Hello! Have you recovered from Christmas...and the New Year is fast approaching! Welcome to the last Tuesday Cuppa Tea for 2015! Amazing!!!!
We just got back yesterday afternoon from Victoria, BC Canada where we spent Christmas. We had a Christmas package at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in the Oak Bay area of Victoria...a large pseudo Tudor on the coast.
The hotel, which is like a like an English country house hotel, has a large spa and outdoor mineral pools...which we did not use...30 degree temps don't appeal to me going in and out of a hot tub....
This was in the hotel entrance...a Rolls Royce...so took a photo of my husband and sent to our kids...who were out of state with in-laws or soon-to-be-in-laws...and said..."Here's our new car"! They both texted back " Nice! Lol! Whatever you say!"
The hotel has a pub, restaurant, coffee shop and the David Foster Foundation Theatre where we saw a fun Christmas dinner show. The rooms were very nice with tea and coffee making facilities, and a great selection of Two Leaves And A Bud organic whole leaf teas in silk steeping bags with a nice teapot...nice!
The selections were, all organic: Assam, Darjeeling, Alpine Berry,Chamomile, Jasmine Petal Green and Peppermint. We have had this company's teas before...and they are very good!
This is the hotel lobby...we had a relaxing stay with too much to eat, shopped in Oak Bay on Christmas Eve, and hoped to have tea at White Thistle Tea room, but they were booked, but did have afternoon tea on Boxing Day at the Fairmont Empress, a Christmas gift from my honey...this is the Empress in gingerbread just outside the tea lobby...
The hotel was beautifully decorated inside, the exterior is being renovated...
The china always used in the tea room was designed for the 1939 Royal Visit of King George the VI, Queen Elizabeth and their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret, and was revived in 1952 when soon-to-be Queen Elizabeth II visited, and has been a fixture of the tea room since.
Tea began with Empress Afternoon Tea, honeydew melon with whipped cream, and the tea tower. We decided to try their gluten free version, not having had it before. There were...the sandwich course:
egg nog pink and green macarons
flourless chocolate chake
shortbread with a hint of nutmeg
passion fruit cheesecake bites
Egg Nog chantilly cream in chocolate cups with white chocolate snowflakes
We could only eat about half, and brought the rest back to the room for a later snack.
And for teacups...the Christmas trees in the tea lobby was filled with teacups...
and another by the gift shop was filled with Empress teabag caddies...
The rest of our way out of the hotel, through the conservatory joining the adjacent conference centre was lovely!
We had a wonderful break, beautiful, tasty and romantic! I hope your Christmas was as blessed! And best wishes for a Happy New Year filled with peace, health, prosperity and Grace!
Below is the list of some of the blog parties I will be part of and there is the linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there! And I love to read your comments, and can find you to visit!
We just got back yesterday afternoon from Victoria, BC Canada where we spent Christmas. We had a Christmas package at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel in the Oak Bay area of Victoria...a large pseudo Tudor on the coast.
The hotel, which is like a like an English country house hotel, has a large spa and outdoor mineral pools...which we did not use...30 degree temps don't appeal to me going in and out of a hot tub....
This was in the hotel entrance...a Rolls Royce...so took a photo of my husband and sent to our kids...who were out of state with in-laws or soon-to-be-in-laws...and said..."Here's our new car"! They both texted back " Nice! Lol! Whatever you say!"
The hotel has a pub, restaurant, coffee shop and the David Foster Foundation Theatre where we saw a fun Christmas dinner show. The rooms were very nice with tea and coffee making facilities, and a great selection of Two Leaves And A Bud organic whole leaf teas in silk steeping bags with a nice teapot...nice!
The selections were, all organic: Assam, Darjeeling, Alpine Berry,Chamomile, Jasmine Petal Green and Peppermint. We have had this company's teas before...and they are very good!
This is the hotel lobby...we had a relaxing stay with too much to eat, shopped in Oak Bay on Christmas Eve, and hoped to have tea at White Thistle Tea room, but they were booked, but did have afternoon tea on Boxing Day at the Fairmont Empress, a Christmas gift from my honey...this is the Empress in gingerbread just outside the tea lobby...
The hotel was beautifully decorated inside, the exterior is being renovated...
The china always used in the tea room was designed for the 1939 Royal Visit of King George the VI, Queen Elizabeth and their daughters Elizabeth and Margaret, and was revived in 1952 when soon-to-be Queen Elizabeth II visited, and has been a fixture of the tea room since.
