ROSE TEA TASTING at ROSE FESTIVAL

Last Saturday I was invited to hold Rose Tea Tasting for Malvern Luxury Buildings in collaboration with Squires Garden Centre in Surrey. The tasting was part of a larger Rose Festival event that was all about the queen of the garden herself - ROSE.

It was the hottest day of this year and the garden with all the roses there looked and felt amazingly beautiful. The smell was divine, and the garden buildings where the tea tasting took place were perfect for the occasion.

I chose three teas - simple rose buds from Pakistan, White Darjeeling Tea infused with Rose Petals and Rose and Cardamom Tea (with green rooibos, apples and a touch of Mint). They were all a huge success, and also all had a cooling effect on the body. Rose and white tea are cooling by nature, green rooibos, mint and apples too. The only ingredient that was a little bit warming was Cardamom - but it was a well received exceptions as most people attending the tasting loved its taste.

Even though in my work I focus mainly on Chadao Tea Ceremonies and Meditation - I really enjoyed holding this particular event. Spending morning in the sun surrounded by roses, but mostly by the people - curious minds who joined the tasting. Most of them didn’t know the event is happening, and stumbled across it while strolling through the rows of roses looking for the one they want to buy home. Joining the tasting spontaneously and discovering the whole new world of loose leaf teas and actually loving every single minute of it.

I am always amazed by how everyone responds to Tea and the beauty it brings into our life, sometimes unexpectedly. How a simple cup of tea with or without rose can change the course of our day and induces more brightness in our eyes, energy in our bodies and peace in our minds.

Malvern Gardens also wrote an amazing BLOG POST on how to make your own rose tea and how to cook with rose too!

GAZELLI WELLBEING COLLABORATION FOR NEW MOON TEA CEREMONY

We have collaborated with Gazelli Wellbeing in South Kensington to hold New Moon Tea Ceremony and Sharing Circle with the theme of ROSE for the New Moon in Cancer.

To give you a feel for what the Tea Ceremony is about and to introduce me to their customers, they asked me a few questions, which resulted in a beautiful interview - the one that gives a glimpse into my life and journey into Tea.

We’re delighted to be welcoming Lera from T-Lovers to Gazelli House on 2 July for a New Moon Tea Ceremony and Circle – a ceremony that invites you to slow down and connect with yourself, others and nature at the start of the new lunar cycle, a time that’s associated with setting new intentions and visions.

Lera struggled for find purpose in her City job in investment banking, which despite offering security left her feeling unhappy and unfulfilled. She knew she needed to discover her passion and tried embroidery, fashion, jewellery-making, kickboxing, bodywork, astrology, trapeze and corporeal mime. But it was after meeting a ‘magic woman’ that Lera found her true calling. We were intrigued to find out more…

Tell us more about the moment you were told that tea was your calling?

 After searching for thirty-three years for my perfect vocation, I found a blog about this woman, and decided she was my last chance. I really surrendered. I thought, whatever she tells me, I will do it. If she tells me that the financial industry is what I’m going to be best at, I’ll go back to the office. But thankfully she didn’t. She told me many things, among which was tea – and as soon as she said tea, I had a strong resonant feeling in my heart, which I knew I needed to delve deeper into. And that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

What does living a slow life mean to you?

Living slow to me means really taking my time to enjoy and savour what I’m doing. Taking time to appreciate things, to feel them – not on autopilot, but mindfully, with awareness. It also means being in tune with our needs at any point in time – feeling when we need to sleep, when we need to take a pause and when we need to work. It means making space in our days to fulfil our needs, and making them our priority. 

Tell us more about the tea ceremony you are going to be hosting at Gazelli House.

It will be a New Moon Tea Ceremony and Circle. The new moon marks the beginning of the new lunar cycle and with that comes new intentions and new visions. For the Tea Ceremony, we’ll sit in silence together – so we can be still and really listen to our own inner wisdom. This is the only wisdom that is true for us, but we can only hear it when we take our attention within and really listen. We’ll then share whatever comes from the heart. The tea will be a blend of tea and rose – rose is an incredible heart medicine. Everything in the Tea Ceremony is designed for us to connect with our senses, our body, to go within and trust our own inner teachings. 

TO READ FULL INTERVIEW PLEASE GO TO https://www.gazelli.com/blog/2019/6/4/meet-the-experts-lera-of-t-lovers

Tea Ceremony Talk and Demonstration at CHALICE WELL TRUST in Glastonbury

I am so honoured and humbled to be invited to be part of the amazing annual festival in Glastonbury to give a talk on Tea Ceremony and give a demonstration of the Tea Ceremony too.

This festival is organised by Chalice Well Trust. “Chalice Well is among the best known and most loved holy wells in Britain. Many legends are attributed to its chalybeate waters, which flow ceaselessly at a steady rate and temperature that never varies. Not least among these is that they represent the blood of Christ miraculously springing forth from the ground when Joseph of Arimathea buried or washed the cup used at the Last Supper. For others the waters are acknowledged as the essence of life, the gift from Mother Earth to sustain its living forms and so a continuous spring like Chalice Well is a direct expression of an unbounded life force.”

This year’s Festival is called “Many Paths, One Source” and is centred around Buddhism - and the numerous traditions that are part of it - Zen, Theravada, Vajrayana etc.

And of course, Tea Ceremony was always present in early buddhist traditions - after all Wu De, a man I call my tea teacher and founder of the Global Tea Hut community, wrote a book with the name “Tea and Zen One Flavour” - showing just that. That Tea and Zen are one and the same.

Tea has been a silent transmitter of wisdom and truth, from master to students, something that couldn’t be transmitted in a linguistic manner.

This and many other things we will explore in this Tea Ceremony talk and Demonstration on 9 June 2019.

Here is a link to the programme of events there - check them out, it’s amazing! https://chalicewellmanypathsonesourcefestival.org/event/tea-ceremony-talk-and-demonstration/

T-Lovers at ShangCha- Private Networking and Premium Tea Tasting Event

Last week I was invited by a a Chinese Business Group to talk at a private Chinese networking event about Tea ad Spirituality, and also to do a Tea Meditation for those who are interested. The event went really great, better than I expected. I was so nervous about the speech I was supposed to do, preparing it of course the last minute. Then trying to remember the structure and points. Being very nervous and going there by bike with my son Sasha in the back seat. But as I said, it went really well, I caught myself that I am enjoying the speech so much (it can be seen from my facial expression on the photos)! I loved talking about Global Tea Hut community, about Wu De (you can see him on one of the projector pictures!), about Living tea, about Tea and Zen, about the trip to Yunnan - and showing the photos from that trip. I could see from people's faces and attentive eyes that they were touched by GTH's mission and message, and that most of them wanted to participate in a tea ceremony.

