Tea for me?
Sure, if you please!
I'll take Chai Tea
with a lemon squeeze.
My first trip out of my small town.
Since then I've had tea all around!

Posted By Melissa on March 5, 2008, 3:56 PM

As an undergrad, I studied abroad for a semester in Moscow. Our most elaborate group activity was a week-long trip to Sochi, 36 hours away by train on the Black Sea. One of our daily excursions was to a tea plantation and a hike in the nearby Somsheetovaya Rosha. After a walk through the plantings, with an explanation of how they grow, pick and prepare tea at the northernmost plantation in the world, we were invited to the lodge to sample some of their product with cakes and other treats. All I have to say is . . . there's a reason tea is grown further south. This tea, as if influenced by the nearby forest, indeed tasted like "som sheet"!

Posted By poetloverrebelspy on March 6, 2008, 6:16 AM

1983-1st trip to London, High Tea at the Claridge Hotel: After scarfing down a plate of tea sandwiches that wouldn't even have satisfied a bird, I signaled the waiter, indicating in the most genteel way possible, that I could use a few more of these bite-sized morsels. Jeeves (or whatever his name was), in his most proper and disapproving British accent, said in a voice loud enough for most of the room to hear, "The gentleman would like some moooooorrrreee to eat?" I couldn't sink into the leather chair deep enough.

Posted By Vincent Dantone on March 6, 2008, 12:18 PM

Being a fan of the fantastic Canadian Pacific hotels I was most excited to have the opportunity for High Tea at the Empress Hotel while visiting Victoria, BC. There is nothing like being treated like royalty for a short time. The experience was worth every dollar spent. I've since had the opportunity to sample other teas, but none compare to the Empress experience.

Posted By Pat on March 6, 2008, 12:32 PM

I've had afternoon tea in places all over the world. Two favorites were tea on the verandah of the Kapalua Bay Hotel, Maui, overlooking the ocean, and the Ritz Hotel, London. We were lucky enough to get the best table in the restaurant - center in front of the golden fountain. Both were heavenly! But the very best was the Plaza Hotel in New York, where my daughter requested Happy Birthday be played for me by the harpist and I was presented a miniature cake with a candle.
Eve

Posted By Eve Niimi on March 6, 2008, 12:32 PM

When I was traveling in South America I saw the "natives' drinking matte everywhere but I never saw it on any menues. Finally I asked the owner of one of the places I was staying where I could try this beverage. His eyes opened wide with surprize and then smiled and reached beneath the counter pulled out a box with a straw on it and gave me large container of hot water and told me to take a seat. The first few times I filled it up the Matte was kind of week then it started to really taste good! By the time I finished I was Flying but they kept telling me there was no caffine in the matte.

Posted By Daniel Ramsey on March 6, 2008, 12:33 PM

During my very first trip to Hawaii in the early 1980s, I stopped at a McDonald's on Oahu to find miso soup and rice on the menu and self-serve beverages NY! But what I really discovered was the warmth of the Hawaiian people: I asked for extra lemon for my iced tea and the counter server brought me a whole bowl full to my table along with a big Aloha & a welcoming smile! The people - that's why Hawaii is paradise

Posted By Christiann Bishop on March 6, 2008, 12:36 PM

Since we have traveled to Canada multiple times, and have gone to Victoria, Banff, Toronto,Montreal, Quebec, and Vancouver and I like different teas tremendously[ strong and mellow]--- we have tried to visit the different Fairmont Hotels(Canadian Railroad Hotels) in the various locations, and have visited the gift shops as well as having tea at the hotels and have brought back teas and small tea cups or small tea boxes from some of the locations that we now hang on the Christmas tree as ornaments; We also have saved tea spoons (with permission) or purchased antique ones while in Canada that we also hang up at Christmas in the Kitchen---We enjoy our memories these bring of our trips!

Posted By Tracy Thomas on March 6, 2008, 12:42 PM

A few years ago I was dumped on a cold, gray Fall day... in a mall parking lot. I mean I know there's really no good or best place to get dumped, but a mall parking lot is probably one of the worst places. I was quite shocked at the whole thing and went home where I proceeded to call my very best friend for some kind words and support. She asked if she could come over, and I said no that I would be fine.

