England's Tea Plantation

It’s no secret that the British love their tea but I was surprised to learn that England has its own tea plantation in the county of Cornwall. Tea bushes thrive in the microclimate of the Tregothnan estate near Truro, which mimics that of the Himalayan foothills.

England's Tea Plantation, Tregothnan

Day One in London

I’m back from England and what an amazing trip. We spent a week touring the charming villages and beautiful scenery of the West Country, plus another twelve days exploring the many sights in and near London. I took 4,000 pictures and there’s a lot to tell you so let's start from the beginning, in London.

The London Eye

My Bucket List: Tea at the Ritz

It's Thursday, and I'm starting a new series of weekly posts about the items from my bucket list that I've been able to experience so far. Sampling the culinary traditions of the countries I visit is one of my favourite travel pastimes and what could be more British than afternoon tea? The experience was a natural addition to my bucket list so when I visited London a few years ago, we did tea in grand style at the luxurious Ritz Hotel on Piccadilly.

The Ritz London

Tea at the Ritz

London, May 2010 - It was arrival day for Trafalgar Tours' Contrasts of Europe train tour through England, France and Italy. We had already spent two days in London for some extra sightseeing, and later we would be meeting the other members of our tour group.

Morning brought more rain (it was springtime in London, after all) so our concierge waved down a cab for our journey to the Ritz Hotel for Champagne Afternoon Tea in the Palm Court.

The Ritz Hotel, London