And I was quite high for a few days after it, and even managed to do a Sunrise Tea Ceremony the next morning at 4am. We are holding another Silent Sunrise Tea Ceremony this coming Sunday at 4.30am at the same place as before in Stave Hill in Russian Docks in London. You can join us in person or online. All information is HERE.

Sun Moon Lake Red Tea and Uluntu Flowers

Red living tea from Sun Moon Lake in Taiwan (which I got from Living Tea UK) is the perfect elevating start of the day! And with these beautiful flowers from @uluntubermondsey , which I get every time I do a tea meditation there this really is connecting me to myself and to nature... Both are wild. Wild Tea and wild flowers. Be wild. Be nature. Be you. Every Tuesday  - Tea Meditations in my home at 8pm in London. Every Thursday  - Tea Ceremony and Meditation at 1pm Uluntu Bermondsey (63 Tower Bridge Road, SE1 4TL)

Today I wanted to tell you a little bit more about Uluntu Space, where Thursday's Tea Meditations take place. Everyone always comments that it is amazing to have a Tea Ceremony, a Tea meditation not to so many beautiful and unusual flowers, because in this way it is much easier to connect to yourself and nature. Each time I use flowers from the shop for our Chaxi - the setting of the tea table. It works almost like a magic, transforming the whole energy of the tea space.

And every time after the Tea Meditation the guys tell me: choose some flowers to take home with you! And I stand there each time, not being able to choose from this variety, from these works of art, so simple and so complicated at the same time. I am always late to pick up my son from school as I it simply takes me a long time to choose! But as a result these flowers are in my home for the whole week before the next meditation! :)

Uluntu is translated as Community in one of the South African languages, and this is how this space feels! You come in, and you feel like you came to a friend's house, the guys meet you and greet you, and you will be able to have some tea there soon (from March) - a good quality tea, that gives you a state of joy, happiness and inspiration. This is going to be a collaboration of T-Lovers tea and Uluntu Bermondsey. So please follow us for more news on this!

Every Thursday there are Thursday Social events with music (Stan is also a DJ with the record collection of 5,000 vinyls in the basement), wine and socialising. Last night I went there to check it out at around 10pm for 15 minutes, there was no party, but people were sitting around the table sipping wine, talking, coming and leaving, and it did really feel like a living room of your best friends. I came for 15 minutes and barely left after 2.5 hours! And I was drinking water, not wine! :)))

Before I left Den gave me an Eucaliptus branch to take home. So my house looks as beautiful as ever with the magic touch of Uluntu Flowers. I am in LOVE. And this place is going to be perfect for tea. Amazing, living, quality tea. The opening os a tea house is planned for the 6 March. It's Sunday, and I hope I will see many of you who have been to my Tea Tours and Meditations!!!!

Uluntu Bermondsey is at 63 Tower Bridge Road, SE1 4TL.

Tea Meditation at London Bridge and blessed cranes from Japan

Our Tea Meditation tomorrow will be very special and amazing. It takes place in a beautiful yoga studio called Globe House Yoga just 5 minutes away from London Bridge station, which is a very convenient location.

Also tomorrow we will have with us Holly Helt, my friend from Japan, an owner of a Japanese tea house and tea shop in Japan, a very spiritual woman. The shop is called ChikiTea and if you ever have been on my tours you would have heard about her and her wonderful teas from me. The teas that open our hearts, connect us to the universe and create the flow of inspiration in such a powerful way that you just feel like saying "I LOVE YOU" to friends and strangers alike!

And she brought with her a few origami cranes that she made with her own hands, and then they were all blessed in the Shrine of Prosperity in Japan by a monk, so these cranes bring Good Luck and Fortune, and each participant tomorrow will get one of those as a present! :))) There are still a few places if you would like to join us!

By the way, our Tea Meditation take place weekly:

• every Tuesday evening at 8pm at my place
• every Thursday lunchtime from 1-2.30pm at Globe House Yoga in London Bridge

I hope to see you very soon!

Yesterday I did a private tea tour in London for three amazing girls, one of which booked it as a birthday present to herself. They also wanted to end it with the chinese tea ceremony. Usually we do tea tours in the morning and finish at a cafe, where we have tea and a dressert. But girls could only do it in the afternoon. Which was still ok (I thought), as a cafe closes at 5 or so. However, when I came in the morning to drop off my bag with all the teaware for a tea ceremony, I found out that they close at 4pm, exactly the time, when we were supposed to arrive! After some discussion, they said that it's ok to come and sill have it, but there will be a mess, and lots of deliveries taking place. Of course it was not ideal, as in my mind, when people ask for a tea ceremony, they expect something cosy, magical, quiet and nice. And I wasn't sure if this kind of atmosphere could happen with doors slamming and deliveries taking place. But then I realised that whatever is - is. And because I really cannot do anything about it at that moment, then the tea ceremony will be perfect as it is, whatever and however it is. And so I relaxed and trusted Life that whatever will be it will be the best and the most perfect tea ceremony for that particular situation.

And the strange thing - it was. By Mind's judgement it was not ideal by all means - when we arrived at a patisserie / cafe/ bakery, all the chairs were already stack together, huge trays with desserts were moved from one side to another, lots of people walking, a photo session taking place of the owner with his desserts, and lots of discussions and talks. BUT! The girls LOVED it! They said it was the most amazing experience to be in a bakery after the closing hours, and see the life in the backstage, so to say. Every time they had a sip of tea, they then turned around to discover another huge tray full of new desserts - sometimes there were 100 brownies, the next time it was an abundance of salted caramel cakes, yet another full of strawberry ganache. Every time they had a delightful sigh, and amazement about all this abundance and beauty - almost the heaven of desserts! The owner gave us mince pies as a present, and the whole atmosphere was magical. Patisserie as a back scene, a tea ceremony with the powerful tea, friendly people, and smells of freshly baked cakes and desserts.

It all came out better than anyone expected. And that's what happens when we just relax and let life live through you, as it is - because everything is perfect already.

Thank you Comptoir Gourmand for this magical amazing experience and always supporting all our tea endeavours with your wonderful hospitality! Our Tea Tour and Tea Ceremony was amazing!

Tea Events in London 4-10 May

Ten TEA events this week are taking place! Each day of the week something is happening, so if you are a true tea lover you will definitely find something to suit your taste and availability! Is it May that makes all these events to start happening? In any way, it's amazing to see tea culture thriving and having so many amazing and wonderful events on offer! 1. Monday, 4 May, at 8pm – Mad Hatter's Tea Party at Tea House Theatre in Vauxhall, £25

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the publication of Lewis Caroll's iconic novel the Tea House Theatre invites grown-ups to join the Mad Hatter, the Red Queen, the White Rabbit and a host of other characters for a dinner riddled with games, gambles and recitations.

The menu has been taken straight from the book and we promise you an exciting, entertaining evening from which no one will leave empty handed. And I am sure there will be a lot of TEA flowing too!