10 minutes later my friend was at my door with her glass tea kettle, some blooming tea, and cookies. We brewed the tea and I put the hot kettle right on my antique dining table with out even thinking. We enjoyed the tea and she listened to me, it was such a comfort.

After she left and I was cleaning up, I realized that the hot kettle had burnt a ring right into my table. It's still there, but serves not as a reminder of a horrible day but of a true friendship and the warming comfort of a cup of tea shared between friends.

Posted By megt on March 6, 2008, 12:46 PM

My Husband and I just got back from a 10 day trip to Italy. When in Venice I had high tea at the cafe Florian at San Marco piazza. It's a 18th century tea room that is just beautiful, it has a very theatrical interior, and it is said that Casanova use to seduce young ladies there and when he escaped from the prison at the Doge's Palace he stopped at the cafe before fleeing Venice.I grabbed a table in the corner by the windows as soon as we got to Venice order High Tea put on my MP3 player and listened to the tour of the Piazza that I was looking at and then switched over to a Italian opera as I enjoyed the wonderful finger sandwiches and scones.
at the end of my tea the Moors where ringing the bell on the bell tower outside.A wonderful end to the tea. I had my photo taken by a nice spanish couple across from me, payed the waiter 37 euro and when out to expore the city.

Posted By Elizabeth Cutter- McNeece on March 6, 2008, 12:52 PM

I always carry my loose green tea with me when I travel and usually stick it in my carry on for a cup on the plane. Going through security was a little dicey once when they searched my bag and held up the little baggie that contained my tea. Puzzled, I asked what was wrong and much to my dismay, they thought it was marijuanna! It took me a while to persuade them that it was tea and not grass.

Posted By Susan Poirier on March 6, 2008, 12:56 PM

Last year, my mom had a terrifying cancer scare. We've always been close, but never get to spend enough time together, so for her birthday, I booked us on a cruise to Bermuda. While we were there, we went to the Fairmont Hamilton for afternoon tea because I heard that Harney makes a special brew for this hotel, and we weren't disappointed! The special rum tea cakes and sandwiches, along with the key lime and rum jam with the tea itself was amazing. It was a very special experience for us on this very special trip. I'll always be grateful for this memory.

Posted By Michele G. on March 6, 2008, 12:57 PM

A few years ago my older sister and I took a trip to Charleston, SC. Part of our adventures while there was to participate in some garden tours. One nice spring southern morning we toured a private garden. The owner indulged her guest by serving us tea and crumpets in her garden. It was so relaxing listening to the birds, watching the butterflies, smelling the flowers, sipping our herbal tea while enjoying a moment with my sister.

Posted By Sally W. on March 6, 2008, 12:59 PM

I was introduced to tea form my candian roomatae when i was in graduate student at the University of Michigan. She opened up a whole new world to me that I share with my frineds and family. I am always shoping for exotic flavors to try . Most recently I have tried sweet red chile tea. I am lloking forward to trying many more differnet kinds on my travesl and sharing my disvoveries with others.

Let us share the welath of tea which always brings warmth and friendship.

Posted By Isabel Menendez on March 6, 2008, 12:59 PM

We were the only Americans on a tour of a tea plantation in Queensland, Australia. At the end of the tour, we were all served a cup of tea with some biscuits. My husband asked for some lemon. There were a lot of snickers since everyone else was using milk. The server said "I think I have one in the fridge that I keep for the Yanks." She took out a very blue moldy lemon. My husband passed and tried the milk.

Posted By Allyne Cheifet on March 6, 2008, 1:09 PM

We traveled to China last year for the first time. We went to a Chinese tea shop in a small town and saw a tea preparation ceremony. I had to pinch myself to really believe that we were in China and experiencing such a lovely part of their culture.

Posted By Linda Pinto on March 6, 2008, 1:11 PM

I love tea! I find the local tea wherever I go! The best tea I ever had was sitting on a mountain in Maui in the midst of a field of lavender drinking lavender tea which was flavored with lavender honey and a lavender scone. Yet the best part was sharing that moment with my dear sweetheart who was man enough to come with me to the lavender farm tea!

