Our 37th anniversary, Victoria Tea Festival

Well, today is our 37th wedding anniversary. We were married in Redwood City, California and honeymooned in Carmel. Lovely! And the day we were to return coincided with an off day in gas rationing (anyone old enough to remember that?) so we couldn't get gas until the next day and had to call the bank where I did commercial loans and tell them I'd be off another day.. What a shame!!!! :)


Our favorite place was the Tuck Box (tuck is brit speak for treats or snacks packed with kids to school), a tea room in downtown Carmel. that is a quintessential English tudor building and equally cute inside. Thomas Kinkade painted it once, I remember. I guess that says it all.

I tried to find a wedding photo to post, but when we moved I packed most of our photos/albums in boxes and they are still unpacked 3 1/2 years later in our walk in closet. Guess I've gotta get to that!

This was taken when out with friends in January.


We went to Victoria last weekend to celebrate plus attend the annual Victoria Tea Festival. We stayed across the street from the ferry dock (we walked on the ferry rather than taking a car) at the Hotel Grand Pacific where we got a killer deal! 

And my friend let them know it was our anniversary, so...

The hotel is famous for a flock of about 50 mallards that think the gardener is their father. They follow him all around the hotel and live all year round by the front fountain. So cute! 

We had a wonderful time. The weather was only a downpour on Saturday evening, and the rest only partly cloudy as you can see from the photos.


And then we went to the Victoria tea festival. Here are photos of the Crystal Gardens from the mezzanine level over the main exhibition floor.

The Crystal Gardens was built in the early 1900s as a swimming bath and palm court tea room. At one end is a mannequin on a diving board in a 1920s bathing costume as a remembrance of the original purpose. The photo against the glass roof didn't turn out well, but you get the idea!

Crystal Gardens antique postcard from Card Cow

Here is the front of the program:

Some of the exhibitors:

Ooli Beverages www.ooli.com

Silk Road Teas www.silkroadteas.com

Murchie's Tea and Coffee www.murchies.com

Vatsu Chai  www.vatsuchai.com

Special Teas   www.specialtea.com

Teafarm   www.teafarm.ca

Margit Nellemann Ceramics www.margitnellemann.com

I took photos of some of  Margit Nelleman's teapots:

Which I found quite fun and different. There are more on her website.

Well. I figure that's enough for today...a goon start sharing with you about the Vicotia Tea Festival. I will post more soon. But for today, back to work at Antiques And Teacups as I have so many great items to list. See you tomorrow for Teacup Thursday!