2. Tuesday, 5 May, at 7pm – Tea and Food Pairing, Shaftesbury Avenue, £25 - SOLD OUT! Next one on 2 June, so book early to avoid disappointment!

Start the evening with a tea infused Mocktail in the intimate Mee bar before tea guru Kyle guides you through 5 exciting tea and food pairings. Pairing exciting dishes from the menue with Noodle House teas and specially selected teas from Whittington's Tea Emporium's vast range, you will discover how tea enhances the flavour of dishes. With each pairing Kyle shows images and video clips of where the teas come from and how they are made. Lean about the masters who hand make these teas and just why Jasmine Pearls are so special! Then finish off the evening with a unique Tea Cocktail (or Mocktail if you prefer).

3. Wednesday, 6 May, at 20.00 in Covent Garden – Tea Ceremony and Gong Bath. £18

My favourite tea fairy Kat Bambul is conducting yet another magical journey into tea and gongs. Not to be missed!

That’s what she writes about the tea ceremony herself: “Gong Fu Tea Ceremony is a beautiful and meditative ritual of preparing and drinking tea, taking it’s roots from Dao and Zen Buddhist traditions where tea is considered as a spiritual drink. We drink loose leaf tea from the old, naturally growing trees in the wild, rich in substances affecting our consciousness and the body. High quality tea induces a deep meditative state, philosophical and creative mindset, a feeling of contentment, freedom and openness to the mystical. During the ceremony we appreciate the beauty of here & now, indulge all our senses and contemplate on tea, it’s setting, ourselves and our connection with nature. We connect with the spirit of the tea, and let ourselves flow in a timeless zone between heaven and earth.”

4. Friday, 8 May, at 14.00 and 15.00 at British Museum – Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration by Urasenke Institute. FREE.

I wrote a blog post about my previous visit and impressions last time I went, which explains very well what this demonstration is about: http://t-lovers.com/2013/04/04/japanese-tea-ceremonies-at-british-museum/

5. Saturday, 9 May, at 10am – Black and Pu-erh– Teas from India, China and other areas, £20, ADAVNCED BOOKING is ESSENTIAL!

Every Saturday between 10-11am, they will host a relaxed one-hour tasting of teas from areas he has visited complete with illustrated tasting notes.

6. Sunday, 10 May, 11-5pm - A POP UP ORIGAMI POETRY CAFE with Tea, somewhere on the Regents Canal, £10.

This event brings together a passion for tea, poetry and beautiful origami all together as a beautiful package. It includes a personalised poem on an origami model by their professional poet together with a home baked cake and lovely afternoon tea will spoil your senses. Enjoy the landscape of hundreds of flying origami  birds, floating boats and swans, and lovely flowers. Friendly and relaxed atmosphere with bird songs in the background. Add aroma to your origami with a scented paper…

£10 per person includes a poem on an origami model, a cake and a tea. Please check for location on their website: http://www.thefloatingshowroom.com/upcoming-events

7. Sunday, 10 May, at 12pm - Chinese Tea and Dim Sum Brunch Club with PaoCha in Streatham, London, £15 - NEARLY SOLD OUT!

Discover tea and dim sum in combination! With hundreds of aromas of Chinese tea to be exploring, Sam and Alex (Sinophiles/foodies/tea obsessives) would like to introduce the diversity of this delightful beverage by hosting their very own tea (not supper) club in the delights of our Streatham abode. Where London does brunch, Southern China does Dim Sum; a good selection of Chinese tea and small light dishes. PaoCha therefore, invites you their very own Chinese style brunch of copious amounts of tea ranging from TieGuanYin Oolong, to Pu’er, to Fuding’s best White tea, and a good filling of Chinese inspired food!

8. Sunday, 10 May, at 4pm – Chinese Tea Ceremony in Hyde Park, £15, in RUSSIAN

Tasting four great teas and learning lots about them in the beautiful surroundings of Kensington Gardens in Hyde Park. The following teas will be tasted: Silver Needle white tea, Baimudan white tea, Lao Tie Guan Yin oolong tea and Tie Luo Han oolong tea. Your guide into the world of tea here is the Daoist master with decades of practice and experience!!!!

Big hug!

Tea Events this week in London 13-19 April

This week is abundant with tea events!!!!!!!!!!! Lots of new people, companies and tea lovers are doing tea related events, and you know what? It makes me really happy! I take it as a sign that tea culture is finally picking up and becoming popular. That proper tea is seen as a great way to spend time and tea is becoming a drink that people tend to choose as an alternative to coffee. My heart is expanding with joy! So here is a list of tea events this week for you! I am sure these is a tea event to suit any taste and any availability!

1. Saturday, 18 April, at 10am – Postcard Teas School - 3rd Saturday – Shades of Green – Green teas from Japan, Korea, and China, £20, ADAVNCED BOOKING is ESSENTIAL!

Every Saturday between 10-11am, they will host a relaxed one-hour tasting of teas from areas he has visited complete with illustrated tasting notes.

2. Saturday, 18 April, at 4pm - Chinese Tea Ceremony in Hyde Park, £15, in RUSSIAN

Tasting four great teas and learning lots about them in the beautiful surroundings of Kensington Gardens in Hyde Park. The following teas will be tasted: Shou Mei white tea, GABA oolong tea, GABA red tea and Ginseng oolong tea. Your guide into the world of tea here is the Daoist master with decades of practice and experience!!!!

3. Sunday, 19 April, 11-5pm - A POP UP ORIGAMI POETRY CAFE with Tea, on Regents Canal not far from King's Cross, £10.

This event brings together a passion for tea, poetry and beautiful origami all together as a beautiful package. It includes a personalised poem on an origami model by their professional poet together with a home baked cake and lovely afternoon tea will spoil your senses. Enjoy the landscape of hundreds of flying origami  birds, floating boats and swans, and lovely flowers. Friendly and relaxed atmosphere with bird songs in the background. Add aroma to your origami with a scented paper...

£10 per person includes a poem on an origami model, a cake and a tea. Just pop in to Kings Cross, Granary Square, along Regent's Canal  N1C 4AA

4. Sunday, 19 April, 3-5pm - Chinese Tea Tasting Workshop in Waterloo, £20, in English

I have never been to one of these before, and it seems to be organised by the Chinese descendants from Hong Kong, who are passionate about maintaining and promoting chinese culture in the West. Looks lovely!

LOVE you all!!!!!!

Tea Events this week in London 6 – 12 April

This week there are a few events again, some of them are recurring, and some are new, and I am sure you will find something according to your taste and soul desire! 1. Tuesday, 7 April, at 7pm – Tea and Food Pairing at Noodle House in Piccadilly, £25 Explore which teas go best with the dishes as Kyle skilfully takes you through five combinations.Book your tickets to avoid disappointment!

2. Friday, 10 April, at 14.00 and 15.00 at British Museum – Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration by Urasenke Institute. FREE.