Posted By arlene butler on March 6, 2008, 1:17 PM

My wife is very fond of going to tea rooms when we travel.As her husband, I go with her.During our visit to a lacy decorated tea room in Florida two couples entered the room. One of the men, a large hulking type, sat down and looked around at the fancy room for about 30 seconds. Then with a sudden burst he stood up and said, " I can't eat here!" with that they left for the sports bar across the street. It was so funny!

Posted By Steven Miskovich on March 6, 2008, 1:19 PM

Several years ago I taught in China for the summer. I am a complete tea addict and was looking foward to drinking lots of Chinese tea, thinking about all the varieties of tea that I had bought at Ten-Ren Tea Shop in New York's Chinatown over the years. I couldn't wait! Alas, I found only green tea on my journey in China, and missed all the tea-drinking experiences that my mind had imagined. Every day, everywhere, always - only green tea. Before I left China, I checked into a fancy Shanghai hotel in Pudong for a few days and never expected to find my dream come true: the most georgeous French pastries available from room service along with an assortment of White tea! Oolong tea! Assam tea! Suchong tea! Black tea! I was in heaven, finally! I sat naked in my room and gorged myself and drank myself into a frenzy while watching Chinese soap operas on TV. I finally had my Chinese tea experience, albeit slightly altered that what I had imagined.

Posted By kirk on March 6, 2008, 1:20 PM

I haven't been to all the wonderful places that many others have been but when I brew myself a cup of darjeeling tea, I just imagine being anywhere but here and someday, hope to go to where they produce this most wonderful tea. It ain't called the champagne of teas for nothing! I just love tea and look forward to trying many kinds in my lifetime.

Posted By Melody on March 6, 2008, 1:34 PM

Our family travelled to London November 2001, right after 9/11 and stayed at the Renaissance Chancery Court on High Holborn. We had high tea in the tea room and my girls thought that was the greatest. They liked tea with milk!

Posted By Susan P. on March 6, 2008, 1:41 PM

We were shopping at a bazaar in Africa when the owner asked us to join his family having tea. Delighted to experience this adventure we tasted a rich dark tea sweetened with milk and honey served in two ounce glasses. His family included two small girls about 7 & 9, his mother, wife, and a son who came home from school to have tea each day. It was a lovingly traditional moment in a country new to our experience.

Posted By Janie Currey on March 6, 2008, 1:42 PM

My 13-year old daughter and I take tea on all our travels - but our favorite place for tea is the St. Paul Hotel in St. Paul, Minn. For years our tradition is to go to tea for Mother's Day and Christmas. Each time we tease each other about who has the most beautiful tea cup. I must admit, she usually does!

Posted By Bridget on March 6, 2008, 1:43 PM

One of my fondest memories of my grandmother, who is now 92, is shopping with her. She is English and insists on stopping for "a cuppa" every couple of hours. We always manage to find a cozy little place for tea. My favorite teatime with her was in a tea room in Salisbury, UK. It was a very English place: unassuming, not terribly frilly and with funky antiques here and there. We had pastries and huge slices of fruit pie, with lots of strong, hot black tea to wash it all down with. Definitely filling and not at all dainty. I'd love to go back!

Posted By Bella M on March 6, 2008, 1:51 PM

I travelled last year to Ireland and for the first time in many years, since I left my home in Pakistan, enjoyed a delicious pot of tea.

Every morning for breakfast we were served flavourful irish tea which was robust and full bodied.

We made it a point to have our afternoon tea with a little snack which was just as enjoyable.

My favourite teas are from Assam, English breakfast from England and Irish Breakfast from Ireland.

It was a very enjoyable trip.

Posted By Phyllis Liu on March 6, 2008, 2:03 PM

I travelled last year to Ireland and for the first time in many years, since I left my home in Pakistan, enjoyed a delicious pot of tea.

Every morning for breakfast we were served flavourful irish tea which was robust and full bodied.

We made it a point to have our afternoon tea with a little snack which was just as enjoyable.

My favourite teas are from Assam, English breakfast from England and Irish Breakfast from Ireland.

It was a very enjoyable trip.

Posted By Phyllis Liu on March 6, 2008, 2:09 PM

My most memorable tea story is when I was in India. During a train ride from Delhi to Hyderabad the train stopped at numerous train stations each serving Chai tea. One particular station gave me a clay cup to drink it out of. The idea was to throw the pot onto the ground smashing it. This would make a biodegradable cup! This was a great idea but I would hate to be the one hand-making each and everone of these as they were far from perfect.

