Afternoon Tea

I got back on Monday from spending a few days in London with my son who is working there on a project for his American company. We visited several of the iconic art museums, historic sights, and admired the magnificent architecture, but we were also very impressed with the food. We liked one Indian restaurant, Dum Biryani, so much that we had dinner there twice. My son introduced me to a creamy porridge for breakfast and we discovered clotted cream at tea time. I had to Google search clotted cream to learn that it is heavy cream that has been baked in the oven or heated at a low temperature on top of the stove for 5 to 6 hours! It's a delicate cross between butter and whipped cream.

We had afternoon tea in the atrium of the Wallace Collection near the hotel in Portman Square. The Wallace Collection is an art collection housed at the former townhouse of the Seymour family, Marquesses of Hertford. It comprises a world-famous range of fine and decorative arts from the 15th to the 19th centuries. One highlight is a Rembrandt self-portrait that I hadn't expected to stumble across.

These pictures are from the jaw-dropping food courts at Harrods. Not only is the food exquisite, but the general ambience, from the signage to the uniforms worn by the sales staff, is magical.