I wrote a blog post about my previous visit and impressions last time I went, which explains very well what this demonstration is about: http://t-lovers.com/2013/04/04/japanese-tea-ceremonies-at-british-museum/

3. Saturday, 11 April, at 10am – Postcard Teas School - Black and Pu-erh– Teas from India, China and other areas., £20, ADAVNCED BOOKING is ESSENTIAL!

Every Saturday between 10-11am, they will host a relaxed one-hour tasting of teas from areas he has visited complete with illustrated tasting notes.

http://www.postcardteas.com/site/school/

4. Sunday, 12 April, at 12pm - Chinese Tea and Dim Sum Brunch Club with PaoCha in Streatham, London, £25

Discover tea and dim sum in combination! With hundreds of aromas of Chinese tea to be exploring, Sam and Alex (Sinophiles/foodies/tea obsessives) would like to introduce the diversity of this delightful beverage by hosting their very own tea (not supper) club in the delights of our Streatham abode. Where London does brunch, Southern China does Dim Sum; a good selection of Chinese tea and small light dishes. PaoCha therefore, invites you their very own Chinese style brunch of copious amounts of tea ranging from TieGuanYin Oolong, to Pu'er, to Fuding's best White tea, and a good filling of Chinese inspired food!

Photo is from Paocha

Tea Events this week in London 30 March - 5 April

There are quite a few good ones this week, so don’t miss your chance and join them if you can! 1. Tuesday, 31 March at 18.30 in Greenwich – Tea and Cheese Tasting with Whittington’s Tea Emporium. £20

I went there in November and even now, at the memory of all those delicious combinations of amazing cheeses and teas, I almost faint from taste bud pleasure… Only 3 places left, so if you would like to join them this month, do not hesitate any longer! I also reviewed this event previously in one of my posts, please check it out!

2. Tuesday, 31 March, at 19.30 in Central London, just off Regent street – Tea Masterclass with Lalani!

It costs £25, but you take home with you the whole jar of Lalani’s Assam Tea, which they sell for £10. Amazing Value!

3. Wednesday, 1 April, at 20.00 in Covent Garden – Tea Ceremony and Gong Bath. £18

My favourite tea fairy Kat Bambul is conducting yet another magical journey into tea and gongs. Not to be missed!

That’s what she writes about the tea ceremony herself: “Gong Fu Tea Ceremony is a beautiful and meditative ritual of preparing and drinking tea, taking it’s roots from Dao and Zen Buddhist traditions where tea is considered as a spiritual drink. We drink loose leaf tea from the old, naturally growing trees in the wild, rich in substances affecting our consciousness and the body. High quality tea induces a deep meditative state, philosophical and creative mindset, a feeling of contentment, freedom and openness to the mystical. During the ceremony we appreciate the beauty of here & now, indulge all our senses and contemplate on tea, it’s setting, ourselves and our connection with nature. We connect with the spirit of the tea, and let ourselves flow in a timeless zone between heaven and earth.”

4. Saturday, 4 April, at 10am – Postcard Teas School - Introduction to Tea – Teas from India, Sri Lanka, Japan, and China, £20, ADAVNCED BOOKING is ESSENTIAL!

Every Saturday between 10-11am, they will host a relaxed one-hour tasting of teas from areas he has visited complete with illustrated tasting notes.

Enjoy!!!!!

PS. Photo is taken from Lalani's web-site

Tea Events this week in London 16-22 March

There are lots of tea events in London this week, to suit any taste or language - from tea and cheese pairing, meditative tea ceremony with gongs to tea tasting tours and walks. Have a look! 1. Wednesday, 18 March, at 7pm - Tea and Cheese Tasting in Notting Hill (La Cave Fromage) led skilfully and passionately by Kyle, in ENGLISH, £20

I reviewed this event previously in one of my posts and now this is another opportunity for me to say how amazing this event is. Explosion of tastes and aromas will blow your mind, literally. Highly recommended!!!

2. Wednesday, 18 March, at 8pm - in Covent Garden – Tea Ceremony and Gong Bath, in ENGLISH, £18

My favourite tea fairy Kat Bambul is conducting yet another magical journey into tea and gongs. Not to be missed!

That’s what she writes about the tea ceremony herself: “Gong Fu Tea Ceremony is a beautiful and meditative ritual of preparing and drinking tea, taking it’s roots from Dao, Zen and Buddhist traditions where tea is considered as a spiritual drink. We drink loose leaf tea from the old, naturally growing trees in the wild, rich in substances affecting our consciousness and the body. High quality tea induces a deep meditative state, philosophical and creative mindset, a feeling of contentment, freedom and openness to the mystical. During the ceremony we appreciate the beauty of here & now, indulge all our senses and contemplate on tea, it’s setting, ourselves and our connection with nature. We connect with the spirit of the tea, and let ourselves flow in a timeless zone between heaven and earth.”

3. Saturday, 21 March, at 10am – Postcard Teas School - The Blues – Oolong teas from Fujian, Guangdong, and Taiwan, £20, ADAVNCED BOOKING is ESSENTIAL!

Every Saturday between 10-11am, they will host a relaxed one-hour tasting of teas from areas he has visited complete with illustrated tasting notes.

Tea Events this week in London 9-15 March

This week there are three amazing tea events for your choice!!! 1. Friday, 13 March, at 14.00 and 15.00 at British Museum - Japanese Tea Ceremony demonstration by Urasenke Institute. FREE.

I wrote a blog post about my previous visit and impressions last time I went, which explains very well what this demonstration is about: http://t-lovers.com/2013/04/04/japanese-tea-ceremonies-at-british-museum/

Event details are here: http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar/event_detail.aspx?eventId=2050&title=The%20Way%20of%20Tea&eventType=Demonstration

2. Saturday, 14 March, at 10am – Postcard Teas School - Shades of Green – Green teas from Japan, Korea, and China, £20, ADAVNCED BOOKING is ESSENTIAL!

Every Saturday between 10-11am, they will host a relaxed one-hour tasting of teas from areas he has visited complete with illustrated tasting notes.

http://www.postcardteas.com/site/school/

3. Sunday, 15 March, at 2pm at We Make London Cafe, in Chalk Farm - Introduction to the Fine Tea World with Momo Cha Tea Company! It costs £30, but T-Lovers followers can still get the Early Bird discount and get the place for £24 (Just enter discount code: EARLYBIRDMARCH). Amazing Value!

I haven't been to any of Momo Cha's events, and haven't yet tried their teas. I am planning to attend their Tea Tasting on the 26 March though and write a blog post about it. But, from their website their teas seem to be really good (all green Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese) and we talked with Mojca on e-mail. I really liked our conversation and I am sure their event is going to be a real gem for all tea lovers!

This is what they write about their event:

"We'll guide you on an experiential journey through the fine teas of Japan, Taiwan and Korea. We will be brewing, tasting, appraising different types of tea, speak about tea history and learn about tea benefits.