Posted By Andrew Akerhielm on March 6, 2008, 2:32 PM

I took my teenaged daughter to Istanbul for Christmas (yes, I know it's a Muslim country!) last year. It was loud, chaotic and thrilling; best of all, I had heard they are a tea-loving culture. We arrived in the city after a very long series of flights from Washington, DC. It was early evening so we headed to the nearest cafe. My daughter wanted to eat and I wanted to slurp tea. Since neither of us speaks Turkish, we were given an English-language menu. I gazed with longing at all the Turks sipping steaming tea from petite glasses and could smell the mint-like fragrance wafting to our table. I ordered tea from the waiter and then sat back in eager anticipation. He returned with my daughter's hamburger and a large mug of tea for me. The horror! No minty fresh fragrance, no little glass. And the worst insult of all -- a Lipton tea bag dangling into the cup. In his best accented English, the waiter gushed, "Special tea just for you!!!"

Posted By Tamar Abrams on March 6, 2008, 2:34 PM

My daughters grew up living on a shoestring, and managed to put themselves through college. The younger one's junior year in Paris was especially hard, though. Not only did she have to live in her long underwear as her room was so cold, she was reusing teabags to save money. When word of this got around to friends and family, she began receiving a few teabags in every letter.

I'm proud to say she's come a long way, as she now lives in London and can treat her own daughter to high tea wherever she wants.

Posted By Gypsy Grandmum on March 6, 2008, 3:16 PM

One evening many years ago, my husband invited a friend from work over with his family. They were new to the US from England. After dinner I suggested hot tea. Our guests were thrilled. You can only image the horror on their faces as I filled coffee mugs with water, popped them into the microwave and served them with Lipton tea bags hanging in them. After that, the wife invited me over and treated me to tea the British Way. Absolutely Wonderful!

Posted By Sue Fox on March 6, 2008, 3:35 PM

I became addicted to tea thanks to Harney & Sons. I always take their tagalong tins with me. I took their Bankok tea sachets with me to the Bahamas a few weeks ago on a work related trip and had everyone I was with asking me for tea.

Posted By Brooke on March 6, 2008, 3:39 PM

My parents were tea drinkers when I was growing up, but I never took a liking to it UNTIL my husband and I lived in Belgium. We stayed at a bed and breakfast for a month or so before our house was ready, and the hosts had tea for us every morning. They introduced us to "a gizzilion" different types of teas, and I've been drinking tea ever since.

Posted By Charline on March 6, 2008, 4:01 PM

My dear friend and I went to London for her 60th birthday the week the U.S.A. decided to go to war with Iraq. It was a tense time! Adding to that, my friend's purse (with passport, license, family pictures, money and credit cards) was stolen right from under our noses at breakfast one morning. We had to spend the day at the police, American Embassy, Photo studios (for a new passport), and back to the Embassy. To ease the grief we were feeling, I took her for a true English Tea in the middle of the day--it helped ease the tears and truly soothed our ragged nerves. And, there is nothing like English clotted cream on your scone!

Posted By judy on March 6, 2008, 4:11 PM

Tea afficianos and health experts, please close your eyes. I was a sun tea freak for years.

While in Florida with relatives, "moon tea" in various flavors became a popular drink. We couldn't brew enough sun tea during daylight hours while we were sight-seeing. So you guessed it, we brewed it at night. It was still warm enough to work!

Posted By Noni on March 6, 2008, 4:24 PM

My husband came to America from Wales, UK, when he was 13, so he still has many friends and family members there. My favorite experiences with tea times were in their homes and the tiered cake trays, with lovely sponges and biscuits. The first time we went back "home" to Wales after we married we took an empty duffel bag in our luggage in order to bring back Welsh tea for his parents. You can imagine the customs fellow's eyes when he glanced inside that bag and saw tea and tea and tea and tea!!!!

Posted By Emily on March 6, 2008, 5:00 PM

My husband travels a lot for work and for long intervals at a time. Last year he called on a Monday and asked if I would like to meet him in London for dinner that weekend. I flew overnight Thursday to arrive Friday (my first trip overseas) and met him for tea at the Millenium Bailey's Hotel in Kensington - what a way to be welcomed to the country!
I've been drinking tea since.

