didn’t mean we were going to New York City? No, they said, there was a Ritz in Toronto, just a short walk from the GO train. And we were going to High Tea. Oh my!

As the event got closer, I worried about what to wear. I have long ago given away my white gloves. Andrea suggested a fascinator might be appropriate, but luckily I realized she was joking. Finally I settled on a dressy top wiith a shawl. On the day of the adventure, it was windy, cold and wet. Not only was my outfit too Springlike, my shoes would not make it through all the puddles.

I set out in my winter coat and some black water-resistant flats I hoped nobody would notice. The GO train was on time. The Ritz was indeed ritzy and I was greeted by a doorman, then a guide who showed me to the restaurant, and then the coat-check girl who led me to the table. So far – so good!

At the table, Andrea and Agnes were choosing their tea from a box of little bottles filled with tea leaves, available for sniffing. I chose chocolate mint, Andrea decided on a distinctive oolong, and Agnes went for hot chocolate. Then we settled back into our comfy chairs and chatted until the tea came. We each got our own little pot with a strainer inside holding the tea leaves. And there were 3 small hour glasses so we could each steep our tea for just the right amount of time.

Next the waitress brought a three-tiered cake plate filled wth decadence, and 3 pairs of tiny tongs. We were advised to eat from the bottom up. We nibbled sandwiches on the lower level: chicken, smoked salmon, egg salad and cucumber, all crustless of course. Then we went up – to the scones with jam and clotted cream. Are you getting hungry yet?

The top tier of the plate was, shall I say, over the top. We munched on delicate cupcakes with elaborate icing, little layered strawberry cakes, chocolate squares with a thin layer of crunchy chocolate on the outside and chocolate mousse on the inside. And the best – passionfruit tarts. I was so entranced that I got my phone out when nobody was looking and took another photo:

That little leaf is made of whihte chocolate, and the tiny blob with the green bits is a meringue.

It was all very extravagant and lovely. But the best part was that we 3 generations of “girls” got to talk, uninterrupted by the outside world. The waitress stayed discreetly in the background, and the cute little baby at the next table did not cry at all. We caught up on family news, recent travels, (that was mostly them), various aches and pains, (that was mostly me), and plans for upcoming events. Our allotted time flew by. Then we thanked the staff and walked back through the elegant lobby and outside to our normal lives.

When I got home, there was Peter, waiting in his chair with his mug of tea and his store-bought cookie. He seemed relieved that I had been able to pull myself away from my afternoon at the Ritz.

Sue