Along with tea, we will be enjoying delicious handmade gluten-free snacks.

Each participant will also receive a lovely gift to take home.

You can book your tickets here: http://www.momochafineteas.com/tea-events/tea-tasting-class-15th-march-2015

I hope you enjoy your tea activities this week!

Tea Events this week 2-8 March 15

Do you love TEA? Again, this week has a lot to offer! 1. Tuesday, 3 Mar, at 7pm – Tea and Food Pairing at Noodle House in Piccadilly, £25 Explore which teas go best with the dishes as Kyle skilfully takes you through five combinations.Book your tickets here: http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tea-food-pairing-at-the-noodle-house-march-tickets-14919424400?aff=erelexporg

2. Wednesday, 4 Mar, at 8pm - Tea Ceremony and a Gong Bath afterwards in the heart of Covent Garden at Buddha on the Bicycle, £18

http://www.meetup.com/London-Gong-Chamber-Tea-Sanctuary/events/220508754/

Again, Kat Bambul is going to be an amazing host, guiding you into a meditative state with the amazing teas and then through a gong journey.

3. Saturday, 7 March, at 10am - Postcard Teas School - Black and Pu-erh– Teas from India, China and other areas, £20, ADAVNCED BOOKING is ESSENTIAL!

Every Saturday between 10-11am, they will host a relaxed one-hour tasting of teas from areas he has visited complete with illustrated tasting notes.

http://www.postcardteas.com/site/school/

Tea Events in London this week

There is only one tea event this week for you, but it's amazing and you should go! 1. This Wednesday, 21 Jan, at 8pm - Tea Ceremony and a Gong Bath afterwards in the heart of Covent Garden at Buddha on the Bicycle.

http://www.meetup.com/London-Gong-Chamber-Tea-Sanctuary/events/219695039/

Again, Kat Bambul is going to be an amazing host, guiding you into a meditative state with the amazing teas and then through a gong journey.

Foxes and TeaЛисы и чай

Do you think foxes like tea? I think they do. And while drinking it they have big dreams too.

PS. I also found that there is Foxes Tea Room in UK, somewhere in Neston. One can imagine the foxes (that look like the one on this picture) coming there, sitting, sipping tea and immersing in their dream world. Somehow I feel that they sit on their own, in silence. Just them, tea and their dreams. And then they are off into the wild back to hunting and their family duties…Как вы думаете, любят ли лисы чай?

Я думаю, они его любят, и во время своего, лисиного чаепития, мечтают..

ПС. Я нашла на интернете, что в Англии, в одном городке под названием Нестон (Бог знает, где оно находится), есть Лисиный Чайный Домик. И я себе сразу представила как лисы, которые выглядят также, как на этой картинке, приходят туда, садятся по-одиночке, попивают чай и погружаются в сладостный мир мечтаний и грез. А потом, после того, как чай в чайничке закончится, они выходят обратно в лес к охоте, семейным делам, будничным лесным лисиным заботам. :)

Tea accessories for Chaxi from natureЧайная аттрибутика от природы

Sometimes to set up a table for a tea ceremony we can use simple things. They can be found in nature, all around us actually. We just need to open our eyes, and heart.. Today I was passing by a sawmill, and decided to investigate inside. I was looking at these huge pine trunks lying there and thought that I would like a small round peace of wood for my hot kettle. Then I saw a man, who greeted me and asked me if I need any help. And I explained the whole idea of the round stand for the hot kettle. He straight away called his colleague, they brought an electric saw, and made me a couple of round kettle stands. Which I carried lovingly to my home. They just need to be polished now and can be used in tea ceremonies and meditations!Каждый раз отвозя своего Сашку в бассейн, я проезжаю мимо местной лесопилки. Дорога пролегает вдоль железной дороги, и лесопилка находится там, рядом с приемом металлолома. Туда частенько наведываются интересные кадры с разными металлическими предметами в руках. И вот мне пришла в голову идея попросить мужиков на лесопилке отпилить мне кусочек соснового бревна. Под горячий чайник. Для чайных церемоний и медитаций. Кусочек литовского леса в Лондонском пространстве.

И сегодня после проливного дождя я сначала съездила в банк за новой карточкой - самое интересное, что я пришла, никого не было, а когда закончили с девушкой общаться, ждали 20 человек! Я это отметила, так как всегда отмечаю с благодарностью такие вещи, ведь мне не пришлось ждать вообще.

А потом я направилась в эту лесопилку, нашла приветливого мужичка, и озвучила свою просьбу. Мужичок откликнулся на нее и как по мановению волшебной палочки тут же появился его коллега с бензопилой. Вообщем, круглые кусочки сосны "под горячий чайник" отправятся со мной в Лондон!

- Сколько с меня? - спросила я приветливого мужичка в зеленой кепке. - Ничего не надо, - ответил он, -приходите еще! И такой широкой и теплой улыбкой улыбнулся мне, что сразу так же тепло на душе стало.

Я опять отметила галочкой благодарности это событие..

Волшебство, оно повсюду, и люди, готовые помочь и отозваться на необычные просьбы! Надо только научиться это видеть, и замечать. :)

Facing irritationsСмотря в лицо своим раздражителям

After vipassana I realised that I no longer avoid irritating situations. Not that I am searching for them intentionally. No. Rather taking the opportunity to embrace and face them. For example today I came to take a ferry just to find out there is no ferry at this time so had to wait for 30 minutes more. I saw a bench in a shade and it looked really appealing, but there was a young guy sitting on it eating sunflower seeds really loudly and also listening to the music on the phone. At any other point in my life I would have chosen another place to sit, because phone music usually irritates me. But now I thought, let's work on my reactions, here is a good opportunity. I sat down. And with the sound of the telephone music I started feeling a subtle irritation in my stomach. Great, I thought, let's see how long it lasts. Because of my awareness, it didn't develop into a strong irritation, but... Something changed instead. I started liking the music coming out from the phone, and suddenly noticed a bright green beacon in the water, looking really nicely. And red wheels in the shipbuilding yard looking amazing on bright blue sky. The whole scene transformed, became magical, almost like from 3D movie. By becoming present and not reacting the energy was taken away from the mind and given back to the flow of life... I know that this situation is very small and mundane but life is made up if these small everyday mundane things that we are reacting to all the time...

Thank you, young stranger with sunflower seeds and a telephone for giving me this gentle opportunity to work on my blind reactions... I could only make a picture of his back! :))))

После Выпассаны я поняла, что больше не избегаю раздражителей в своей жизни. Не то, чтобы я специально ищу их, нет! Но просто когда вдруг появляется выбор избежать раздражитель или повернуться к нему лицом и проработать свое раздражение, я в последнее время выбираю второе.