Posted By JenniG on March 6, 2008, 5:08 PM

Traveling with a teenage grandson has it's challenges when it comes to fancy dining. We were splurging on this leg of our rail trip to Scotland spending 2 nights at the elegant Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh. Although protesting, my grandson agreed to accompany me to tea in the formally appointed tea room. Imagine the surprise (disgust?) on the faces of the waitstaff and other guests as he, wearing his high school baseball t-shirt and cap, absent mindedly stirred his tea until it overflowed onto the starched white linen tablecloth! Some things are funnier in retrospect.

Posted By Sharon Garland on March 6, 2008, 6:19 PM

The summer before my senior year of high school I threw a teenaged temper-tantrum over being 'forced' to go on a family road trip vacation for two weeks up around Western Canada. I sulked and was surly the first couple days. But then we made it to Victoria, B.C. and my mom and I went to the Empress for high tea. We tried to behave properly in a manner my British Grandmother would approve of during the lovely afternoon. My bad mood slipped away from that day on proving a good cuppa tea can help with just about anything.

Posted By Jennifer Streger on March 6, 2008, 7:46 PM

My favorite memory about tea recalls the time I was visiting England with my then teenage son. We were on a tour with his high school, and thus accompanied by a bus load of silly teenagers. The bus driver had been doing a running dialog that only I was listening to, when he announced a free giveawy of a tea gift set to the first person who could accurately describe the "proper" way to prepare tea. Well, my hand shot up right away. I had been enjoying tea all my life and surely knew a thing or two on that subject! When I had finished with my detailed description, he tried to discount my story by asking me whether or not the teapot was to be brought to the water or the water brought to the pot. He explained that you should always bring the pot to the stove so that the water is the hottest it can be when poured over the tea...never bring the water to the pot. Since I hadn't mentioned that, he was going to try to trip me up! I answered him by saying that I was always right by the stove anyway, so that would never have been an issue!
I still have the house shaped tea strainer from that gift set and my son, now in the service ALWAYS expects a cuppa, or two or three whenever he is home...and not some "grungy old flavored or green tea"...always and ONLY black tea, preferable African; Kenya, Cameroon or Rwandan! I serve it happily to him as a homecoming!!

Posted By JuliaW on March 6, 2008, 8:00 PM

The precision and simplicity of the Japanese tea ceremony sent chills through my body. Never have I seen such pomp and circumstance surround the making of a cup of tea. Beautiful women in even more beautiful kimonos tell a story of Japanese tradition and history without speaking a word. The actions, always on cue and always without falter, seek to create the most delicious cup of green tea one has ever tasted or witnessed made. My first trip to Kyoto yielded such an experience and I have been fortunate to seek out the tea ceremony in many of Japan's cities.

Posted By Leah on March 6, 2008, 8:18 PM

Traveling now
Retired
England
Bath
Pump Room
High Tea
Clotted cream
Great treats
Great tea!
Lasting memories.

Posted By Joan on March 6, 2008, 9:24 PM

My daughter use to live about a block from Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. While on a visit there I started visiting the Japanese Tea Gardens in the park. My favorite thing was to go to the tea gardens when it was raining and sit inside and look out on the beautiful Japanese Gardens while sipping tea and having little crackers.

Posted By Cheryl on March 6, 2008, 9:40 PM

A lovely Irish woman welcomed my husband and me into her home. We stayed in many bed and breakfast, but this was the only woman to offer us a pot of hot tea and apple pie on a very cold late afternoon as we arrived at her house. The tea took the chill off and her hospitality was warming.

Posted By Jeri on March 6, 2008, 9:44 PM

In the south of England, Cornwall out on the Moors, we came upon a medieval city and stopped for tea. A delightful little tea room, china, linen and lace and a pastry cart to die for. Friendly and smiling faces -we chatted up a storm. To do tea right, strain into your tea cup and sip with freshly baked scones, jam and clotted cream. My local friend Lady Liz of the Laurels showed me just how to serve it up right, and we had a royal time in the cool afternoon on my birthday in September!

