This England: Time for Tea in Bath

One always hears about rain in England and we got the Bath version on this day. And it was odd -- it would pour relentlessly and hard; then stop; then drizzle; then pour again. It was a good morning to stay in for a bit, especially after our walking day in Cardiff. Rick worked on his family tree, I read. But around noon we decided it wasn't going to clear up and we certainly weren't going to stay in the house all day, so off we went! After all, it was a good day for an afternoon tea!

My umbrella looked like one of those sad things you see with the ribs sticking out and hanging at an odd angle, so our first stop was Marks and Spencer (M&S) to get a new brolly -- and to check out luggage prices. My pull-handle on my suitcase broke the first day of the trip and believe me, not being able to roll it was a pain! Rick was a champ, grumbling only minimally, about carrying it or dragging it with a short strap. We didn't find a new suitcase we liked so it was off to explore more of Bath!

(I left my broken umbrella on the top of a trash bin and about an hour or two later we walked by and it was gone. I hope someone thought it would be better than nothing.)

We wandered a bit, Rick checking out the Abbey. I had promised I'd take him to afternoon tea but he was hungry so we stopped for a pasty for him, a cheese and onion roll for him. Then we meandered to the Pump Room, adjacent to the Roman Baths, where we were served in style.

This afternoon tea is less expensive than many I've seen, mostly in London sites (some of those are in the zone of 75 pounds; this was 45 pounds, which still counts up with the exchange rate. I will also say that you get what you pay for, at least in terms of quantity, although the quality of the tea treats and other elements of the afternoon more than made up for that.) 

The room was beautiful, Georgian in style, with an elegant chandelier and paintings and filled with light. We were seated at the far edge of the room, near the front. We figured it was because we didn't have a reservation but it turned out to be the best seat in the house. (I'll tell you why in a minute!)

The table was beautifully set with gold and white china. 

 

We had our tea -- Rick had Darjeeling and I had a  lemon-ginger herbal.

And of course, I had to show you the menu. A menu really wasn't necessary -- we were ordering the afternoon tea and nothing more. But it highlighted the different items on the tray and as you can see, they looked delicious. (And they were!) I think if you click on the photo, you can see it larger or enlarge it if you want to read the menu better.)

We had decided to share the tea tray (after all, we'd just had lunch). They brought us our tiered tray with the canapes and sandwiches on the bottom, two scones in the middle and three desserts on the top tier. We dutifully had half of each (pretty hard with the  mini-chocolate mousse, which was delicious!) Sorry for the fuzzy pic -- it was from my phone. I will say that compared to a tea tray we saw later at Wallace Collection in London, it was a little skimpy. It was also 30 pounds less -- and everything was divinely delicious. So, not a complaint -- just an observation.

I mentioned we had the best seat in the house -- and here's why! In addition to our tea, we had a lovely concert performed by a small chamber group -- piano, violin and cello.

They played a wonderful selection of light classical and Gilbert and Sullivan, and played for close to an hour, I think. We both enjoyed it but I think Rick was especially pleased. It made for an elegant experience and a delightful one.

Rick hadn't been to the Royal Crescent so we walked over there and did a little shopping in the city. Then it was off to the M&S food hall for groceries, the bus home and back through my wooded tunnel path. We roasted our chicken, had a little lemon pasta with it, and enjoyed the fireplace on a gloomy evening. A wonderful end to a good day.

Travel Tips: 

• It should go without saying, but check out your umbrella (if you are bringing one) before you leave home! I grabbed the wrong one and oh, it was pitiful! They are easy to come by while traveling, but that's not a lot of consolation until you actually get one! 
• About tea: There are several types of tea and we opted for afternoon tea. (Cream tea is basically tea and a scone; afternoon tea is the tea tray and quite easy to find). Afternoon tea can be outrageously expensive. So check out prices. I opted for this one because it was less expensive at 45 pounds versus the more common price of 75 pounds in London. But there ARE less expensive teas -- do your research. There are good links if you google "less expensive afternoon teas in London" (or possibly, wherever you are.)
• Bring along a shopping bag for any purchases you make. Often you'll be charged for a bag. Those parachute-cloth bags that fold or roll into practically nothing are an excellent, lightweight option.

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