Например, вчера, возвращаясь с моря, я ехала на велосипеде очень быстро, для того, чтобы успеть к парому. Но оказалось, что в это время парома нет и нужно ждать еще минут 30. В поиске прохладного местечка я увидела скамейку, на которой сидел молодой парень. Скамейка манила к себе, так как она была единственная в тени. Но парень громко лузгал семечки и слушал музыку на телефоне, тоже достаточно громко. А меня обычно музыка из телефонов раздражает. Ну, это просто мой крючок такой. И обычно, я бы в такой ситуации поискала бы другое место, потише. Но на санном этапе своей жизни я подумала: "О, классно, отличная возможность поработать над собой!".

Я присела на скамейку. Прислушалась к себе, к нарастающему раздражению в районе живота. Стала за ним наблюдать. Интересно, как долго оно продлится? Под светом моего наблюдения, моего сознания, раздражение быстро потухло, так и не развив свою силу и мощь. А в настоящем моменте что-то поменялось. Мне вдруг стала нравиться музыка, которая шла из телефона этого парня, она вдруг начала подходить под панораму залива, которая открывалась передо мной. Я заметила очень красивый ярко-зеленый маяк, плавающий на воде, и красные катушки с судостроительного завода, которые очень круто смотрелись на фоне синего летнего неба. И вообще, вдруг все поменялось вокруг, как будто в 3Д фильме. Стало ярче, интереснее, объемнее. Появилось чувство комфорта и уюта. Но парень в этот момент выключил телефон, выкинул шелуху от семечек в мусорку и ушел. А мне даже как-то жалко было что он ушел. Но я постаралась не цепляться, а просто наблюдать.

Вот как это происходит. Когда мы возвращаемся в настоящий момент и не реагируем на раздражители, то мы забираем энергию от ума и отдаем ее потоку жизни. А это трансформирует все вокруг. Я знаю, что эта ситуация очень маленькая и простая,  но наша жизнь состоит из таких вот как раз маленьких и обычных ситуаций. И не реагируя на маленькие раздражители мы тренируем наш ум не реагировать на большие в будущем.

Спасибо тебе, молодой лузгальщик семечек с телефоном, за этот мягкий урок в осознанности! Я сфотографировала его спину, так как обойти скамейку и нагло сфотографировать его всего не хватило смелости… :)

Going to VipassanaЕду на Выпассану

I am going to Vipassana. It took me a long time to decide whether to go or not. I was very lucky to get the place because even the waiting list was closed. I decided to write a letter and explain my situation, that being a single mum this is one of those rare moments, when I can actually come to Vipassana and meditate. And they gave me the place! That was one month ago. Since then a lot of things changed in my life.. As it does usually… :) So in light of these new circumstances I was dubious whether to go or not. The choice I had was between concentrating on my work and going to meditate. The reason behind it being that deeply in my heart I believe that meditation happens everywhere. Life is meditation. Work, children, relationships, mundane, tea drinking … Everything that happens to us throughout our day is meditation. There is no need to actually go anywhere, because we can find all that is needed for our growth anywhere. But then, I also feel that our mind needs to detox once in a while. Like our body needs a detox in the form of healthier food, exercise etc, so our mind needs detoxing from all the information that comes in, from thoughts, from daily stuff. Cleansing. To be honest Vipassana is a detox for both mind and body. As the last time you have food is at lunchtime, and the waking up time is 4am and going to bed is 10pm. So it is a real detox. :)

And so I decided to go. To have a break. To cleanse my Mind and Body. The last time I did Vipassana was 4 years ago, when I was 6 months pregnant. And it was amazing ) There were a few revelations since then, a few discoveries. I remember the first time I did Vipassana, in Dharamkot, India. It was a very tough experience, I hardly understood what has happened. I was in pain, my body was in pain, my mind was too. I was constantly tired. But I felt so much better after it, even if I didn't understand what actually happened. The next time was in Lithuania, and it was much easier, and then in UK (it was the most relaxed one, almost like a resort :)). And now again, going to Vipassana retreat in UK.

I will write my feelings about it when I am back… And of course, I am taking my green tea with me… :)Вот вроде еду на Выпассану. Долго думала ехать или нет. Столько работы, нужно развивать проект с прогулками, чайными медитациями, писать блог, да и вообще, лето, движение, жизнь. А я на 10 дней с Выпасанной как будто выпадаю из жизни. Думала, думала, оставила до последнего момента принятие решения, как буду себя чувствовать, ощущать, так и сделаю. На самом деле трудно решить, так как я очень отчетливо понимаю, что жизнь, отношения с людьми, события, работа, ребенок: это и есть медитация. Жизнь это медитация. Необязательно куда то ехать, чтобы получить опыт медитации. Все это можно получить на каждом шагу в обычной повседневной жизни. Но просто там ты как будто получаешь детокс: бывает детокс тела через голодание, здоровое питание, спорт. А бывает детох ума. Так вот Выпассана это такой детох ума, да и тела тоже. Учитывая, что последний раз там кормят в час дня, и подъем в 4 утра, отбой в 10 вечера, то там и на уровне тела происходит очищение.

И вот завтра надо ехать, и я решила, что поеду. Хочу очистить и ум, и тело. Это будет мой четвертый раз, последний раз я делала Выпассану 4 года назад, когда была на 6ом месяце беременности. Много осознаний пришло с тех пор, понимания. Мне кажется, я сейчас ее по другому делать буду. Более осознанно. Помню свой первый раз, когда делала ее в Индии, в Дхарамкоте. Написала пост об этом даже. Потом был второй раз в Литве, и третий в Англии. На самом деле в Англии расслабленнее всего, как курорт. :). Как приеду, обязательно напишу свои впечатления после 4ого раза.

Ну а вот мои записки после первого раза:

Ну вот, вчера я вышла из Выпассаны, и конечно жизнь кажется офигенной, я немного спокойная сейчас, как танк, нет ни большого счастья, ни грусти, прсто как то ровно всё, но приятно ровно .

Мне понравился етот опыт, конечно было тяжело, очень даже, я сначала думала что это не для слабонервных, а точнее сказать, ето очень даже для мазохистов - в емоциональном и физическом плане. Но где то с 8ого дня было легко, только концентрироваться было тяжело, уже от усталости, и от напряжения.

Сидеть как оказалось можно в любом положении, главное чтобы спина была супер прямая, и без поддержки, поэтому я сидела на коленях, с подушечками, колени болели, но больше всего мне болела... попа... :)))) И по сравнению с этой болью боль в коленях казалась просто смешной. весь тазобедренный сустав ныл так, что боль отдавалась молниями во все внутренние органы.

На 5ый день у меня всё тело горело так, что я думала - сварюсь, потом учительница мне объяснила что когда жарко, это злость выходит, и спросила меня: "Ты злой человек?" А я подумала, что нет, злой я себя не считаю совсем, редко злюсь скорее расстраиваюсь - если с кем то поссорюсь, или поругаюсь. А потом подумала что может я действительно злая - ведь после каждого конфликта я всё время месяцами прокручиваю у себя в голове ожесточенные диалоги с тем человеком, всегда кажется, вот, если бы я тогда так сказала, или так, а потом, в будущем, про встрече, я обязательно скажу так и так, и конечно таким образом чтобы тому человеку было неприятно и нехорошо. Ведь это уже не расстройство, а самая настоящая злость наверное, но я завуалировала это всё тем что я расстраиваюсь и грущу..