Posted By Michele Dussault on March 6, 2008, 10:15 PM

I don't know where I inherited my love for tea since I grew up in a home of coffee fiends. All I can say is that from as far back as I can remember, I would always receive gifts of assorted teas from my friends & loved ones from their travels abroad. Now an avid traveler myself, I make it my business to bring back some teas native to the places I visit. So when I return home and brew a cup of tea, I revisit the country all over again.

Posted By Cleopatra Martey on March 6, 2008, 11:11 PM

When I was 11 or 12, my family took a trip to Florida to visit my grandparents. While there, my grandmother took us to Mount Dora to do some shopping. We went to this lovely British tea room for lunch and I fell in love with the pretty tea cups and little tea sandwiches. I hadn't liked tea before, but that day I learned that a little milk and sugar could make all the difference. I've been hooked ever since and now I'm working toward opening my own tea room!

Posted By Rachel on March 7, 2008, 8:09 AM

My husband I are from Rochester NY.We were traveling in London and ran into another couple from Rochester. Let's go to tea we said. So we went to the Ritz in our grubby touring clothes with no idea how formal it was. The guys had to put on loaned jackets and we women were looked at poorly since we were wearing pants - but the staff was nice and the tea was unforgettable. Everyone needs to go to High Tea at some time.

Posted By Laura Garrison on March 7, 2008, 9:15 AM

The Balmoral Hotel
Undeniably swell
high tea, the full spread
Darjeeling and shortbread
I would gladly stay longer
if the dollar was stronger.

Posted By Felice Piggott on March 7, 2008, 9:45 AM

I love tea! Where ever we travel, I seek out the tea shops to enjoy a cup and purchase packages to bring home from our journeys. Finding tea shops in Italy was a little more difficult, the land of espresso and wine. However in Rome, right at the foot of the Spanish Steps is Babington's Tea Room...which has been in existence since the 19th century. Of course, one day we enjoyed an afternoon tea (delicious). We had to walk through a group of young "punks" hanging around outside the front door to get to our table. The clash of cultures was not lost on my husband and me.

Posted By Beverly Kiefer on March 7, 2008, 10:48 AM

As a newbie to drinking hot tea, I was excited to have a layover in Heathrow where I proceeded to buy 6 tins of loose leaf tea that I thought was "authentic English tea". Only to find out that the brand is available worldwide and I paid double what I would have in the US. But hey, it did come from England, right?

Posted By Bonnie Schuenemann on March 7, 2008, 11:01 AM

Tea at Lord & Taylor, tea at the Plaza, tea at the Ritz in Naples or London, or Paris, tea at Neiman Marcus -- all memorable and wonderful as many were shared with my Mom, my aunt and/or my cousin Diana during the 50's when Di and I wore white gloves, six crinolines each, carried black patent leather purses to match our Mary Janes and wore our hats proudly. And then again in the 80's with my daughter Tess and my Mom. Tess also wore white gloves and Mary Janes but with less crinolines.
Our (wonderfully bold and eccentric) mothers have both passed away, but Diana and I had the opportunity to continue the tradition at the beautiful Butchart Gardens in Victoria, BC in 2004. We traveled there by ferry from Diana's new home on the San Juan Islands. After touring the gardens with my indulgent husband Paul and Diana's very active son Matthew, we had tea in the garden restaurant.
In memory of our mothers we began with champagne mimosas(naturally) and then on to a wonderful tea of tidbits both savory and sweet. Today as I read your article I am sipping some Butchart tea and using the miniature teacup/strainer that we bought that day. Lovely memories are made over tea.

Posted By Dorothy Drahzal on March 7, 2008, 1:14 PM

My favorite tea is Jasmine green tea and I take some with me whenever we travel, along with an immersion cup heater. One memorable day last year we were walking all over the city of Paris and got back to the hotel and had a nice relaxing cup of tea and some parisian cookies we bought on our walk. We were rejuvenated enough to go out for a beautiful dinner.

Posted By Kathy Anderson on March 7, 2008, 4:29 PM

One memorable day last spring I traveled to Harney&Sons Teas in Millerton, N.Y to sample several if not all of the teas in the tasting room. After which I would hike the rail trail, which start across the street from the tasting room. Little did I realize I would need to stop every 100 yards or so to make pit stops from all the tea that I sampled.
This lasted for my entire journey of approximately 3 hours round trip and upon my return I ended back at the tasting room to relish more Earl Grey, Bangkok, and Paris.