Tea began with Empress Afternoon Tea, honeydew melon with whipped cream, and the tea tower. We decided to try their gluten free version, not having had it before. There were...the sandwich course:
Scottish smoked salmon
egg salad
Black Forest Ham
cucumber, cress and cream cheese
Moroccan chicken salad, a mildly spiced curry which was a seasonal change from their Coronation chicken
Golden Raisin scones, cream and strawberry jam
seasonal sweets:egg nog pink and green macarons
flourless chocolate chake
shortbread with a hint of nutmeg
passion fruit cheesecake bites
Egg Nog chantilly cream in chocolate cups with white chocolate snowflakes
We could only eat about half, and brought the rest back to the room for a later snack.
And for teacups...the Christmas trees in the tea lobby was filled with teacups...
and another by the gift shop was filled with Empress teabag caddies...
The rest of our way out of the hotel, through the conservatory joining the adjacent conference centre was lovely!
We had a wonderful break, beautiful, tasty and romantic! I hope your Christmas was as blessed! And best wishes for a Happy New Year filled with peace, health, prosperity and Grace!
Below is the list of some of the blog parties I will be part of and there is the linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there! And I love to read your comments, and can find you to visit!
OH Ruth,
ReplyDeleteHow I want to go to Victoria and visit the Empress Hotel for tea time now. It must have been magical to be there at Christmas. I went many years ago and the tea time was so expensive but I really do want to treat myself one day and go again. I would love to have seen that teacup Christmas tree since I am such a fan of those! Lol. Tell hubby I love his new Rolls Royce. Lol. My hubby loves old cars too. Happy Tea Day and Thank you for hosting and Have a Wonderful New Year! Karen
Dear Ruth:
ReplyDeleteWhat a thrilling trip! I think that photo of your husband in front of the Rolls Royce is priceless. I loved the Gingerbread House as it required so much labor. How wonderful. The food looked delicious for your Afternoon Tea - What a special trip! Happy New Year! Thanks for sharing your lovely vacation.
I have friends who have been to the Empress Hotel and were majorly impressed. I don't imagine I will ever get out that far west again. But you never know. What a wonderful weekend you had. Happy New Year to you.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness Ruth, you had a Christmas fit for a Queen! How lovely! Everything is so beautiful, the hotel, the furnishings, the china, the gingerbread, all of it! Thanks for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday!
Gina
Me again, I forgot to thank you for the party! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas! Tea at the Empress is on my bucket list of tea time experiences. I was impressed that your your hotel provided samplers of Two Leaves and a Bud. Thank you for hosting and enjoy the final week of 2015!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely hotel! Must have been nice to stay there. Happy New Year!....Christine
ReplyDeleteHi Ruth: Sounds like you had an amazing Christmas. Everything looks so beautiful. Blessing dear friend. Hugs, Martha
ReplyDeleteOh my, what a thoroughly magnificent way to celebrate Christmas! Glad it was so lovely, and here's wishing you a Happy New Year, too!
ReplyDeleteRuth,
ReplyDeleteWhat a marvelous trip! Everything at the hotel looks beautiful and so much tea!!!! I'm sure you were in heaven. Happy New Year. Happy Tea Day and thanks for hosting!
What a wonderful getaway for you and your sweetheart, Ruth! I so want to have tea at the Empress Hotel one day. When my late beloved and I were on our Alaskan cruise, tea at the Empress was one of the excursions, but we chose Butchart Gardens.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you! Hopefully I'll have something to share next week.
I've been to Victoria a few times and visited the Empress Hotel. I've never had tea there. Thanks for sharing your visit. It is so lovely. Everything is so special, the china, food etc.
ReplyDeleteSeasons Greetings.
What an experience, thanks for taking us along for a tour Ruth. We weren't able to have tea at the Empress when out west for an Alaska Cruise but I have had high tea at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto.
ReplyDeleteAll the best for 2016.
Ruth, how I envy you! It's been faaaaarr too many years since I've had tea at the Empress!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful holiday. I have seen photos of the gingerbread hotel or something similar before, what a lot of work and patience must go into it. I'm glad you enjoyed it all.
ReplyDeleteDiana
What a beautiful place to spend the Christmas holiday. The Empress is beautiful any time of the year, but especially at Christmas! What an impressive gingerbread house/hotel. Thanks for allowing me to travel there vicariously. Wishing you and your hubby a Happy, Healthful New Year! ~ Phyllis
ReplyDeleteWhat a great spot for tea. I love the tree with the teacups! Thanks for hosting and Happy New Year to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteWow, it's so nice!I know you had an awesome time.
ReplyDeleteWishing you the very best in the new year!
Hugs,
Patti
What a nice place to spend Christmas holiday. Wishing you and your family a happy happy new year.
ReplyDeleteDear Ruth:
ReplyDeleteJust letting you know that this post was one of those featured from my blog party this week! Happy New Year!