На 6ой ден - самый тяжелый я весь день плакала, вспоминались все ситуации моих отношений со всеми, я испытала чувство просто смертельного одиночества, такого жуткого, что ручки просто чесались позвонить кому нибудь, очень хотелось подружкам в Лондоне, и хорошо что не было телефона... или хотелось вломиться в соседнюю комнату к девчонкам, расторомошить их со всей силы, и пока они приходят в себя от шока и сна, вылить на них весь шквал своих эмоций и грусти, и печали. Как хорошо что там запрещалось говорить, body contact, и любой контакт с внешним миром!!!! Если бы так было бы в Пуне, то я бы никогда не вылила на свою подругу всё что я вылила, и мы бы с ней не поссорились. А я была в Пуне и никогда до этого не медитировала, у меня крышку сорвало, сама не ведала что творю. Если бы нужно было молчать (а еще лучше к дереву привязали бы!), то все переварилось бы внутри, дошло бы до какой то определённой точки, а так, это просто нашло выход в неправильную сторону.

Но в принципе, в Выпасане нет никакого невероятного чуда, просто реланость, понимание вещей такими какими они есть на основе своего тела - мне ето было очень понятно, но конечно трудно... Во время курса пришло много откровений, осознаний - я пришла туда с ворохом проблем (надуманных), а ушла без них, и чувствуется что перемена всё таки произошла. Конечно, я сразу не смогу изменится полностью, но сдвиг произошел уже, и сдвиг в лучшую сторону..

Ну и хотелось бы рассказать чуть чуть о самом центре Выпассаны.

Называется он Dhamma Sikhara и находитса в деревеньке под названием Dharamkot. То есть высоко в горах, весь окруженный сосновыми деревьями, много пауков, сыроежек, земляники, скорпионов и стаи обезьян... Обезьяны конечно были очень потешные, но дико аггрессивные, нам даже выдали monkey sticks, чтобы мы от них отбивались.

Комнаты были на 1-5 человек, мне повезло, так как когда подошла моя очередь у них были еще отдельные "одиночки" и меня поселили туда. Я так поняла что лучше приходить попозже если хочешь получить отдельную комнату - так как в первую очередь эти комнаты даются старым студентам, которые делают выпассану не в первый раз. Поэтому они тянут до последнего а когда видят что старых студентов не осталось уже, они начинают эти комнаты выдавать. Поэтому мне в этом плане повезло. Хотя я и пришла очень рано, но увидела что люди стоят, ждут чего то, ну и я решила подождать. Но на самом деле это люди были на waiting list, а те кто уже были подтверждены на место должны были идти и сразу регистрироваться. Вот моя оплошность мне и сыграла на руку.

Еда была очень вкусная, хоть и немного однообразная, и тяжелая для желудка - рис и бобовые, бобовые и рис, в разных вариациях, поэтому можно представить что происходило в медитационном зале после завтрака и обеда. :)))

Но так, очень мило, и мне было даже грустно уезжать на 11ый день.

English Afternoon Tea - Browns HotelАнглийская Чайная Церемония - Browns Hotel

Now it's time to share my experience of English Afternoon Tea at Browns Hotel. It impressed me more than any place that I have been to before. Not with its tea though, but with the real english atmosphere, impeccable service and food. But lets start from the beginning. Browns Hotel is the place where lots of famous people stayed. Not only did they stay there but they also created and wrote some of their work under the influence of the hotel's atmosphere (and no doubt, tea that they had there). Ridyard Kipling was staying at Browns Hotel, and Agatha Christie was a frequent visitor.  Some say that it is this hotel that was a prototype for Christie's Bertram Hotel, so much loved by Miss Marple. Who knows, may be the tea room's atmosphere, tea and scones helped her solve those really twisted murders? Queen Victoria used to be a guest in this hotel's tea room too. To sum it up, Browns Hotel is well-known, famous and so attracts a lot of visitors. Well, at least for my mum the biggest attraction was Miss Marple story. And I think she is not alone in this. So my mum decided to give herself a present and have an Afternoon Tea experience in Browns Hotel.

This is how the hotel looks on the outside:

The atmosphere inside was beautiful - live piano music, amazing service, quite a few people at the tables chatting away in a relaxed way. Even heavy rain outside was complementing English Afternoon tea scene!

By the way, there were quite a few Japanese and Chinese in the tea room. From my experience visitors of the English Tea Ceremonies are usually from countries that appreciate tea quite a lot. And these are mainly England, Japan, China and Russia. There are occasionally people from other countries too, but they are quite rare, in my opinion.

This time we ordered black tea only (or red, if we use Chinese classification of tea). Frankly, I was so impressed with the atmosphere at Browns  that I wanted to keep this impression and not spoil it with green or white teas brewed for an indefinite amount of time in boiling water. Afterwards my friend, who is an owner of the Chinese Tea shop told me that once she ordered white tea there. And while the tea itself was of exceptional quality, the way it was brewed in boiling water was not. Moreover, it was served in a silver teapot, in which previously black teas were brewed, so this affected the taste and colour of white tea. It looked more brownish than white. But we avoided this dilemma by ordering different varieties of black tea only. I rarely drink black tea. Almost never. Hence, it's quite difficult for me to judge whether black tea I am drinking is good or not.Probably, if it's utterly awful, I will recognise this fact.  But honestly, to understand the difference between an ok and a good black tea, and may be even a very good one would be a difficult task for me (unless the tea is Chinese).

Therefore, I can say with clear conscience, that all tea was good at Browns Hotel. Well, except Lapsang Souchong again - I always order this tea, out of curiosity, to see if it's flavoured or not. And as always, in these kind of places, it was flavoured. But I made a decision to ignore this fact. Because as far as my understanding goes, English Afternoon Tea is not really about tea. It is about a setting, an atmosphere, and food. It's definitely not about green or white teas. May be it is about black teas, as it is where the heart and soul of british people is. But again, black teas from anywhere but China. Because Lapsang Souchong is always below the standard quality at these ceremonies.

So what kind of teas did we have there? For a start we ordered Nilgiri and Assam teas (from India). For afterwards - Lapsang Souchong and another tea, grown in England.  Yes! Did you know? There is a tea plantation called Tregothnan in Cornwall, where tea is grown, processed and blended. They claim they are relatives of Earl Grey, who got from one chinese man a present in the form of a recipe for the very famous tea called in the same way - Earl Grey. The tea was not bad at all, but as I previously said already, all black teas for me are "not bad". :)

Tea was served in these silver teapots, which is better than metal. But it would still be much nicer if it was served in porcelain, at least for me. And as you can see they have a white table cloth on the table, which immediately puts you into a special, festive mood.