Mmm delicious!
Kevin Sullivan

Posted By Kevin Sullivan on March 7, 2008, 6:20 PM

I turned 21 when I was spending a semester in India. I was excited to have my first legal beer. Unfortunately, the place we stopped at did not have a liquor license. That did not stop the waiter from bringing me a beer though. To my surprise, he came out with a teapot and a little teacup - filled with beer!

Posted By Tiffany Thomas on March 7, 2008, 8:05 PM

A few years ago we took our 2 daughters on an adventure to Turkey, the land of apple tea. Our youngest was celebrating her 4th birthday in Cappadocia with her big sister at a beautiful carpet shop run by a local poet, Crazy Ali.
My wife and I were hoping to climb a small hill in Urgup but it looked a touch daunting for our little ones. So they opted instead to sit at a wonderfully decorated low level table while sipping apple tea for hours while they watching us climb. As we came around various vantage points on the hike we could see them quite comfortably drinking refill after refill and waving gleefully.
Of course we bought a tea set which they use to this day.

Posted By Joe Gordon on March 8, 2008, 12:16 AM

I visited The Victorian Tea Room in Mantua, NJ with my mom over her birthday. We ended up staying for an afternoon. It's located in a refurbished home and the quaintness is what makes it so perfect. You are surrounded by glass and gardens with tables close enough to converse with other patrons. We enjoyed talking to people, tasting 4 pots of tea, and nibbling on a variety of sweets and sandwiches. A truly relaxing afternoon tea with tales of the owner's travels to England when he researched setting up the tea house. Now we continue to remember our trip to NJ whenever we make a pot of the rose tea we purchased while visiting.

Posted By ShawnB on March 8, 2008, 1:10 AM

For five years my husband and I would spend a month in Turkey with a group of college students, introducing them to the country's history and culture.
The Turks love their black tea. They meet in the evenings in tea gardens, which are public parks, to drink copious amounts of tea and play board games. These games are fiercely competitive and very fun. My favorite memories are of sitting around a plastic table, laughing and drinking tea as we played backgammon.

Posted By Bebemiqui on March 8, 2008, 11:45 AM

My sister threw me a tea-party themed wedding shower back where we're from - New Jersey. Since I live in California, she asked the guests to ship their gifts and just bring a box of tea for me to open. Most people did not follow her directions, so I had to carry a ton of stuff home with me on the plane! I got so many amazing teas as well, and almost a year later, I get to relive my shower any time I like.

Posted By beth on March 8, 2008, 6:06 PM

Mallunggay Tea-has anyone heard about it? Scientic Name-Moringa Oleifera. I just came back overseas from the Philippines and had the chance to visit out of the beaten path organic tea cafe .This is what they are serving right from their backyard plantation. Mallunggay is a leafy green vegetable which has been found to be highly nutritious, high in Vit.A,C, iron & LDH.(per Dept. of Agriculture-PI) Contains phytochenicals.Prevents chronic disease like arthritis, kidney problem, cancer cell.Helps maintain good digestion,prevent scurvy, asthma, earache, headache.This sounds like a potent miracle natural source for prevention . So why not take all of it?

Posted By Zenaida Racasa-Aliyas on March 8, 2008, 7:55 PM

In 1997 when I went to England I took along a bunch of edible goodies. I am not a big eater, but I like to have my beverages. Also, tea is a great way to stay healthy. When we would go to have a meal I would ask for hot water and make my own herbal tea. It was something from the USA and it was very comforting.

Posted By karen spector on March 8, 2008, 9:31 PM

Being a southerner, iced tea is a tradition. It's brewed strong and sweetened liberally. (Ya'll want that sweet or unsweet?) Sticky, sultry summer days were refreshed with a tall glass of iced tea.

But it was the hot cup of tea that my mother served me after I'd been sick that floods me with memories.

Usually I'd been sick for a day or two and missed school. And the kind of sick where you don't get out of bed and aren't even aware you've not been out of bed. The kind of sick where getting propped up on the counch in front of the tv was a big deal and meant you were getting better.

My first food was always the same: a big mug of hot tea, sweet of course, accompanied by soda crackers, plain. But the second cup always came with a treat. Mom would butter a slice of bread, sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar, and run it under the broiler until it was melty goodness.