And a silver strainer matching the teapots:

Food can be discussed endlessly. But what I wanted to share is that in Browns Hotel they had a choice - traditional tea ceremony, and a healthy version (without wheat and sugar). I chose a healthy version, while my mum stuck to the traditional one. What I also wanted to point out, because I personally didn't know that - at most English Afternoon Teas you can replenish your tray of finger sandwiches, or scones or little cakes at no extra cost however many times you like. So it's basically eat as much as you can - if you can actually take in that much of this delicious food. :)

Here are some photos of the food there. There is no need for comments as the photos say it all, but I will make a note of what is what.

Our table:

Healthy option - Tabulae:

Fruit kebab:

Mini wheat and sugar free cakes:

Scones and jam from the "classic" menu:

Strawberry jam and clotted cream (so tender and smooth …. mmmmmm)

Mini cakes in the traditional option:

To draw a conclusion: this place in my top favourites at this moment. Not only the food was great and tea not bad, but we had what people call "the experience". It was almost like I went back 100 years, got soaked in the atmosphere of London in those days and got transferred back. A journey beyond time and space. In the previous place, although it was very nice too, I had a feeling of simply having an expensive gluttonous meal. Here, it felt differently. So, I highly recommend to all, who would like to have an English Afternoon Tea experience.Ну вот пришла пора рассказать и об Английской Чайной Церемонии в Browns Hotel. Сразу скажу, что впечатлил он гораздо больше всех предыдущих мест. Но не чаем, а своей атмосферой, сервисом, едой, а также своей историей.

Но начну с самого начала. Browns Hotel известен тем, что там останавливалось много известных людей. И они там не просто останавливались, но под влиянием атмосферы отеля (и как мне хочется думать, его чайной комнаты) творили и писали в номерах, и произвели на свет много прекрасных произведений. Например, там часто останавливался Редьярд Киплинг. И Агата Кристи. Считается, что именно чайная комната этого отеля прослужила прототипом Bertram Hotel, в котором все время жила Мисс Марпл. И под действием чая и пирожных разгадывала  самые запутанные убийства. Говорят, что Королева Виктория тоже частенько захаживала туда выпить чай. Вообщем, Browns Hotel известен, знаменит и поэтому манит многих посетить его. Во всяком случае, для моей мамы огромным привлекающим фактором было то, что Мисс Марпл там пила чай. И я думаю, что это является большим плюсом не только для моей мамы. И мама решила сделать себе подарок и сходить туда на чай.

Вот так отель выглядит снаружи:

Обстановка внутри была прекрасна! Музыкальное сопровождение на фортепиано, оживленная атмосфера, прекрасный сервис. И даже дождь за окном соответствовал традиционному английскому чаепитию.

Кстати, было много японцев, китайцев. Я вообще заметила, что на чайные церемонии ходят в основном ценители чая - из стран, в которых чай пьют и любят. А это Англия, Япония, Китай, Россия. Изредка можно встретить представителей других стран, но они действительно встречаются довольно редко.

Чай в этот раз мы заказали исключительно черный (или красный, по китайской классификации). Если честно, мне настолько понравилась атмосфера в Браунз, что портить впечатление зеленым или белым чаем, заваренным кипятком, совершенно не хотелось! Потом уже мне подруга, владелица магазина китайских чаев рассказала, что она там как-то заказала белый чай. Несмотря на то, что сам чай был прекрасного качества, заварили его кипятком, в серебряном чайнике, в котором до этого заваривали черный. И конечно, это повлияло и на вкус, и на цвет чая. Он совершенно не был белым, скорее каким-то коричневатым на вкус. Но мы этой дилеммы избежали, так как с самого начала решили заказать черный чай. Я очень редко пью черный чай. Практически никогда. Поэтому мне сложно судить хороший он или нет. Наверное если полная гадость - я пойму и начну плеваться. Но честно, различить ок черный чай от хорошего или от очень хорошего мне будет сложно.

Поэтому сразу скажу - весь чай, который мы пили был хороший. Ну кроме Лапсанг Сушонга - этот экземпляр я всегда заказываю из любопытства - чтобы узнать, с ароматизаторами он или нет. И как всегда, оказалось, что да, с ароматизаторами. Но я решила закрыть на это глаза. Так как когда его принесли, я поняла еще раз - английская чайная церемония не про чай, а про атмосферу и еду. По крайней мере, не про зеленый или белый чай, скорее про любой черный чай, который не из Китая. Так как в случае с Лапсангом, это тоже полный пролет.

Так какие же мы пили там чаи? Для начала заказали Нилгири (на фото вверху) и Ассам, оба из Индии. А потом Лапсанг Сушонг и чай, выращенный в Англии. Да! Вы не знали? В Cornwall есть чайная плантация с труднопроизносимым названием Tregothnan, где выращивают чай. Они говорят, что являются потомками того самого Графа Грея, которому один китаец много лет назад подарил секрет знаменитого сегодня чая Earl Grey. Чай действительно был совсем не плох, но как я уже говорила выше, для меня все черные чаи "совсем неплохие" :)

Чай подавали в таких серебряных чайниках, что конечно не плохо, но лучше бы в керамических. Плюс, как вы видите, есть скатерть, а это сразу придает торжественность моменту.

Ну и ситечко под стать:

О еде можно говорить очень много. Она была прекрасна, не придраться. Но что мне больше всего понравилось, так это выбор. Можно было выбрать здоровое меню, а можно было традиционное. Мама выбрала традиционное, а я здоровый вариант. И оба были прекрасны, но мне больше понравился мой, здоровый вариант, без муки и сахара. Момент, о котором хотелось бы упомянуть - на английских чайных церемониях можно заказывать все по второму, третьему… десятому кругу бесплатно. Если вам захотелось съесть больше сендвичей, или сконов, или пирожных - все это вам принесут, сколько бы вы ни заказывали. Если у вас конечно будет место для всех этих яств. :)

Вот несколько фотографий с едой. Комментировать излишне, но напишу что есть что.

Наш стол:

Здоровый вариант - Табуле

Фрукты на палочке вместо сконов:

Маленькие пирожные без муки и сахара:

Сконы с джемом из обычного меню:

Клубничный джем и клоттед крим (такой нежный и кремовый….. ням ням)

И маленькие пирожные в традиционном меню:

Вообщем, если подвести итоги, это место - мой фаворит на данный момент. У меня действительно было такое чувство, что я окунулась в Англию 100 лет назад. Атмосфера полностью соответствовала. Мы получили опыт. Если сравнивать с прошлым местом, у меня было чувство - дорого объелись. И все. А здесь осталось ощущение, что я побывала в другом измерении, временном пространстве, и окунулась в традиционную английскую атмосферу. Советую!