To this day, when I'm home sick from work, I'll prop myself up and make cup after cup of hot tea. But I've never had cinnamon toast like that since I was a little girl.

Posted By lacretia on March 8, 2008, 10:36 PM

I have herbal tea parties in upstate New York for all of my friends, each month. We try teas from all over the world. It's alot of fun.

Posted By Cheryl English on March 8, 2008, 11:13 PM

My best friend and I went to Ireland in October and the one of the best parts of the trip was the tea. We stayed in wonderful B&Bs and all included tea service at all times of the day with all the proper trimmings, including cream! The best was our stay at Ardaghmore in Ballycastle, with wonderful tea in our room,on the couch overlooking the bay!

Posted By Pamela S. Boyd on March 9, 2008, 2:57 PM

I was introduced to “proper” tea by a group of co-workers in the winter of 2001.

Huddled in the cabin of the ferry, on a gray Canadian day, we watched as The Empress Hotel presented herself to us, commanding the harbor of Victoria, British Columbia.
Later that afternoon I learned the art of tea: warming the cup, taking cream, feeling privileged and genteel but at the same time relaxed and living in the moment. The small snow flurries outside the giant picture windows, the elegance of the leather chairs and chandeliers, the formality of the tuxedoed wait staff all became one of my favorite memories of the winter of 2001 and began a love affair with tea.

I spoke of that experience so often that a few years later my father arranged for me to revisit Victoria. Only this time we were hotel guests and high tea was held in the company of my father. It was just as magical as the first time.

Posted By Jennifer Blair on March 9, 2008, 9:12 PM

Whenever my husband and I travel, we always make it a point to seek out a new tea shop or a great hotel that has a proper afternoon tea. We've had tea just off St. Stephen's Green in Dublin, at Fortnum & Mason in London, The Tea Palace in Notting Hill, and most recently a lovely tea shop, Leland Tea in San Francisco. For a souvenir, we always try to bring home some tea from wherever we travel, from Iceland to New Zealand and everywhere in between.

Posted By Lana Bump on March 10, 2008, 12:30 PM

My first memory of drinking tea goes back to about 1966. My family and I went to the Moongate Chinese restaurant, which was around the corner from our small apartment in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. It was our local Chinese food joint and my parents took me there from the day I was born (43 years ago). To this day, nothing warms me up like a cup of Chinese restaurant tea. I don't know a great deal about about tea, I haven't had tea in the most unique or fanciest places around the world, but every time I have tea in a Chinese restaurant, I think of the Moongate Restaurant, my parents and growing up in Brooklyn, NY.

Posted By Nancy Schwartz on March 10, 2008, 5:37 PM

A cup of tea, enjoyed anywhere in the world, is always filled with the most heart felt memories of our dear British friends, Catherine, Peter & Lara. Although we are 1000's of miles apart, a cup of tea, especially the York tea they bring on their visits, brings us closer together. There is nothing like a "cup" of tea to fill the miles between friends.

Posted By Cyndi on March 10, 2008, 7:35 PM

My most memorable tea afternoon would have to be in Dubai. We spent the day at the water park then changed into our party dresses in the locker room and were off for a self guided tour of the Burj Al Arab. High tea is severed in three courses on the 27th floor with a glorious view and the most attentive wait staff. The china and the food are simply unbelievable. With our bellies full and warm we were off to check out the rest of the hotel. Rumor had it there was a tennis court on the roof. We snuck up the stair well and were about to open the roof access door when we stopped by a officer and escorted back down stairs.

Posted By shannon hunter on March 11, 2008, 2:06 AM

When I went to Cuzco in Peru, I felt horrible from the altitude. My husband (then boyfriend) and I went to this restaurant and were just feeling horrible. We both had are heads down. The waiter provided us with some coco tea. Almost immediately we felt better. When we inquired into the source of coco tea, we were astounded to learn it was from the same plant that cocaine is produce from. Oops.

Posted By Randi on March 11, 2008, 9:34 AM

Tea for me?
Sure, if you please!
I'll take the tea from Taiwan any day.
My first trip to Taiwan was the best tea I have ever had. Since then I've had tea all around!

Posted By Timothy Sternberg on March 11, 2008, 11:59 PM